Difference Between Low Beams and High Beams

Low Beams vs High Beams

Motor vehicles, such as cars, buses, and trucks have headlamps which are attached to the bumper or hood. These lamps are used to illuminate or provide light in order to enable the drivers to see the road when they are driving in a fog or at night and there is low visibility.

Headlamps are also known as headlights and can also be used on bicycles and other vehicles other than those mentioned above, such as trains and airplanes. Because traffic accidents during the night are very common, headlamps have experienced significant improvements since they were first introduced in the early 1900s.

Headlamps can be a low beam or a high beam. Low-beam headlamps feature a mechanism wherein the light is allowed to be dipped using a lever which is located inside the car. It has led to the development of the Bilux bulb in 1924.

It is a single bulb with the high beam as the main beam, and it also has a low beam. Prior to the late 1980s, dimmer switches or dips were foot operated. Modern headlamps are now electrically operated.

They are made in pairs, placed at the hood or bumper of vehicles, and have both a low beam and a high beam. It can have a single lamp for each beam, or it can have one lamp with multiple functions.

High beams are also called main beams or full beams. The light that high beams provide is bright which is intended to maximize the seeing distance of the driver. It is aimed straight ahead and is suitable for use only if there are no other cars on the road because the glare can cloud the sight of other drivers.

Also, for this reason, a high beam is not suitable for use in fog, rain, or snow. This is one of the main causes of road accidents which can be prevented if drivers use low beams during these types of weather.

A low beam is also known as a dipped beam or passing beam, and the light distribution it provides is limited and is not dazzling to other drivers. It is suitable for use when there are other vehicles on the road especially oncoming vehicles.

Low beams are directed either downwards or sideward providing good visibility and less glare. The light provided by low beams is not directed at the eyes of other drivers.

To prevent wrong side headlamps from blinding drivers, left traffic countries have low-beam headlamps that dip to the left while right traffic countries have low-beam headlamps that dip to the right. A projector-type headlamp is now available that allows both a left or right traffic beam.

Summary:

1.Low beam is a headlamp that offers light distribution that provides enough illumination with limited light directed towards other drivers while high beam is a headlamp that provides a bright light that is cast straight ahead intended to maximize seeing distance.
2.High beams are suitable for use when the driver is alone while low beams are suitable for use when there are other vehicles on the road.
3.High beams are not suitable for use in fog, rain, and snow while low beams are the suitable headlamp to use.

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