replacement headlights
10-11-13, 06:03 PM
#16
plastic is FAR more dangerous than glass, and for exactly the reasons being discussed here, it gets hazy and then you do not see well at night. There is little substantive difference in collision safety.
and the reason manufacturers switched to plastic over glass had nothing to do with collision safety in the first place, but rather, it was due to:
1. lighter weight = better fuel mileage
2. can more easily mold plastic into more aerodynamic and stylish designs than you can glass
3. cost
and the reason manufacturers switched to plastic over glass had nothing to do with collision safety in the first place, but rather, it was due to:
1. lighter weight = better fuel mileage
2. can more easily mold plastic into more aerodynamic and stylish designs than you can glass
3. cost
There is a lot of data about low-speed pedestrian collisions and the dangers of glass vs plastic headlights. Glass lenses will break causing massive lacerations to pedestrians in very minor collisions where plastic won't break until much higher energy collisions.
The cost, weight and other factors were just bonuses along with a massive reduction in replacing headlights due to rock chips and frost cracking.
And like anything in the automotive world, the money is not in the sale of the car, it's in the maintenance, repair and replacement of the parts.
Most parts are engineered to last no longer that 100k miles at the longest. To expect a service life beyond that for any one part is unrealistic; be it a timing belt or a headlight lens. It would be nice if replacement lenses were a stocked item for cars with plastic lenses, rather than full housings or the polishing kits.
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lriver100
ES - 1st to 4th Gen (1990-2006)
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07-08-10 09:05 AM
