Way too many accidents happen at night.  There are a lot of factors, but a big one is simply visibility: if you can’t see something it’s hard to avoid hitting it.

There are some things you can do to make sure you can see as much as possible when you’re driving in the dark.

First, keep your windshield clean.  Glare from oncoming headlights can obscure obstacles in the road.  Clean off that film that builds up on the inside of your windshield.  And make sure you have good wiper blades and plenty of washer fluid.

Now it could be that your headlights just aren’t as bright as they used to be.  It happens – the bulbs just dim over time.  If it’s been a couple of years since you replaced your headlamps and they aren’t lighting up the road like they used to, get some new ones.  They make upgraded headlamps too that give you a brighter light and a larger field of vision so you can see better and further down the road.  Check with your service advisor if you want to up your headlamp performance.

Another very common headlamp problem is cloudy or yellowed lenses.  These days lenses are plastic and they oxidize and discolor over time.  Just look at the cars in the parking lot – chances are you’ll see several with cloudy lenses.  This is a huge problem because some of the light coming from your headlamps gets trapped before it can even get out and shine down the road.

Replacing a set of headlight assemblies can run hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  There’s an alternative that will save you big bucks: Headlight restoration.  Your service technician can remove the oxidized layer from your lenses.  He’ll then polish the lenses until they’re bright and smooth.  When he’s all finished, your lenses will be as good as new.

Any accident is inconvenient and can be expensive.  And if someone gets hurt, well, that’s something you want to avoid at all costs.  If you’re not confident driving at night, ask your service advisor about headlamp replacement and headlight restoration. 

Give us a call

Auto Lab Troy
2790 West Maple Rd.
Troy, Michigan 48084
(248) 643-7690