Ditch Light

[Ubiety]

I agree and disagree I use mine on back roads to where I live and many many times these lights have allowed me to stop before a deer has jumped in front of my vehicle as I saw them running from the trees much earlier... That being said the first hint of car lights coming in the opposite direction the light goes off. I never just drive around with them blinding people

There is a time and place for everything. I live in crowded suburbia and often see folks running with blazing aftermarket lights on crowded thoroughfares with no regard for others. If I lived in a rural area I would do the same.

 

[old_man]

Beware but they are illegal in Colorado to even have on your vehicle. They don't tend to enforce it much, but just don't piss off the cop.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Here it's a necessity to run auxiliary lighting if you drive in the nighttime. The general rule is having them hooked to your high beam for a trigger and on a switch as well. Most people abide by this rule. Bright lights are needed here because of so many moose on our roads. They kill people every year. Therefore, I will have the brightest, most night penetrating lights I can find for driving on our highways in the night. Being triggered by high beam switch makes everything quit to shut down if cars are coming in the opposite direction. We do not have very much traffic on the highways here even less at night. Even the 5/0's here have auxiliary lighting on their cruisers. Just a way of life here.

 

[LostWoods]

Beware but they are illegal in Colorado to even have on your vehicle. They don't tend to enforce it much, but just don't piss off the cop.

Got a source because almost everywhere (even VA which is particularly strict) allows for aux lighting that has an opaque cover.

If OP wants to run lights on the road, Rigid, KC, and others have SAE-certified lighting that is legal for use as a driving (hi-beam) light. You just need to be aware of may only have so many lights illuminated laws and not run too many at once.

 

[old_man]

Got a source because almost everywhere (even VA which is particularly strict) allows for aux lighting that has an opaque cover.

If OP wants to run lights on the road, Rigid, KC, and others have SAE-certified lighting that is legal for use as a driving (hi-beam) light. You just need to be aware of may only have so many lights illuminated laws and not run too many at once.

Colorado even has laws about how high they can be mounted. Personally I don't care as long as they don't blind me.

 

[OVRLNDCBR]

I agree and disagree I use mine on back roads to where I live and many many times these lights have allowed me to stop before a deer has jumped in front of my vehicle as I saw them running from the trees much earlier... That being said the first hint of car lights coming in the opposite direction the light goes off. I never just drive around with them blinding people

Another major factor of why I want the lights - the roo's here are everywhere and dumb af! They'll jump right out in front of the car, or bounce along next to it then turn 90deg into the car.

 

[Boucher]

So I paid attention this am on my commute to work (I drive a mini during the week) seems the new cars and trucks have as bright or brighter lights as my offroad lights and these are on stock vehicles. I believe the brighter lights issue just isn't an offroad truck issue and the car manufactures are to blame as well.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

So I paid attention this am on my commute to work (I drive a mini during the week) seems the new cars and trucks have as bright or brighter lights as my offroad lights and these are on stock vehicles. I believe the brighter lights issue just isn't an offroad truck issue and the car manufactures are to blame as well.

Agreed, We find toyota corollas the worst. They have some sort of retina ripping LED technology in there. But most led lighting is brutal because of the wavelength of the light. Same as dumb blue HIDs.

 

[PonoAdventures]

So I paid attention this am on my commute to work (I drive a mini during the week) seems the new cars and trucks have as bright or brighter lights as my offroad lights and these are on stock vehicles. I believe the brighter lights issue just isn't an offroad truck issue and the car manufactures are to blame as well.

Not all new trucks. My F-150 lights are definitely not the brightest. Some rainy nights my wife even wonders if they are on at all.

 

[SquishBang]

So I paid attention this am on my commute to work (I drive a mini during the week) seems the new cars and trucks have as bright or brighter lights as my offroad lights and these are on stock vehicles. I believe the brighter lights issue just isn't an offroad truck issue and the car manufactures are to blame as well.

It's all in the beam pattern. OEM headlights must pass strict testing, so they try and get as much light onto the road as possible, without wasting it and glaring oncoming drivers.

Off-road lights NEVER get that kind of $$$ investment, even "SAE" lights. Off-road lights need to be useful off-road, so they are allowed to put more light "everywhere", which means they could be putting out more light than and OEM headlight, just spread out over larger area in 3D.

 

[SquishBang]

Agreed, We find toyota corollas the worst. They have some sort of retina ripping LED technology in there. But most led lighting is brutal because of the wavelength of the light. Same as dumb blue HIDs.

We have a 2020 Corolla with LED headlights. I hate them, they are not bright at all. My older cars with HIDs have much better headlights, broader beams of white light. The Corolla seems to have no distance and the light is too "purple" in tone. Rain makes them seem useless. I highly doubt they offend anyone but me! The NHTSA tested them and also said they are very poor performing lights (they said glare was nearly zero too).
Interesting that you think they are bright? What country are you in? I noticed USA Corollas have different headlights than Europe and Australia.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

We have a 2020 Corolla with LED headlights. I hate them, they are not bright at all. My older cars with HIDs have much better headlights, broader beams of white light. The Corolla seems to have no distance and the light is too "purple" in tone. Rain makes them seem useless. I highly doubt they offend anyone but me! The NHTSA tested them and also said they are very poor performing lights (they said glare was nearly zero too).
Interesting that you think they are bright? What country are you in? I noticed USA Corollas have different headlights than Europe and Australia.

Canada. It's the purple wavelength while coming at you rips your eyes. They are BRUTAL!

 

[haaken675]

If you truly want ditch lights, flood lights would absolutely be best and aimed outward. I have some on my F150 with brackets from zroad. There are better, more effective options out there for a lighting perspective but not much else can be as cheap and easily removed as a set of ditch lights. And as others have mentioned, do not use them on paved roads.....

The also make a handy spot to mount antennas.