The dangers of modifying car lights.

Modified headlights emit a blinding light, making it very difficult for oncoming drivers to see the vehicle. (Photo: Thanh Cuong)

At a garage specializing in car lighting modifications on Mai Hac De Street (Vinh City), upon hearing that a customer needed an auxiliary light with extremely high brightness for road use, Vinh, a technician at the garage, introduced various types of LED and xenon lights for motorcycles and cars. “The C6 light with 6 small LEDs costs 250,000 VND, the cheapest; up to the L4 light with 4 small LEDs inside costs 750,000 VND,” Vinh said, and further introduced a range of lights with different effects such as: strong illumination, weak illumination, continuous flashing lights, etc.

A shop selling aftermarket car lighting parts in Vinh City. Photo: Thanh Cuong

According to Vinh, the simplest and most cost-effective solution is to install LED lights or high-brightness bulbs. Simply replace the original halogen bulbs with high-brightness bulbs, increasing brightness by approximately 120-130% compared to the original. If replacing high beam or low beam bulbs, common LED bulbs such as H1, H4, H7, H11, etc., are quick to install, have good light focus, provide stronger light intensity than the original bulbs, and do not require any drilling.

If you install xenon bulbs, the brightness increases by about 250-300% compared to the original halogen bulbs, and you can choose the light color.

Furthermore, in the case of "bi-xenon" upgrades, the brightness increases many times compared to the original headlights. "Bi-xenon" systems have both high and low beam modes, so if installed in the low beam, when the high beam is switched on, the car will have four headlights illuminated simultaneously (two original high beams + two bi-xenon high beams). If installed in the high beam, when the low beam is switched on, four low beam lights will illuminate simultaneously (two original low beams + two bi-xenon low beams).

Car lighting modification by a mechanic according to customer's request. Photo: Thanh Cuong

According to Vinh, these lights provide more light than the original lights on the car. Installation is also quite simple; you just need to wire them to share a power source with the other lights or connect them directly to the car's battery and place them in any desired position.

Mr. Dinh Xuan Nhat (Cua Nam ward), a car owner, said that he also installed high-powered xenon headlights because the original headlights were insufficient. “When driving on the road, if you want oncoming vehicles, especially cars, to turn on their low beams, using the original headlights makes it difficult to get assistance. With high-powered LED or xenon lights, just a few flashes of the lights are enough for drivers to turn on their low beams, because the light is very strong and can easily blind oncoming drivers.”

Besides installing auxiliary lights at the front, he also added an LED bar at the rear of the car. With its strong light output, every time he brakes or turns on the engine, this LED bar shines directly into the cabin of the car behind him. "I installed it like this to counteract cars behind me shining their headlights at my rear," Mr. Nhat said.

Modifying car headlights with excessively bright light can cause discomfort to oncoming vehicles, impairing their ability to judge the size and distance of other vehicles, leading to a higher risk of accidents. Furthermore, installing additional auxiliary lights poses a fire hazard to the vehicle.

Mr. Pham Quang Huy – a technician at Mitsubishi.Analysis: "Adding auxiliary lights to cars is dangerous for other road users because the light is very strong, causing glare to oncoming drivers. Furthermore, many types of lights on the market have unclear origins and low quality; after a period of use, water can get inside, causing damage and compromising vehicle safety."

A car headlight has had its structure altered after modification. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Captain Le Quang Hung, a traffic police officer in Nam Dan district, said:The Road Traffic Law stipulates that vehicle owners are not allowed to arbitrarily alter the structure, components, or systems of their vehicles in a way that deviates from the manufacturer's design or a modified design approved by a competent authority. Specifically, drivers who install additional rear lights on their vehicles may be fined up to VND 1,000,000 and have the lights confiscated, according to Decree No. 46/2016/ND-CP.