With the rapid increases in traffic density on today's highways, we are all aware of the critical need for extended range, non-glaring headlights. Night driving safety has be­come a paramount issue with all of us who have experi­enced the hazards and discomforts of inadequate lighting.

To meet this challenge, lighting engineers at Cibie have introduced a progressive new headlighting system called the "Z Beam." A refined version of their already impressive European Code lighting system, the "Z Beam" offers great­ly improved low beam visibility while at the same time reduces glare to overtaken and oncoming vehicles.

While the "Z Beam" headlight provides both high and low beam modes, the "Z Beam" story focuses on the up­grading of low beam effectiveness. This emphasis stems from the fact that most drivers rely on low beams for ap­proximately 75-percent of their night driving.

By redesigning the lens to incorporate an intricate new configuration of prisms, reflected light is bent into the "Z Beam" shape. An internal bulb shield was also added to limit the emission of uncontrolled light while the bulb hold­er was rotated several degrees to modify bulb filament alignment for the same purpose.

To better understand the advantages of the "Z Beam" concept, it is important to examine the long-standing draw­backs of U.S. sealed beams.

The two beam headlight system was originally developed to provide adequate lighting for two types of driving; a low beam for low speed situations and while encountering on­coming traffic and a high beam for high speed, unopposed driving. While these are two distinctly different driving conditions, the U.S. sealed beam projects only one basic beam pattern that is shifted up or down (by means of filament alignment) when the dimmer switch is activated. The "Z Beam" headlight offers two entirely different beam pat­terns to deal with the conditions peculiar to each type of driving; a wide angle low beam designed for increased for­ward range, reduced glare to other motorists and improved visibility of the right hand side of the road; and a long range penetrating oval shaped high beam to light up the entire field of view.

The "Z Beam," uses a quartz halogen bulb source pro­ducing a brilliant white light which improves the quantity and the quality of the light. The brighter quartz light also stimulates greater pupil contraction of the driver's eyes thereby making him less sensitive to the headlights of on­coming or passing traffic. Additionally, by using a separate replaceable bulb, Cibie "Z Beam" headlights will not go out in the case of a broken lens, thus providing a valuable mar­gin of safety.

In combating eyestrain, the Cibie "Z Beam" projects a broad homogeneous "blanket of light" across the entire width of the roadway with gradually decreasing intensity to the front and sides. This beam pattern provides good con­trast and definition in all areas thereby relieving the eye of tiring readjustments resulting from the distraction of "hot spots" and other beam irregularities that are characteristi­cally present with sealed beams.

While the essence of the "Z Beam" concept deals with optical improvements, mechanical components have not been overlooked. In particular, the rubber sealing bonnet that prevents damage to the reflector from the elements, has been reduced in size to fit all American and foreign made vehicles without modification to the mounting rim. Thus the "Z Beam" headlights are an exact plug-in replace­ment for sealed beams.

Cibie "Z Beam" headlights can be purchased from Cibie dealers across the country. Current availability is limited to 7" units for all vehicles having the standard two headlamp configuration.