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Bright ideas -
Vauxhall brings light to Britain's shortest day
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- Advanced headlamps to improve safety and reduce driver fatigue
- Vauxhalls can now see around corners and far into the distance
- Next generation of lights will even read maps and adapt to the
weather!
December 21st marks the winter solstice, the day when Britain has
the fewest hours of daylight in the year. With most of the country
seeing the sun for only around seven and a half hours, it means that
the majority of the population will have to travel to work in
darkness, and then find the sun has set by the time it’s time to
go home again!
Besides being gloomy, cold and wet, the winter conditions make
driving treacherous. Statistics gathered by Vauxhall show that over
80 per cent of all road traffic accidents occur in darkness and bad
weather, making a compelling reason for the company’s engineers to
develop the next generation of truly intelligent lighting systems.
The aim is to improve visibility for the driver and achieve a
significant increase in road safety and comfort.
Vauxhall is already a leader in the field of car lighting
technology. In 2003 the company was the first mainstream car
manufacturer to offer Adaptive Forward Lighting
(AFL), a headlamp system which combines bi-xenon technology with a
beam which moves as the car takes bends and then shifts upwards to
increase visibility at motorway speeds. Additionally, another pair
of extra bulbs illuminate to ‘look’ left and right at junctions.
This year, the Astra became the first car to bring bi-xenon-based
AFL, complete with its innovative curve lights, to the best-selling
segment of Britain’s car market.
These have been proven to significantly improve visibility on
roads ranging from country lanes and motorways to urban roads, but
Vauxhall engineers can see even further – they’re looking into
the future!
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Vauxhall's advanced forward lighting
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The next generation of headlamps, currently being developed and
expected to be available in Vauxhall cars from 2007, will
automatically adjust themselves to suit the road and visibility
conditions. Rather than just being reactive to the driver’s
inputs, the new AFL will link to satellite navigation systems to
predict the road conditions ahead and adjust the lighting
accordingly. When travelling quickly in a straight line, for
instance on the motorway, a far-reaching beam of light is needed.
The requirements in an urban area are different, and the broadest
blanket of light is needed to bring hazards into the driver’s
field of vision. On country roads, the road ahead and bends need to
be illuminated accurately. With the sat-nav giving exact road
information, the system will be able to adapt to bends or hilltops
and avoid dazzling other road users. A bad weather light, using
advanced sensors to sample the conditions, will help the driver see
more in rain, snow or fog by using a wide-beam to pick out the edges
of the carriageway and prevent glare from the road surface.
Drivers who have vision will find that the AFL system is an £850
option on most Signum and Vectra models, and costs £750 on the new
Astra. For anyone not driving an AFL equipped Vauxhall, you could
always try the old-wives’ method of seeing in the dark, and
increase carrot consumption…
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