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However, the earliest auto headlights used kerosene which was burnt to produce light.  Kerosene was first used but this was very cumbersome and difficult to use.  Of course, it goes without saying that the flame would often get extinguished and the vehicle would have to be stopped to ignite the same.  An innovation was made and water was dropped on calcium carbide to create acetylene. This was simpler to handle as opposed to a lamp filled with kerosene.  However, unreliable in nature of the flame continues to cause problems in using such an auto headlight. 

It was in the second decade of the twentieth century that the electric lamp made its debut.  However, this was not considered a marked improvement over lamps.  While reliability improved, focusing the light on the road was a very big problem.  This auto headlight assembly was considered as a safety risk because uncontrolled light would often create glare for the eyes of the driver coming from the opposite side.  It is a sad truth that this continues to be the case even today. 

As technology improved, more and more innovations took place and auto headlights became safer and more powerful.  Tungsten lamps were used but were quickly discarded because the filament broke very often and required a lot of cleaning. 

The halogen lamp finally arrived and became the standard for automobiles all over the world including America.  Halogen lamps were lot more powerful and could be used to focus the light in different ways on the road.  The option of changing the angle of the light had been introduced in the twenties itself.  Cadillac had even introduced a lever inside the car to change from dip to dim and vice versa.  The earliest lever was fitted at the feet but soon reached the steering wheel where it continues to remain. 

Until the 1970's, sealed round lights were standard for any and every American car. No other mechanism was permitted by law.  This reduced the scope of manufacturers to experiment with the appearance of headlights.  Still, various innovations like popup headlights and multiple headlights were used to make the car look different. 

By mid seventies, the government had permitted trucks and other vehicles to be fitted with different shaped headlights.  Soon, regulations were relaxed and rectangular head lights became very popular.  Today, it is next to impossible to find a sealed headlight set.  You can simply remove the lens, replace the bulb and continue using the same headlight set.  Until the 1970's, the entire system had to be replaced when the lights fused. 

One innovation in this field is high intensity lights that produce bright white light which, many claim, makes driving safer. LED Lights are the latest on the block and are different because no heat is used to generate the light. 

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It is surprising to note that the first electric headlight made its appearance in cars only after the first decade of the twentieth century had elapsed.  Edison had invented the electrical lamp in the eighteen seventies itself. Hence, at least in theory, electrical lights should have been used in automobiles from the very beginning. 
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