What are the effects of installing ambient lighting in a car?
2 Answers
Adding ambient lighting inside the car may pose risks: it could potentially affect driving safety. The color of the lighting might interfere with normal safe driving. When driving at night, if the cabin lights are on, the front windshield acts like a mirror, reflecting the cabin lights into the driver's eyes, making it difficult to see darker road conditions ahead and increasing the risk of accidents. Car ambient lighting is a decorative illumination, usually in colors like red, blue, or green, primarily to enhance the vehicle's ambiance at night and create a mood inside the cabin. Below are relevant details: Precautions: The lighting color must not affect normal safe driving. To activate the interior ambient lighting: First, turn the ignition switch to the ON position, then press the ambient light button to enable the ambient lighting mode. There are three modes available—blue, red, and orange—but only two can be selected via the button. The red mode only activates when the vehicle is in sport mode. To turn off the ambient lighting, press and hold the ambient light button.
I've been driving for over twenty years and have seen many friends install ambient lighting in their cars. While it can indeed add a cool vibe to the interior, the safety implications shouldn't be ignored. If the lights are too bright, they can be distracting during night driving, especially flashing lights that may interfere with your focus on the road and even cause eye strain, making it harder to see ahead. Placement is also crucial—avoid installing them above the dashboard or near the rearview mirror, as these areas directly obstruct your line of sight. Choosing overly harsh colors, like bright blue or vivid red, can negatively impact night vision. I recall one rainy night when overly flashy ambient lights nearly caused me to rear-end another car. So, before installation, opt for softer tones and adjust the brightness appropriately—it's best to test the effect in low-light conditions. Don't skimp on quality by using cheap light strips, as they can overheat and cause wiring issues. For safety, always have them installed by a professional shop.
