When it comes to driving, western North Carolina is a great place to be. Tens of millions of people visit the area each year just to drive on some of the famous mountain roads and passes. Roads like the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon twist and turn their way through the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, providing drivers with incredible views of stunning mountain vistas, waterfalls, and more.
For area residents, even the commute to work and school through the French Broad River Valley is surrounded by the tallest mountains on the East Coast.
Of course, driving isn’t always fun in the Asheville area. With the rapid growth our area has experienced in recent decades accelerating in the past twelve to eighteen months, the roads can get quite crowded during rush hour. Being a tourism destination, there are seasons when we experience even heavier traffic.
The weather can turn on drivers as well. From spring through fall, thunderstorms with high wind, heavy rain, and hail are common, often striking just at the height of the evening rush. During winter, snow and ice can make conditions slippery, leading to dangerous travel throughout the region. With the dramatically different elevations in the region, the same road might be wet in one place and covered in a sheet of ice just a few miles down the road.
All of the challenges of driving in the mountains are compounded when traveling at night. Weather, traffic, and twisty roads are all more difficult to deal with when the sun drops below the horizon. For drivers in our area, you need to take every step to ensure you can see as well as possible when you’re driving at night.
Over time you may notice your headlights are getting seemingly dimmer. Even when you replace the bulbs, you just aren’t seeing as well as you once did.
If you need to find a way to make your headlights brighter, you may be due for headlight restoration services.
Here is what you need to know about headlight restoration in western North Carolina.
The History of Headlights
What we typically call headlights is actually the headlamp, or a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle. The headlight is the beam of light produced by the headlamp. The first headlamp appeared in 1880, fueled by acetylene because the flame produced by the oil was resistant to wind and rain.
Even before the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, electric headlights were beginning to appear in vehicles. Since then, technology has developed to produce the low and high beams to which we’re accustomed today.
Even with the advent of the headlight, nighttime vehicle accidents dominate the statistics. Almost half of all crashes occur when it is dark outside, despite only 25% of driving occurring in the hours between sunset and sunrise. At least some of this can be attributed to poor vision.
Why Headlights Get Cloudy
One of the reasons vision can be restricted is that your headlights get cloudy. Some of the factors that cause headlights to get cloudy include:
- All of the flying bugs that call western North Carolina home
- Dust and dirt from frequently driving on unpaved roads
- Long periods of exposure to bright sunlight
- Slush and ice on the road’s surface
- Salt and brine used to treat area roads during winter weather
- All types of weather
If it sounds like cloudy headlights are inevitable, you might be exactly right. It is difficult to avoid the need for restoration. The good news is that we can help make your headlights shine again.
How Headlight Restoration Works
Headlight restoration is the process by which we remove the dirt and grime from your headlights and help them shine again. This involves smoothing out the scratches, cleaning off the insect carcasses, and removing all the cloudiness so your headlamps are just as bright as they were when your car was brand new.
The Benefits of Headlight Restoration
The benefits of headlight restoration are many:
- Your car will look like new
- Your vehicle’s value will be restored
- You will be able to see more clearly at night
- You will be able to avoid obstacles and hazards when driving in the dark
- You will have more confidence to explore our incredible area
If you are considering headlight restoration, you want to make sure you are trusting this ever-important component of your vehicle to experienced professionals. If you are in the Asheville area, First Aid Collision has the experience and expertise to help bring the shine back to your headlights.
We want you to be able to see everything our area has to offer, whether you are driving in the daylight or at night. Contact First Aid Collision or bring your vehicle to us for quality headlight restoration.