D.O.T Options

[spke719]

[B][I]WHY DO JDM HIGHS AND LOWS NOT MEET D.O.T SAFTY REGULATIONS? ACCORDING TO JEFF AT TOYOTA WORLD WHO I GOT MINE FROM, THE ONLY REASON THEY ARE ILLEAGAL IS THAT THEY DO NOT MEET D.O.T STANDARDS AND ARE MEANT FOR OFF ROAD OR SHOW USE ONLY. Y IS THAT?

[Galcobar]

Your friend is wrong on that glass issue. Take him to an auto store and show him the row of sealbeam units, all with glass lenses. Then make fun of him.

As has been noted the beam pattern for JDM is reversed to that of North American and European lights. Both European and Japanese lights use a more sophisticated beam pattern that spreads light evenly across the road with a sharp cutoff to avoid glare into the eyes of oncoming drivers. The beam pattern includes a flare upwards to illuminate the road shoulder and signs. When you use a JDM or UK headlight on a North American or European road, that flare is now illuminating the faces of oncoming drivers. It's intrinsic to the design of the lens.

The only think I wonder about is whether European Celicas got projectors (since they usually get better headlights) and if so why nobody buys those instead of JDM lights.