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Headlight maintenance significantly improves reaction time so make sure they are clean...or restore your headlights. This Carjunky.com article will tell you more about headlights, their importance in your everyday car operation and how to restore them.
(NC)—You've probably heard the old joke: in Canada, we have so much salt on the roads through the winter that you can get high blood pressure just taking out the garbage.
Imagine what all that salt spray and build-up can do to your car by the end of the season? The plastic surfaces of your headlights are especially vulnerable. Damaged headlights create dangerous driving situations in any weather.
Headlights Play A Major Role
The effects of yellowed and hazy headlights in fog has become such a concern that last year, CAA-Quebec released a study showing that damaged automobile headlight lenses (from harsh weather, abrasives and debris) become so opaque, they can reduce lighting effectiveness to half that of headlights in good condition. Tests conducted on a closed track confirmed: a motorist travelling 50 km/h at night will have four more seconds to react to an emergency if the headlights are in good condition and undamaged.
The best way to prepare and protect yourself is to make sure headlights are clean and clear and at optimal visibility, experts say. Restoring headlights to their original crystal-clear and scratch-free finish can help you get back those crucial four seconds to help save both human and animal lives.
“It's like trying to find your way blindfolded,” says Mark Shore, the vice president of sales and marketing at Quixx Care System. “If you have foggy headlights, driving your car is just dangerous. Foggy, yellow and scratched headlights reduce a driver's visibility by 50%, putting them at higher risk for accidents.”
How To Tell
To help you determine if your headlights need restoration, examine them in daylight for one or more of these conditions:
• The lenses look milky, foggy or yellow
• You can't see the bulb through the lens
• The lenses are scratched or scarred
Restoring headlights can be done simply and inexpensively with a quality do-it yourself products. The next time you're in stores like Canadian Tire or PartSource, take a look at big sellers like Quixx. Popular products such as the Headlight Restoration Kit have been shown to restore up to 95%of a headlight's original clarity and light performance. For heavily damaged and scratched headlights, see a professional auto repair technician.
Imagine the difference those four seconds could make in your life, says Shore, and in the lives of others on the road. More information is available online at www.quixx-usa.com.