Vehicles are an important part of life, especially when it comes to travel. Barely anyone prefers walking over using the vehicle.
And especially nowadays when there are so many updations with each vehicle, it has become easier to use them.
There are many features, whether it is related to comfort, security, vision, etc., and one of the important parts of the vehicles is the light beams used in them.
There are mainly two types of beams used in vehicles, low beams, and high beams. Both of them have the same function, but despite them, they are different in several terms.
Following are the differences and other information related to both of them.
Key Takeaways
- Low beams illuminate the road ahead without blinding other drivers, while high beams are used to see farther ahead on dark roads.
- Low beams are used in normal driving conditions and provide sufficient visibility, while high beams are used in situations with reduced visibility, such as fog or heavy rain.
- Low beams should be used to avoid blinding other drivers when approaching oncoming traffic, while high beams should only be used when no other vehicles are present.
Low Beams vs High Beams
Low beams provide a low level of illumination and are used for normal driving conditions, such as on well-lit roads. They are designed to provide adequate visibility while also avoiding blinding oncoming drivers. High beams provide a much brighter and more intense light. They are used for driving in areas with limited or no street lighting, such as on rural roads.
Low beams are beams used for vehicles that have a shorter range and less focus. They are best suitable in high-traffic areas due to many reasons, one of them being that they won’t cause blinding to the other drivers.
The beam focuses for about 40 meters and is directed towards the road. One of the best things about it is that it can be used in all types of climates, including rainy and foggy.
High beam is beams used for vehicles that have a higher range and more focus.
They are best suitable for places with less traffic or fewer number of other vehicles present, the reason could be they can blind other drivers making them unable to see further anything.
The beam focuses on about 100 meters and in front of the vehicles rather than on the road.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Low Beams | High Beams |
|---|---|---|
| Suitability | With the presence of other vehicles | When a driver is alone |
| Beam angle | Towards the road | Upwards |
| Focus | Short-range | Long-range |
| Blinding the drivers | No | Yes |
| Usage | It can be used in fog, rain, and snow | It cannot be used in fog, rain, and snow |
What are Low Beams?
Low beams earlier have to be used manually by the user when he felt the darkness around, but with new technology and updates now, vehicles can automatically detect the darkness and switch on the low beams.
This function is useful for someone who is not aware of the switching on and off of the beams or headlights. It is mainly used in cities or states as these areas are more prone to heavy traffic.
Along with this, it is more versatile when it comes to environmental issues.
In places that have different climatic conditions, low beams are very important as only they can provide a view in rainy and foggy weather when a front view can be quite difficult.
In a low beam, the light does not focus completely in one direction by scattered all around due to which makes the distance around the vehicle visible as well for a short distance.
There is some disadvantage of it as well, as it can make things visible that are close to the vehicle; otherwise, it won’t be visible.
What are High Beams?
High beams are used manually. There is no automatic feature of it, this may be due to the reason it is best suitable for a place with no or fewer other vehicles.
High beams should only be used in such places as they can cause blindness to other drivers due to their high and front focus.
It focuses strongly with sharp light in the upward direction from the road or in front of the driver to a long distance.
Due to its force, the beam is not best suitable for rainy or foggy climates.
But in areas where curves are frequent, they can play an important role to make the curve visible from a far distance, which is not the same in the case of low beams.
As the light focuses in one direction, the things in the other direction might not be visible as clearly as the front. But for the front view, it is best as it can cover 100 meters.
Main Differences Between Low Beams and High Beams
- Both are suitable for different situations, but not all can be used for high traffic. When it comes to high traffic or the presence of a large number of vehicles, low beams are ideal, whereas for low traffic or in the presence of fewer vehicles, high beams are more suitable, and in opposite situations, beams won’t be of any use.
- When both beams are used, they produce light at a definite angle. In the case of low beams, the angle is towards the roads or downwards, while with high beams, the angle is in front or comparatively upward.
- Both beams are mainly differentiated on the basis of their focus. Low beams focus on short range. Therefore, it will be visible till a short distance when compared to high beams that are focused on a longer range giving a view to the longer distance.
- One main disadvantage of high beams is that it is so focused that sometimes they can lead to blinding the driver, making them unable to see the road or other passing vehicle, while no such blinding case arises with low beams as their focus is comparatively low and safer for others.
- In terms of activation, there are two options with low beams. It can be activated automatically or manually, while for activating the high beams, there is only one option, i.e., manually.
- Lastly, both of them cannot be used in all climatic conditions. For instance, low beams can be used in foggy, rainy, or snowy climates, while in the same climatic conditions, high beams cannot be used. Thus giving an advantage to the low beams.
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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