Aftermarket HID Kits - why they are illegal at Car Bulbs Direct Europe.

There are clear advantages to owning a vehicle with HID (high intensity discharge) lights; much more light on the road and the long service life of HID lamps.

However, many drivers are unaware that there are two versions of this lighting system. Original equipment HID is installed on new cars and is fully road legal as it is fitted with a range of safety features to ensure it works effectively and correctly. However, there's a second type of HID that's becoming more common on our roads - aftermarket HID kits.

These kits are fitted into existing halogen headlight units. You've probably been driving at night and been startled by the glare of an oncoming vehicle with very bright blue/purple lights, with a beam pattern that seems to be all over the place. This is almost certainly an aftermarket kit which isn't built to the same high quality standards as original equipment systems, doesn't have a specifically designed headlight unit to support it and hasn't been correctly aligned. The result may be a set of cool and stylish lights for the vehicle owner, but a serious safety hazard for other road users.

Motorists who fit HID kits often do so because their existing car bulbs just aren't powerful enough. This is a genuine concern as most standard headlight bulbs don't deliver enough light on the road, but there is a much easier and cost effective way to obtain more light on the road without resorting to installing HID kits. Drivers can purchase quality upgrade headlight bulbs, such as Philips X-treme Vision. These offer 100% more light than standard, are fully road legal and require no modification to the vehicle.