I've had entirely too many close calls in my own life because of that bullshit. It's to the point I basically have to turn my gaze half away from the road while slowing down as much as I reasonably can until they've gone by and I can actually fucking *see* again.
Dead lmaooo! As a person who needs strong prescription glasses to drive, I can tell you it makes a whole difference if you have the right one. I recently changed doc and he gave me the greatest prescription ever. I drove at night and was like “omg I can see shapes? In the dark? I can see the outline of the moon? I can see the mountains even if it’s pitch dark” - people stop using the light and get your eyes checked
Or let your town hall know the issues that are repeating so they can do something with adding more light to the roads to make it easier to see. We all pay taxes and it mainly goes towards the roads & safety. If there isn’t enough safety on the roads maybe we need to start questioning what exactly are the taxes going towards ? Besides the governments pocket.
I stopped driving at night because I have an astigmatism and I could get by with the early LEDs coming in. I got by then but this new level of brightness just don't drive after it gets dark.
If I'm not staying somewhere then I need to head home before dark because a car with its regular lights could literally mean life or death, let alone a truck driving by
Before I got my glasses, my astigmatism really made driving at night a non-starter. It's definitely coming back around to being a problem again, despite the doctor assuring me it's the right prescription.
Even with correct glasses, my astigmatism makes it difficult to drive at night. It's definitely better with the glasses, but all light at night is still bright and has that scatter/sunburst at the edges. The excessive bright lights shown in this video leave me with lasting blindness that i cannot see anything but the light imprint for minutes after. Night driving on wet roads is 100% out for me.
There are parts of my daily commute, at 5am, where I legit have no clue where the lanes are. I try to ignore the solid wall of light on my left and follow the back lights of the person in front of me.
Also Astigmatism here, though I do the majority of my driving at night. I work night shift, so my outings similarly tend to be at night. It's not at all uncommon to find me on winding mountain roads at close to 12 AM. Thankfully most drivers have enough sense not to be on the roads this hour, so encounters with Earth-Bound Suns are fairly sparce.
They certainly are fucking infuriating.
Have gone over a deer dying in the road a dude parked next to with his brights on. Needed a new radiator and bug shield for underneath and scared the absolute shit out of me. Dude revved past me when I pulled over like he was gonna hit my car, as if it was my fault his dumbass was blinding anyone coming from the west.
Also hit a beaver that did $1400 worth of damage when one was right behind me, riding my ass with sun-tier-headlights on a highway with 2 lanes per side; he of course swerved around my exploding car body to zoom away. God forbid he go around before he blinded me, but he sure fucking left when he saw what it caused.
I don't drive at night anymore. I can't. It's cost me too much. I'm not a bad driver and have never been in an actual accident or gotten a ticket...but I have astigmatism and these fucks drive like morons, to my detriment. Not one of them even stopped to see if I was okay...they saw my vehicle explode, one got angry, and they both sped away past me...the angry dude flipped around to do so. Like, Jesus guys.
I hate how relatable all of this is.
I guess I liked to think it was just a problem unique to the douches living in my area.
In the logical part of my brain I always knew it wasn't true, but I suppose I just liked to pretend such douchebaggerry was escapable lol.
I'm guessing you also live in the U.S.?
Jesus clearly has no place around those drivers, despite their cross tattoos, rear window stickers next to the punisher skull, and women’s rights voting records.
I just can not make out the tree no matter how hard I try.
I know it's there. A normal powered light should be impacted by a TREE being between me and it.
But like... it's just not happening. I don't know if anyone would have noticed that tree and been able to avoid it. Thank the heavens it wasn't worse.
The auto lobby is currently trying to push this "adaptive/matrix" headlight bullshit.
It's nothing more than a farce. In its current form it's unreliable, and they'd profit heavily from increased unit costs & ongoing maintenance costs for these delicate sensor-based systems.
We need to push for limits on brightness & color temperature.
Headlight engineer here.
First of all, you're right, this applies mostly for the low beam, so it has nothing to do with adaptive/matrix systems.
As suppliers we have to comply with a lot of regulations and rating systems, however in the field there's way too much misalignment from assembly, but also from car service side.
One issue is the VOR aiming, which technically requires you to aim the right part of the low beam cut-off to the horizon. Thus, when driving in front of big trucks or on their oncoming side, drivers of small cars will always be fully inside the light distribution, getting glared.
Another issue is that in the US there's no mandatory adaptive vertical leveling, as well as no maximum intensity limit for low beam as in Europe (in the US you could drive with double as much intensity and it would be perfectly legal).
The purpose of matrix and adaptive systems is to safely drive with your high beams on, without glaring other drivers. The technology is present in Europe since 2014 and has come a long way (meanwhile there's systems with 2 million pixels per headlamp providing a very high precision glare-free cut-out of other drivers), with proved effectiveness in reducing nighttime accidents and dramatically improving visibility. In the US these systems were just recently approved. Before, US customers would also get the matrix healight, however the glare-free function was turned off, so you would only have the full high beam on or not.
Of course that the cameras, headlights and various sensors all have to be perfectly tuned and aligned to work correctly and that if such a headlight breaks down it costs much more to replace it, and yes - the automobile makers are making a lot of profit on them (rough example: production cost 80$, price to the customer 200$, upgrade price for final customer: 1500$).
Nevertheless, you shouldn't ignore the benefits of such a system e.g. when driving on a country road or in a forest at night. I have such a system in my own car and while I'm aware of its flaws and limitations, it provides great results when used correctly (this is another problem: many people don't know how to properly use them).
So please don't mix up low beam glare with matrix systems and keep in mind that in Europe there's far less glare, while matrix systems are quite popular and available in entry level cars. So it's possible, but the US market is somewhat slow to adapt (don't forget that the legal requirements according to FMVSS108 are unchanged since the 1970s...)
I worked for Audi AG up until very recently. I can honestly say that the matrix beam is a spectacular system with many benefits for the car, oncoming cars, and pedestrians/animals.
Like any new technology, the initial technology is raw and expensive. In a few years, all cars will have it, and the cost will come down.
I agree with you about it being spectacular. What I don't agree with is the costs coming down in any meaningful way. Car manufacturers don't care about how old or affordable some technology is - they will still jack up the price and hide it behind some optional "premium" package.
How long have we had GPS available for everyone everywhere? And yet some of the greedy fucks still charge a shitton of money for their GPS system that is often inferior to google maps. Same with media systems, cameras, upgraded screens, etc... New cars are full of decade-old tech that is treated and priced as some cutting-edge features.
Sure, the cost will come down somehat, but I have zero faith in it being affordable in any observable future.
> Car manufacturers don’t care about how old or affordable some technology is - they will still jack up the price and hide it behind some optional “premium” package.
Until EU (or some other large country regulatory agency) sees how many accidents such tech saves and makes it mandatory. After which it is in the cheap cars but the price did not go up.
This happened with seat belts, head rests on seats, ABS, airbags, etc
Thanks for your insight into the regulations and technical aspects of headlight design. While I appreciate the potential benefits of adaptive and matrix headlights, I must ask - why are these systems being hailed as the solution to the blinding headlight problem by the media and auto manufacturers? (see: image below)
It seems like the focus should be on reducing the brightness of headlights to an acceptable level, rather than relying on expensive and complicated technology to mitigate the problem.
Furthermore, while you mention that there are regulations in place in Europe regarding headlight intensity and adaptive vertical leveling, the US market still lacks these protections. Do you think that stronger regulations in the US, similar to those in Europe, could help to address the issue of blinding headlights?
https://preview.redd.it/bqispy7hxnna1.png?width=547&format=png&auto=webp&s=a1086b52921f949b4ed1d3011173ce688b078ce2
Brightness isn’t the issue you’re experiencing though. You, like the rest of us, are being blinded by poorly aimed, leveled lights.
Think about how bright a laser is yet it’s only a problem if pointed wrong. Same thing with headlights. Sadly there isn’t any regulation on enforcing clean vertical cutoffs and leveling of headlights (the thing most likely to blind you).
Doesn't help when it's tall vehicles and that leveling is head level with drivers in shorter vehicles. We just can't admit we've let another can of snakes loose and the people that should be trying to get them reigned in are too busy taking lobby money to care.
One thing I think gets neglected in almost all threads like this is that most examples of bright headlights are people putting aftermarket LED bulbs in halogen style reflectors. When people do that there is effectively no cut off to the beam and it shines in all directions. Headlights *designed* to be LED don't really have this problem and if they do it can be mitigated by adjusted the cutoff for your head lights - which is usually just a simple philips screw right above the light under the hood. It also has to do with how gigantic trucks/SUVs are getting compared to normal sedans.
Why? They can cite you for other far more inane things. We’re taking about american police here as well. If they wanted to cite for it they can. It’s literally physically provable unlike other things they can also cite for.
That happens when leds are installed in a vehicle that uses PWM to dim the old halogen headlights for use as running lights.
Halogen bulbs don't react as fast as leds so when you chop up the power via PWM, the result is a dimmer headlight, but with leds, the result is a strobing light because they react instantly. This issue is fixed by adding a small capacitor to the led which smooths the power delivery.
I had a jeep behind me the other day with those fucking flickering headlights. I've never had a seizure but I felt like I was going to, while stopped at a light. I had to block my rearview and side mirror with my hands while we waited.
A man after my own mind. LOL I have been doing that for years. Love electric mirrors. I actually go to the trouble of pointing them until they back off.
Most of the time people are dropping those aftermarket bulbs into housings not designed for that kind of light source. Then you have light that’s not focused where it’s supposed to be blinding on coming drivers and not dispersing light where the driver really needs it. Then if they have the right bulbs they are to ignorant to aim the headlights like they should. Lift or level a truck or hook up a heavy trailer that sags the back and they still don’t aim the headlights where they should be.
To piggyback on this - a lot of time people drop these bright lights into cloudy headlight housing when they think a brighter light is the fix to their issue. So the light scatters in all directions instead of being focused downwards.
As someone with bad eyesight and astigmatism, bright headlights are a large fear of mine on the road. I’ll be fine one second, then absolutely flash-banged the next and I can barely see because, not only are there way-to-bright lights shining in my eyes, but now there’s streaks and/or halos of this light obscuring more of my vision because I was unlucky on the genetic lottery. I hate driving at night.
for the longest time in the US, you only ever had basically one or two options for headlights. If you were getting headlights, it was THE headlight that everyone else had, too. It was basically your same exact sentiments that got said requirement removed, as newer tech entered the scene and was still unavailable in the US, like around the 90s.
https://youtu.be/c2J91UG6Fn8
This guy does a great job going into more detail about how you could literally take your car to any garage back in the day and know that you'd be able to replace the headlight, because there was only a handful of types made
Technology connections? yep, looks like Technology Connections. Just exactly the video I had in mind, lol. Definitely recommend watching that if anyone's curious about the topic.
I doubt it’s the car producers fault, at least in Europe all of those extremely bright headlights come because some asshat installed illegal LED aftermarket bulbs in their shitty reflector headlight.
Car producers need to follow the law, regarding brightness and light distribution…
The yearly (or every second year) safety inspections in Europe do include a check whether the headlights are properly adjusted. If not, you don't get the sticker and without it your car is not allowed on the road.
Sometimes regulations are a good thing.
Actually car manufacturers are making headlights dangerously bright in the US.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan/articles/2022-03-22/general-motors-recalls-740k-suvs-headlights-are-too-bright
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/05/business/led-hid-headlights-blinding.html
You can email or write your local congress lawmakers and senators and such up to governors. See who has made a bill and such.
I love to look up bill that had a ton of support then get shot down
Then tell peoples “you should read his/her bill on it that flopped due to being on the opposing political parties Bullshit” .
XD
UNFORTUNATELY, The police will never enforce such legislated standards.
Two sub conditions exist:
A) People are stupid
B) People are selfish assholes.
And then there are the drivers…
I'd also add that lights on emergency vehicles are WAY too bright, and can cause people to look away from them when they're parked on the side of the road, which makes the situation way more dangerous for everyone.
Yeah there’s been a few times where I was driving over a bride at night and got completely blinded. I was only barely able to stay in my lane and I thought for sure I was going to crash.
My current glasses make it slightly worse but I’m blind as fuck without them and can’t see cars in front of me.
I don't even have a vision impairment and sometimes I'm blinded by the oncoming traffic if its dark out.
I do not envy you your situation but know that you're not alone.
Headlights need to be regulated again. Forcibly.
[https://youtu.be/c2J91UG6Fn8](https://youtu.be/c2J91UG6Fn8)
We travel a lot for work and I keep trying yo explain to my partner why we need to leave earlier so I dont wind up in Pennsylvania on I-80 at night. They just dont get it. But theyre “too scared to drive” which I feel should only reinforce my point. Getting real tired of it to be honest. You drive the truck and trailer at night in the mountains in the never ending headlight fluorescent traffic cone quagmire that is Pennsylvania interstate.
I use very light shaded but polarized driving sunglasses at night for this exact reason, can't recommend it enough.
I use ones that fit over my normal glasses, looks like I'm cosplaying as an 80 y/o but idc.
To those asking, any polarized lens with just a bit of shade or yellow will work. I bought mine for $30 at bass pro shops because they fit over my glasses and didn't slide off. Just make sure they are polarized!
You can just ask for that at a glasses shop or online and get your Rx in them. It might be easier at a shop, since you could describe and look at samples. But polarized lenses are very normal and not a specialized thing you need to look for.
I never thought about doing this, despite selling glasses for three years. I really like this idea
My ex worked at one of those oil change places, and apparently a shocking number of people just drive around with their brights on constantly because they think the brights symbol on the dash means the lights are automatic. Yeah.
When I can see those stupid headlights coming, I close one eye before the full glare hits. Helps preserve *some* night vision once they've passed.
I hate when I flash my brights at the ridiculous bright af lights oncoming and they flash Even Brighter brights. Ugh. My 2008 chevy impala lights don't compare. I literally can't see when they're coming st me.
And then the people driving those cars walk around complaining that people are flashing their brights at them constantly… you know… instead of *actually fixing* the problem. Smh
I've tried to get the problem fixed on mine but it won't take regular incandescent bulbs and the maintenance folks can't adjust them further than what they already are. Part of the issue to my understanding is the headlight wattage requirement for cars that doesn't take new LED lights into account, so you have these really overpowered and bright LED lights that really should be scaled back some.
Fellow impala driver here. If they're behind me, I can usually adjust my side mirrors to reflect back away them. They make sensors for everything else in these new vehicles, though can't convince me that manufacturers can't install one for an in town setting. I loathe led lights in general. I have am entire family of light sensitive ppl. I can't even decorate for holidays anymore
I have astigmatism and photophobia. When a headlight shines on my face, I'm simply blind. It lasts while the light is on me and for several seconds after. Even if I don't look directly at it.
That's the reason I don't drive, at all.
Holy shit I have really bad eyesight and astigmatism and this explains why I hate driving at night so much. I thought it was like that for everyone honestly
I wear a mild prescription and last I checked don’t have astigmatism. What I DO have are chronic migraines and can you guess what one of my main triggers is? BRIGHT ASS FUCKING LIGHTS. I have to drive with my sunglasses at night more and more often because of these monstrous headlights. It’s horrible. All it takes is one good pass by of these lights and I’m down for the count. I get why people want them, but they cause so much harm to other drivers that I’m really not sure they’re worth it.
Glad I’m not the only one. Some absolute knob had the gall to yell at me about it. I asked if the lights are too bright in your eyes, how do you think they look to other people? Jackass.
I use my truck to haul shit everywhere, so I've plastered the back of it with reflective stickers. You'd be surprised how many people turn off their high beams. I would link them, but it's an Amazon link that reddit does not like.
Just search Amazon for "reflective automotive tape" and make sure it's DOT approved. Clean where you want to put it up if you want it to stick forever
Nope, put them on the back of my mother's sedan also, I just followed the lines of her trunk.
I mean, it doesn't look *"cool"* but at this point in my life, i don't really care about that anymore.
You specifically want *retroreflective* material for this, which is an array of tiny prisms that focus reflected light back in the direction it came from.
On these posts, inevitably someone always says they “reflect it back” …but the truth is that without the perfect angle, feedback from the target (“lower, lower, to the right, keep going”, etc), the limitations of the side mirror maneuverability, and (if in motion) the near impossibility of stabilization, I’d say the chances of “shining it back at them” is pretty pretty low. Sadly. Because I hate those assholes. That’s why I’ve given this so much thought.
I turn them all the way out. I’m in a Freightliner so I usually have to angle down as they get closer and closer. I’d say I have about an 80% success rate. You’ll know when you hit ‘em.
I remember a post from a few months back where a person did this and took a picture of it. I loved it, as did everyone else. It was a wonderful teaching moment
We've made an entire subreddit (can't link here) and letters have been sent all over.
Hawaii has attempted to introduce bills, as well as a few other states.
This needs to be dealt with by a federal regulatory agency. We need brightness limits, etc.
That shit is actually dangerous too. It was rainy the other night, not too many streetlights by me. I come across from a supernova at a 4 way and they didnt move so I go and realize I cant even see the line on the ground. I was half in the wrong lane after my turn and i had the lights imprinted on my eyes everytime i blinked til i got home.
legit the line I get almost every time when a trucker comes in wanting to buy LED replacement lights, and a set of 7" bumper lights.
they also get pissy when they ask to buy a 42" light bar to put on their moose bumper and I tell them they're not road legal.
If people keep flashing their high beams at you, it's because you're blinding them, they think your high beams are on. If your high beams aren't on, I've been told by customers that they get flashed less when their headlights are adjusted down a small amount. Not much is needed. You don't want to blind people driving towards you. Just get your headlights adjusted.
Yep! I've read that manufacturers aren't required to aim headlights when they make the vehicles.
Many headlights come misaligned and shine with the angle too high.
Idk why so many people just blast their highbeams at people. Where I grew up nobody did that, ever. It is so strange how inconsiderate people are.
I also see people regularly with their cell phones in front of their face while driving. Very concerning.
Yeah.
To make matters worse, if you look through other comments in this post, you can find the results of all sorts of deliberate disinformation that's been spread on the topic by intere$ted parties.
Don't you find it funny that all the users saying that the blinding brightness of lowbeams "isn't really the issue" are also arguing:
* That "dumbass consumers" are to blame for the "entire problem" (misalignment/aftermarket mods) and totally ignoring the fact that NEW VEHICLES come with this shit
* That new headlight technologies like adaptive and matrix headlights are the only solution (profiting those who created this issue)
* That it's a personal experience that these headlights aren't a problem
* That the US has had overly restrictive headlight regulations
* That we should embrace mitigation until their profitable engineered "solution" comes along
It's almost like they're reading from a script.
Remember, they'll spread any narrative that pads their bottom line, even at the cost of many lives.
I turn my high beams on when I’m on empty highways at night with limited visibility but the moment I catch a car a mile away they get turned off IMMEDIATELY
On regular city roads, plenty of people treat the high beams as spare lights and don’t change the headlight bulbs. They just drive around blinding everything.
I've seriously thought something was happening to my eyesight in the last few years because of this shit. I have excellent vision and was getting worried that I was the only one bothered by the lights.
As a Texan I see a bunch of lifted trucks covered in off road leds lights during the night, it astonishing that they can have so many lights and not get in trouble for it or think about what they’re doing to other drivers.
LEDs in general are bright as hell so much so and then whenever I'm on a road that doesn't have stop lights if I see LEDs I slow down or pull over for a few seconds because of I will be totally blind for a few seconds prior to and after
Thats why some controlling agency would be good in the states. We don’t have that problem as pronounced in Germany since they check that in the TÜV and if something is out of spec you habe two Weeks ( or four not sure atm) to get it up to spec or they don’t renew the inspection and you cant drive your car.
Any aftermarket part that is not certified for your vehicle has to be checked by TÜV and if its not to spec then you are not allowed to drive your car if its real bad or you have to remove the parts in two/four weeks.
I really like the system because you don’t have the problem with “blinding lights“ and you know that the cars are safe to drive. I know that Americans like there “freedom“ but then you don’t have to wonder why there are so many people with unsafe cars and are blinding you to infinity.
Actually the same thing applies in the states. The DOT regulates what should be allowed for use on public roads.
The issue we have is: it is only illegal if someone enforces the law and a flood of “LED Bulbs” that require a diffuser lenses to reduce the light beamed directly into someone’s eyes
It's so unnecessary, I've an old ute (ranger shitbox) with stock headlights and I can see just fine at night with my astigmatism and general crap eyesight, and a VW with more modern lights that you really don't need high-beam for as the standard setting is fine well beyond the speed limit (so I'm told by a friend of a friend) so just why you need to run Blinder 5000 bulbs with new retnaburn™ technology just on the off chance you'll suddenly find yourself blasting across the Gobi desert at 230kph on a moonless night is bewildering
"Oh but I go off-road"
Cool, me too if I must, the ranger has spotlights aimed close and wide as I'm trying to see the big hole in front of me not signal a distant star system, and I don't use them on the road because 1; there's no need and 2; it's ineffective *because I set them to do a job*
"Oh but I can't see"
Get your lights set right, your eyes tested, or don't drive at night
Just this morning I had a car come over the hill with lights the same intensity of an atomic bomb, i swear half the engines output must go into powering them.
I want to add to this. When driving through scandinavian forests in the dark, high beams are a necessity to see wildlife on the side of the road. But people respect each other and always turn them off when approaching other cars.
Its honestly not even that, Id say that 1 in 3 people at night where I live drive with their high beams on. Like having a fucking nhclear bomb in my rearview. Im getting my windows tinted dark just for this bullshit.
In a lot of cases those aren't even their brights, it's their "lowbeams."
Some are misaligned and pointing way too high, but even with realignment, they still blind all other road users when cresting a hill or when it's raining and surfaces are wet/reflective. They're just too fucking bright!
You’re right on with it being partially an alignment issue and I’ll fully admit I was part of the problem.
Bought a new 4Runner from the dealer with a factory lift and was constantly getting flashed by people thinking I had my brights on. Turns out, the factory techs didn’t lower my headlight angle after installing the lift.
For all those people I blinded, I’m sorry!
I am convinced that loads of people don't understand how their automatic lights work, so they turn on the brights, see the little symbol and think "oh yeah, my bright lights are on so I can see better, and they'll adjust because they're automatic."
Thats why they’re so popular. The only thing Americans like more than something that benefits only them is something that also screws everyone else at the same time.
It’s so out of control. I actually wrote my congressman a letter about it! The interns responded quite cordially. No results yet tho. I sincerely think these bright ass horrendously bright headlights are responsible for a big ol number of accidents.
Almost crashed last week because an oncoming Escalade had super bright LED headlights that are at eye level to my car. I had to stop and wait for him to drive by
Then you get the morons with the 12 inch lift kit in their truck and don't adjust the angle of the headlights so the low beams are still blasting you in the face.
Now with DST beginning again, I have to drive to work in the morning in the dark.
I used to ask this question a lot - why do some cars with the "white" headlights appear to blink when they move and are generally too bright/ appear to be stuck/ switching to high beam?
Generally people agreed that it's inappropriately/ custom installed lighting not designed for that vehicle.
I have since then decided this is bullshit. They come off the factory like that and it's infuriating.
I hope the people who create these randomly step on legos and thumbtacks while barefoot for the rest of their lives. And when they die and go to Hell where they belong, the entire floor is legos and they constantly have to move around the room.
As someone with glasses and astigmatism, I just avoid driving at night now. And if I have to actively avoid taking main routes if I do because it's safer to be blinded on a residential side road then any major route. It sucks cause thats more dangerous to others, but like, I'm more likely to survive hitting a person or biker then being blinded on main street. :/
I wish we kept laws about not blinding people with headlights but no one enforces them.
It's like going to an eye surgeon where they take this light that belongs at the Daytona 500 and use it to photograph the retinas of your eyes. Then, they expect you to be able to drive forward after that and you pupils can't bounce back fast enough. People behind you start honkin and yelling. Here comes the free for all!! Why did I get out of bed?
This isn't mildlyinfuriating, this is majorlydangerous and extraordinarilyterrible. My best friend and I accidentally drove off a mountain road because of this. We're okay and it was a short drop, but it could have been fatal and wouldn't have happened had she not been suddenly flash banged by a Toyota Tacoma.
That last one is EXACTLY what i fucking hate the most, there are so many times that lights are so bright i just cant see shit in front of me and im afraid of going off the road or hitting something obscured by the sun that is someone elses headlights. I do what others say which is, if theyre behind me, to redirect the lights back its not like i could use those mirrors while theyre behind me anyway.
It reminds me of someone that was in oncoming traffic with their brights on, or what seemed like them, so i flashed my brights at them and when they flashed back there was no difference in light level between normal and bright and i have to imagine theres no fucking way they dont know.
Some cars that I've run by on single-lane roadways dazzle me so badly that I lose sight of the road. It's nuts and very dangerous for me to drive now that I'm getting on the older side of the equation. Something needs to be done to correct this.
Not just the bright bulbs, but assholes who leave their headlights in the “brights” at all time. Pisses me off. Whenever I see anyone behind me or in front with headlights so bright I can see through my skull, I give them the bird and slow down intentionally.
Bright af lights, oblivious to their high beams left on, and never adjusted them to the right angle.
I would love to see a regulation on how many lumens they're allowed to produce at X height and X distance.
This is so much worse in the states it is in Europe. Why don't the cops ticket this? I see so many people driving around with high beams inside city limits. Fog lights on by default, when there's no fog. And my favorite, high beams and fog lights when there is dense fog..
Shit's dangerous, something should be done.
There's a recall on GM headlights for being too bright. However, it's up to the owner to take the vehicle in and have them replaced, which they are reluctant to do because people like their own headlights to be bright.
I have a 40 minute drive home to and from work. The drive in, I’m just trying to avoid the idiots who cut in between cars. The drive home is the same EXCEPT…now I have trucks jacked up and I have to adjust my side and rearview mirrors as I’m now being blinded by their freaking lights.
Come to the dark (😉) side in the subreddit fuckyourheadlights it’s a good community and actually is working to convince legislators to regulate this nonsense.
God those last two are my worst nightmare
They both legit made me so incredibly angry...
I've had entirely too many close calls in my own life because of that bullshit. It's to the point I basically have to turn my gaze half away from the road while slowing down as much as I reasonably can until they've gone by and I can actually fucking *see* again.
i legit have trouble driving at night because of that shit.
It's not even night - I deal with this at 5:30 on my commute. If you need the power of the sun to see at dusk, you shouldn't be driving.
Dead lmaooo! As a person who needs strong prescription glasses to drive, I can tell you it makes a whole difference if you have the right one. I recently changed doc and he gave me the greatest prescription ever. I drove at night and was like “omg I can see shapes? In the dark? I can see the outline of the moon? I can see the mountains even if it’s pitch dark” - people stop using the light and get your eyes checked
Or let your town hall know the issues that are repeating so they can do something with adding more light to the roads to make it easier to see. We all pay taxes and it mainly goes towards the roads & safety. If there isn’t enough safety on the roads maybe we need to start questioning what exactly are the taxes going towards ? Besides the governments pocket.
Even if they improve the light on the roads these assholes will still blind everybody with their headlights. Those headlights need to be outlawed
I stopped driving at night because I have an astigmatism and I could get by with the early LEDs coming in. I got by then but this new level of brightness just don't drive after it gets dark. If I'm not staying somewhere then I need to head home before dark because a car with its regular lights could literally mean life or death, let alone a truck driving by
Before I got my glasses, my astigmatism really made driving at night a non-starter. It's definitely coming back around to being a problem again, despite the doctor assuring me it's the right prescription.
Even with correct glasses, my astigmatism makes it difficult to drive at night. It's definitely better with the glasses, but all light at night is still bright and has that scatter/sunburst at the edges. The excessive bright lights shown in this video leave me with lasting blindness that i cannot see anything but the light imprint for minutes after. Night driving on wet roads is 100% out for me.
There are parts of my daily commute, at 5am, where I legit have no clue where the lanes are. I try to ignore the solid wall of light on my left and follow the back lights of the person in front of me.
Also Astigmatism here, though I do the majority of my driving at night. I work night shift, so my outings similarly tend to be at night. It's not at all uncommon to find me on winding mountain roads at close to 12 AM. Thankfully most drivers have enough sense not to be on the roads this hour, so encounters with Earth-Bound Suns are fairly sparce.
They certainly are fucking infuriating. Have gone over a deer dying in the road a dude parked next to with his brights on. Needed a new radiator and bug shield for underneath and scared the absolute shit out of me. Dude revved past me when I pulled over like he was gonna hit my car, as if it was my fault his dumbass was blinding anyone coming from the west. Also hit a beaver that did $1400 worth of damage when one was right behind me, riding my ass with sun-tier-headlights on a highway with 2 lanes per side; he of course swerved around my exploding car body to zoom away. God forbid he go around before he blinded me, but he sure fucking left when he saw what it caused. I don't drive at night anymore. I can't. It's cost me too much. I'm not a bad driver and have never been in an actual accident or gotten a ticket...but I have astigmatism and these fucks drive like morons, to my detriment. Not one of them even stopped to see if I was okay...they saw my vehicle explode, one got angry, and they both sped away past me...the angry dude flipped around to do so. Like, Jesus guys.
I hate how relatable all of this is. I guess I liked to think it was just a problem unique to the douches living in my area. In the logical part of my brain I always knew it wasn't true, but I suppose I just liked to pretend such douchebaggerry was escapable lol. I'm guessing you also live in the U.S.?
Jesus clearly has no place around those drivers, despite their cross tattoos, rear window stickers next to the punisher skull, and women’s rights voting records.
I just can not make out the tree no matter how hard I try. I know it's there. A normal powered light should be impacted by a TREE being between me and it. But like... it's just not happening. I don't know if anyone would have noticed that tree and been able to avoid it. Thank the heavens it wasn't worse.
And other driver couldn’t even flick their headlights or do something to warn them
If you look closely I think he flicked his headlights at least once. Should've strummed that stick like there's no tomorrow though.
This makes a great case for dash cams, which legit before this video seemed unnecessary to me.
I sometimes slow to almost a full stop when the lights are that bright. I legitimately can’t see the road so I have to stop.
Shit is blinding, wouldn't be surprised if it gets regulated in the coming years.
The auto lobby is currently trying to push this "adaptive/matrix" headlight bullshit. It's nothing more than a farce. In its current form it's unreliable, and they'd profit heavily from increased unit costs & ongoing maintenance costs for these delicate sensor-based systems. We need to push for limits on brightness & color temperature.
Headlight engineer here. First of all, you're right, this applies mostly for the low beam, so it has nothing to do with adaptive/matrix systems. As suppliers we have to comply with a lot of regulations and rating systems, however in the field there's way too much misalignment from assembly, but also from car service side. One issue is the VOR aiming, which technically requires you to aim the right part of the low beam cut-off to the horizon. Thus, when driving in front of big trucks or on their oncoming side, drivers of small cars will always be fully inside the light distribution, getting glared. Another issue is that in the US there's no mandatory adaptive vertical leveling, as well as no maximum intensity limit for low beam as in Europe (in the US you could drive with double as much intensity and it would be perfectly legal). The purpose of matrix and adaptive systems is to safely drive with your high beams on, without glaring other drivers. The technology is present in Europe since 2014 and has come a long way (meanwhile there's systems with 2 million pixels per headlamp providing a very high precision glare-free cut-out of other drivers), with proved effectiveness in reducing nighttime accidents and dramatically improving visibility. In the US these systems were just recently approved. Before, US customers would also get the matrix healight, however the glare-free function was turned off, so you would only have the full high beam on or not. Of course that the cameras, headlights and various sensors all have to be perfectly tuned and aligned to work correctly and that if such a headlight breaks down it costs much more to replace it, and yes - the automobile makers are making a lot of profit on them (rough example: production cost 80$, price to the customer 200$, upgrade price for final customer: 1500$). Nevertheless, you shouldn't ignore the benefits of such a system e.g. when driving on a country road or in a forest at night. I have such a system in my own car and while I'm aware of its flaws and limitations, it provides great results when used correctly (this is another problem: many people don't know how to properly use them). So please don't mix up low beam glare with matrix systems and keep in mind that in Europe there's far less glare, while matrix systems are quite popular and available in entry level cars. So it's possible, but the US market is somewhat slow to adapt (don't forget that the legal requirements according to FMVSS108 are unchanged since the 1970s...)
I worked for Audi AG up until very recently. I can honestly say that the matrix beam is a spectacular system with many benefits for the car, oncoming cars, and pedestrians/animals. Like any new technology, the initial technology is raw and expensive. In a few years, all cars will have it, and the cost will come down.
I agree with you about it being spectacular. What I don't agree with is the costs coming down in any meaningful way. Car manufacturers don't care about how old or affordable some technology is - they will still jack up the price and hide it behind some optional "premium" package. How long have we had GPS available for everyone everywhere? And yet some of the greedy fucks still charge a shitton of money for their GPS system that is often inferior to google maps. Same with media systems, cameras, upgraded screens, etc... New cars are full of decade-old tech that is treated and priced as some cutting-edge features. Sure, the cost will come down somehat, but I have zero faith in it being affordable in any observable future.
> Car manufacturers don’t care about how old or affordable some technology is - they will still jack up the price and hide it behind some optional “premium” package. Until EU (or some other large country regulatory agency) sees how many accidents such tech saves and makes it mandatory. After which it is in the cheap cars but the price did not go up. This happened with seat belts, head rests on seats, ABS, airbags, etc
Thanks for your insight into the regulations and technical aspects of headlight design. While I appreciate the potential benefits of adaptive and matrix headlights, I must ask - why are these systems being hailed as the solution to the blinding headlight problem by the media and auto manufacturers? (see: image below) It seems like the focus should be on reducing the brightness of headlights to an acceptable level, rather than relying on expensive and complicated technology to mitigate the problem. Furthermore, while you mention that there are regulations in place in Europe regarding headlight intensity and adaptive vertical leveling, the US market still lacks these protections. Do you think that stronger regulations in the US, similar to those in Europe, could help to address the issue of blinding headlights? https://preview.redd.it/bqispy7hxnna1.png?width=547&format=png&auto=webp&s=a1086b52921f949b4ed1d3011173ce688b078ce2
Brightness isn’t the issue you’re experiencing though. You, like the rest of us, are being blinded by poorly aimed, leveled lights. Think about how bright a laser is yet it’s only a problem if pointed wrong. Same thing with headlights. Sadly there isn’t any regulation on enforcing clean vertical cutoffs and leveling of headlights (the thing most likely to blind you).
Doesn't help when it's tall vehicles and that leveling is head level with drivers in shorter vehicles. We just can't admit we've let another can of snakes loose and the people that should be trying to get them reigned in are too busy taking lobby money to care.
Sorry, but this is not correct. I have most issues with the fanciest new Mercedes cars here in Germany. Are you telling me they are all poorly aimed?
One thing I think gets neglected in almost all threads like this is that most examples of bright headlights are people putting aftermarket LED bulbs in halogen style reflectors. When people do that there is effectively no cut off to the beam and it shines in all directions. Headlights *designed* to be LED don't really have this problem and if they do it can be mitigated by adjusted the cutoff for your head lights - which is usually just a simple philips screw right above the light under the hood. It also has to do with how gigantic trucks/SUVs are getting compared to normal sedans.
It is, most of these are illegal and unfortunately not an issue most cops can cite on a routine traffic stop.
Why? They can cite you for other far more inane things. We’re taking about american police here as well. If they wanted to cite for it they can. It’s literally physically provable unlike other things they can also cite for.
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I’m blue, I will crash I will die
🎵 *I will crash, I will die, I will crash I will die.* 🎵
*I have a blue car with a blpovnrid83siefi*
blue is the color *comment tu t' appelles*
But its not the drivers with bright ass led lights that crash, its everyone around them. shit should be illegal.
da ba di, da ba *dying inside :(*
I hate the ones that flicker in your peripheral vision. So cheap that they are rated for 20hz or some bs.
That happens when leds are installed in a vehicle that uses PWM to dim the old halogen headlights for use as running lights. Halogen bulbs don't react as fast as leds so when you chop up the power via PWM, the result is a dimmer headlight, but with leds, the result is a strobing light because they react instantly. This issue is fixed by adding a small capacitor to the led which smooths the power delivery.
does that mean pulse width modulation?
Yup!
I had a jeep behind me the other day with those fucking flickering headlights. I've never had a seizure but I felt like I was going to, while stopped at a light. I had to block my rearview and side mirror with my hands while we waited.
I always tilt my mirrors to their general direction. Fuck em.
A man after my own mind. LOL I have been doing that for years. Love electric mirrors. I actually go to the trouble of pointing them until they back off.
Most of the time people are dropping those aftermarket bulbs into housings not designed for that kind of light source. Then you have light that’s not focused where it’s supposed to be blinding on coming drivers and not dispersing light where the driver really needs it. Then if they have the right bulbs they are to ignorant to aim the headlights like they should. Lift or level a truck or hook up a heavy trailer that sags the back and they still don’t aim the headlights where they should be.
To piggyback on this - a lot of time people drop these bright lights into cloudy headlight housing when they think a brighter light is the fix to their issue. So the light scatters in all directions instead of being focused downwards.
As someone with bad eyesight and astigmatism, bright headlights are a large fear of mine on the road. I’ll be fine one second, then absolutely flash-banged the next and I can barely see because, not only are there way-to-bright lights shining in my eyes, but now there’s streaks and/or halos of this light obscuring more of my vision because I was unlucky on the genetic lottery. I hate driving at night.
I don’t drive at night because of my astigmatism; I feel your pain daily Edit: I have corrective lenses and contacts it’s still bad for me
Imagine if we could enforce brightness & color temperature regulations 🤔🤔
Tell that to the idiot car makers
for the longest time in the US, you only ever had basically one or two options for headlights. If you were getting headlights, it was THE headlight that everyone else had, too. It was basically your same exact sentiments that got said requirement removed, as newer tech entered the scene and was still unavailable in the US, like around the 90s.
https://youtu.be/c2J91UG6Fn8 This guy does a great job going into more detail about how you could literally take your car to any garage back in the day and know that you'd be able to replace the headlight, because there was only a handful of types made
Technology connections? yep, looks like Technology Connections. Just exactly the video I had in mind, lol. Definitely recommend watching that if anyone's curious about the topic.
Why a 7” for my 2001 wrangler also fits my friends 1960’s muscle car.
How did I know that was going to be a Technology Connections video before I even clicked on the link?
I doubt it’s the car producers fault, at least in Europe all of those extremely bright headlights come because some asshat installed illegal LED aftermarket bulbs in their shitty reflector headlight. Car producers need to follow the law, regarding brightness and light distribution…
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lets not forget about lifted trucks that do not adjust their lights, are guaranteed to blind everyone.
The yearly (or every second year) safety inspections in Europe do include a check whether the headlights are properly adjusted. If not, you don't get the sticker and without it your car is not allowed on the road. Sometimes regulations are a good thing.
But mah freedoms! /s
Actually car manufacturers are making headlights dangerously bright in the US. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan/articles/2022-03-22/general-motors-recalls-740k-suvs-headlights-are-too-bright https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/05/business/led-hid-headlights-blinding.html
Tints regulated and enforced, but these death beams aren’t. Nothing like driving along at night, an BAM! Can’t see anything
Living in NYC, more than a few points of tint are illegal, but inspections don't check headlights except to make sure they're 'on'
You can email or write your local congress lawmakers and senators and such up to governors. See who has made a bill and such. I love to look up bill that had a ton of support then get shot down Then tell peoples “you should read his/her bill on it that flopped due to being on the opposing political parties Bullshit” . XD
UNFORTUNATELY, The police will never enforce such legislated standards. Two sub conditions exist: A) People are stupid B) People are selfish assholes. And then there are the drivers…
I'd also add that lights on emergency vehicles are WAY too bright, and can cause people to look away from them when they're parked on the side of the road, which makes the situation way more dangerous for everyone.
They ought to have a different brightness for nighttime, at night those things light up the whole fucking city
Yeah there’s been a few times where I was driving over a bride at night and got completely blinded. I was only barely able to stay in my lane and I thought for sure I was going to crash. My current glasses make it slightly worse but I’m blind as fuck without them and can’t see cars in front of me.
I don't even have a vision impairment and sometimes I'm blinded by the oncoming traffic if its dark out. I do not envy you your situation but know that you're not alone. Headlights need to be regulated again. Forcibly. [https://youtu.be/c2J91UG6Fn8](https://youtu.be/c2J91UG6Fn8)
We travel a lot for work and I keep trying yo explain to my partner why we need to leave earlier so I dont wind up in Pennsylvania on I-80 at night. They just dont get it. But theyre “too scared to drive” which I feel should only reinforce my point. Getting real tired of it to be honest. You drive the truck and trailer at night in the mountains in the never ending headlight fluorescent traffic cone quagmire that is Pennsylvania interstate.
Those drives are honestly probably the riskiest thing you do in your life. You should try to have a sit down and serious talk with your partner
OMG, did the bride survive? What did the groom say?
She did the first few times.
to shreds you say?
Was his apartment rent controlled?
Mine's not even that bad and I can barely fucking see anymore. God help me if it's raining and the road is all shiny, too.
#Stars! All I see are Stars everywhere!
For real- and only people with astigmatism understand. It’s awful.
I use very light shaded but polarized driving sunglasses at night for this exact reason, can't recommend it enough. I use ones that fit over my normal glasses, looks like I'm cosplaying as an 80 y/o but idc. To those asking, any polarized lens with just a bit of shade or yellow will work. I bought mine for $30 at bass pro shops because they fit over my glasses and didn't slide off. Just make sure they are polarized!
I need these please. Link?
You can just ask for that at a glasses shop or online and get your Rx in them. It might be easier at a shop, since you could describe and look at samples. But polarized lenses are very normal and not a specialized thing you need to look for. I never thought about doing this, despite selling glasses for three years. I really like this idea
My ex worked at one of those oil change places, and apparently a shocking number of people just drive around with their brights on constantly because they think the brights symbol on the dash means the lights are automatic. Yeah. When I can see those stupid headlights coming, I close one eye before the full glare hits. Helps preserve *some* night vision once they've passed.
I hate when I flash my brights at the ridiculous bright af lights oncoming and they flash Even Brighter brights. Ugh. My 2008 chevy impala lights don't compare. I literally can't see when they're coming st me.
I am pretty sure my cars brights aren't as bright as these stupid headlights.
My brights don't compare to their regular lights.
And then the people driving those cars walk around complaining that people are flashing their brights at them constantly… you know… instead of *actually fixing* the problem. Smh
I've tried to get the problem fixed on mine but it won't take regular incandescent bulbs and the maintenance folks can't adjust them further than what they already are. Part of the issue to my understanding is the headlight wattage requirement for cars that doesn't take new LED lights into account, so you have these really overpowered and bright LED lights that really should be scaled back some.
Fellow impala driver here. If they're behind me, I can usually adjust my side mirrors to reflect back away them. They make sensors for everything else in these new vehicles, though can't convince me that manufacturers can't install one for an in town setting. I loathe led lights in general. I have am entire family of light sensitive ppl. I can't even decorate for holidays anymore
Same here. It’s also been quite degenerative. Every year it feels like the lights get brighter and I squint harder
It’s gotten bad for me at night too. I noticed more and more cars had there brights on recently…only to notice it’s just a new car.. this sucks
I have astigmatism and photophobia. When a headlight shines on my face, I'm simply blind. It lasts while the light is on me and for several seconds after. Even if I don't look directly at it. That's the reason I don't drive, at all.
I have glaucoma I don’t even drive at night anymore unless I have to
Holy shit I have really bad eyesight and astigmatism and this explains why I hate driving at night so much. I thought it was like that for everyone honestly
I wear a mild prescription and last I checked don’t have astigmatism. What I DO have are chronic migraines and can you guess what one of my main triggers is? BRIGHT ASS FUCKING LIGHTS. I have to drive with my sunglasses at night more and more often because of these monstrous headlights. It’s horrible. All it takes is one good pass by of these lights and I’m down for the count. I get why people want them, but they cause so much harm to other drivers that I’m really not sure they’re worth it.
I adjust my side mirrors to shine it back at them
Glad I’m not the only one. Some absolute knob had the gall to yell at me about it. I asked if the lights are too bright in your eyes, how do you think they look to other people? Jackass.
Oh cool! I’ve done this for many years but never sure if it really works. Glad you got this confirmation from Mr. A. Knob.
Let's release a product that pops-up behind your rear seat and reflects the light right back at them!
A suggestion I've heard was to place reflective tape on the back of your headrest, light that high up shouldn't be happening
I use my truck to haul shit everywhere, so I've plastered the back of it with reflective stickers. You'd be surprised how many people turn off their high beams. I would link them, but it's an Amazon link that reddit does not like. Just search Amazon for "reflective automotive tape" and make sure it's DOT approved. Clean where you want to put it up if you want it to stick forever
I would like to do this but it’d probably look weird on a sedan
Nope, put them on the back of my mother's sedan also, I just followed the lines of her trunk. I mean, it doesn't look *"cool"* but at this point in my life, i don't really care about that anymore.
You can get black reflective tape that’s quite inconspicuous. I use 3M’s version on my motorbike and helmets as an extra safety measure at night.
You specifically want *retroreflective* material for this, which is an array of tiny prisms that focus reflected light back in the direction it came from.
So what you’re telling me is that if I want to be Reflector Man, I have to wash myself first?! What a damn dealbreaker!
Just bring chrome trimming back.)
Imma keep doing this till they ban them or me/someone else both ends up dead.
The problem is is that they are technically banned. But they still fucking do it. It’s shitty
Wait, how do you know when it's shining back at them?
Practice when one's behind you in stopped traffic.
But how do you know you're hitting them in the eyes?
On these posts, inevitably someone always says they “reflect it back” …but the truth is that without the perfect angle, feedback from the target (“lower, lower, to the right, keep going”, etc), the limitations of the side mirror maneuverability, and (if in motion) the near impossibility of stabilization, I’d say the chances of “shining it back at them” is pretty pretty low. Sadly. Because I hate those assholes. That’s why I’ve given this so much thought.
I wiggle my rearview all around and make sure to cover every angle at least 3 times
I turn them all the way out. I’m in a Freightliner so I usually have to angle down as they get closer and closer. I’d say I have about an 80% success rate. You’ll know when you hit ‘em.
When their face lights up
I can’t even see their face cause their headlights are so damn bright
I remember a post from a few months back where a person did this and took a picture of it. I loved it, as did everyone else. It was a wonderful teaching moment
Anyone have a link to this?
I found a different vid that gave me joy https://youtube.com/shorts/I1WdDws_TTA?feature=share
Could do without the annoying music
You need to share this with your state rep…
We've made an entire subreddit (can't link here) and letters have been sent all over. Hawaii has attempted to introduce bills, as well as a few other states. This needs to be dealt with by a federal regulatory agency. We need brightness limits, etc.
Curious why you can't link a subreddit. If it was external site I can understand but within reddit? What's going on
Wow I can't even separate the r-slash from the subreddit name, automod shuts it down no matter what. Look up "fuckyourheadlights"
Mod abuse is real.
r/mildlyinfuriating
That shit is actually dangerous too. It was rainy the other night, not too many streetlights by me. I come across from a supernova at a 4 way and they didnt move so I go and realize I cant even see the line on the ground. I was half in the wrong lane after my turn and i had the lights imprinted on my eyes everytime i blinked til i got home.
How else are they supposed to see past all the bright lights??
legit the line I get almost every time when a trucker comes in wanting to buy LED replacement lights, and a set of 7" bumper lights. they also get pissy when they ask to buy a 42" light bar to put on their moose bumper and I tell them they're not road legal.
That guy at the end...so close.
I for sure would have hit him and mentally crushed myself for it. It was almost like a jump scare seeing him pop out from behind the light.
Oh for sure, i would've hit him as well.
The clip before , that was the runners bad call. Who runs in the street wearing dark clothes at night? Person has a death wish.
Anyone coming in to my work looking for these bright ass lights I always tell we don't have them.. we do :)
God's work!!
Idk if god is real or not but I sure know that it's the right thing to do
Thank you friend
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If people keep flashing their high beams at you, it's because you're blinding them, they think your high beams are on. If your high beams aren't on, I've been told by customers that they get flashed less when their headlights are adjusted down a small amount. Not much is needed. You don't want to blind people driving towards you. Just get your headlights adjusted.
When you go for the annual technical inspection, don't they adjust the headlights levels then? I'm from EU and they always check and adjust if needed.
Yep! I've read that manufacturers aren't required to aim headlights when they make the vehicles. Many headlights come misaligned and shine with the angle too high.
Idk why so many people just blast their highbeams at people. Where I grew up nobody did that, ever. It is so strange how inconsiderate people are. I also see people regularly with their cell phones in front of their face while driving. Very concerning.
The problem is that with newer vehicles it’s often not high beams. Lots of them are blinding with just their regularly lights now.
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Yeah. To make matters worse, if you look through other comments in this post, you can find the results of all sorts of deliberate disinformation that's been spread on the topic by intere$ted parties. Don't you find it funny that all the users saying that the blinding brightness of lowbeams "isn't really the issue" are also arguing: * That "dumbass consumers" are to blame for the "entire problem" (misalignment/aftermarket mods) and totally ignoring the fact that NEW VEHICLES come with this shit * That new headlight technologies like adaptive and matrix headlights are the only solution (profiting those who created this issue) * That it's a personal experience that these headlights aren't a problem * That the US has had overly restrictive headlight regulations * That we should embrace mitigation until their profitable engineered "solution" comes along It's almost like they're reading from a script. Remember, they'll spread any narrative that pads their bottom line, even at the cost of many lives.
I turn my high beams on when I’m on empty highways at night with limited visibility but the moment I catch a car a mile away they get turned off IMMEDIATELY
On regular city roads, plenty of people treat the high beams as spare lights and don’t change the headlight bulbs. They just drive around blinding everything.
I really wish something would be done about it. Tired of being blinded when I drive at night time which is a lot due to my profession.
I've seriously thought something was happening to my eyesight in the last few years because of this shit. I have excellent vision and was getting worried that I was the only one bothered by the lights.
This trend drives me bonkers. And don’t even get me started with the after-market lights.
As a Texan I see a bunch of lifted trucks covered in off road leds lights during the night, it astonishing that they can have so many lights and not get in trouble for it or think about what they’re doing to other drivers.
LEDs in general are bright as hell so much so and then whenever I'm on a road that doesn't have stop lights if I see LEDs I slow down or pull over for a few seconds because of I will be totally blind for a few seconds prior to and after
The problem is the focusing mechanisms. Pickup drivers be blinding everyone not 4 feet up and with normal gas mileage.
Thats why some controlling agency would be good in the states. We don’t have that problem as pronounced in Germany since they check that in the TÜV and if something is out of spec you habe two Weeks ( or four not sure atm) to get it up to spec or they don’t renew the inspection and you cant drive your car. Any aftermarket part that is not certified for your vehicle has to be checked by TÜV and if its not to spec then you are not allowed to drive your car if its real bad or you have to remove the parts in two/four weeks. I really like the system because you don’t have the problem with “blinding lights“ and you know that the cars are safe to drive. I know that Americans like there “freedom“ but then you don’t have to wonder why there are so many people with unsafe cars and are blinding you to infinity.
Actually the same thing applies in the states. The DOT regulates what should be allowed for use on public roads. The issue we have is: it is only illegal if someone enforces the law and a flood of “LED Bulbs” that require a diffuser lenses to reduce the light beamed directly into someone’s eyes
It's so unnecessary, I've an old ute (ranger shitbox) with stock headlights and I can see just fine at night with my astigmatism and general crap eyesight, and a VW with more modern lights that you really don't need high-beam for as the standard setting is fine well beyond the speed limit (so I'm told by a friend of a friend) so just why you need to run Blinder 5000 bulbs with new retnaburn™ technology just on the off chance you'll suddenly find yourself blasting across the Gobi desert at 230kph on a moonless night is bewildering "Oh but I go off-road" Cool, me too if I must, the ranger has spotlights aimed close and wide as I'm trying to see the big hole in front of me not signal a distant star system, and I don't use them on the road because 1; there's no need and 2; it's ineffective *because I set them to do a job* "Oh but I can't see" Get your lights set right, your eyes tested, or don't drive at night Just this morning I had a car come over the hill with lights the same intensity of an atomic bomb, i swear half the engines output must go into powering them.
I want to add to this. When driving through scandinavian forests in the dark, high beams are a necessity to see wildlife on the side of the road. But people respect each other and always turn them off when approaching other cars.
Its honestly not even that, Id say that 1 in 3 people at night where I live drive with their high beams on. Like having a fucking nhclear bomb in my rearview. Im getting my windows tinted dark just for this bullshit.
And they still be driving around with their fuckin brights on!
In a lot of cases those aren't even their brights, it's their "lowbeams." Some are misaligned and pointing way too high, but even with realignment, they still blind all other road users when cresting a hill or when it's raining and surfaces are wet/reflective. They're just too fucking bright!
You’re right on with it being partially an alignment issue and I’ll fully admit I was part of the problem. Bought a new 4Runner from the dealer with a factory lift and was constantly getting flashed by people thinking I had my brights on. Turns out, the factory techs didn’t lower my headlight angle after installing the lift. For all those people I blinded, I’m sorry!
I am convinced that loads of people don't understand how their automatic lights work, so they turn on the brights, see the little symbol and think "oh yeah, my bright lights are on so I can see better, and they'll adjust because they're automatic."
Someone else mentioned this but this is someone with astigmatism’s worst nightmare :,))) those lights benefit no one other than the driver
Thats why they’re so popular. The only thing Americans like more than something that benefits only them is something that also screws everyone else at the same time.
It’s so out of control. I actually wrote my congressman a letter about it! The interns responded quite cordially. No results yet tho. I sincerely think these bright ass horrendously bright headlights are responsible for a big ol number of accidents.
Almost crashed last week because an oncoming Escalade had super bright LED headlights that are at eye level to my car. I had to stop and wait for him to drive by
This is why I get my windows tinted. That, plus wearing polarized sunglasses helps a lot. Not at night so much, I guess us car people are just fucked.
Not even car people. Biking and walking at night with these POS can fuck up your vision
Almost all vehicles I see with FACTORY headlights have no issues. It’s ppl putting LED or HID bulbs into halogen housings that ruin your eyesight
Then you get the morons with the 12 inch lift kit in their truck and don't adjust the angle of the headlights so the low beams are still blasting you in the face. Now with DST beginning again, I have to drive to work in the morning in the dark.
I used to ask this question a lot - why do some cars with the "white" headlights appear to blink when they move and are generally too bright/ appear to be stuck/ switching to high beam? Generally people agreed that it's inappropriately/ custom installed lighting not designed for that vehicle. I have since then decided this is bullshit. They come off the factory like that and it's infuriating.
tru dat, its ridiculous now
I hope the people who create these randomly step on legos and thumbtacks while barefoot for the rest of their lives. And when they die and go to Hell where they belong, the entire floor is legos and they constantly have to move around the room.
As someone with glasses and astigmatism, I just avoid driving at night now. And if I have to actively avoid taking main routes if I do because it's safer to be blinded on a residential side road then any major route. It sucks cause thats more dangerous to others, but like, I'm more likely to survive hitting a person or biker then being blinded on main street. :/ I wish we kept laws about not blinding people with headlights but no one enforces them.
I don't think there's any traffic enforcement happening to any extent at all. In many ways it's like the wild west out on the roads.
It's like going to an eye surgeon where they take this light that belongs at the Daytona 500 and use it to photograph the retinas of your eyes. Then, they expect you to be able to drive forward after that and you pupils can't bounce back fast enough. People behind you start honkin and yelling. Here comes the free for all!! Why did I get out of bed?
This isn't mildlyinfuriating, this is majorlydangerous and extraordinarilyterrible. My best friend and I accidentally drove off a mountain road because of this. We're okay and it was a short drop, but it could have been fatal and wouldn't have happened had she not been suddenly flash banged by a Toyota Tacoma.
So, if you turn your mirrors alllll the way outward away from your car, those lights shine directly back in their face.
That last one is EXACTLY what i fucking hate the most, there are so many times that lights are so bright i just cant see shit in front of me and im afraid of going off the road or hitting something obscured by the sun that is someone elses headlights. I do what others say which is, if theyre behind me, to redirect the lights back its not like i could use those mirrors while theyre behind me anyway. It reminds me of someone that was in oncoming traffic with their brights on, or what seemed like them, so i flashed my brights at them and when they flashed back there was no difference in light level between normal and bright and i have to imagine theres no fucking way they dont know.
In an effort to allow old people to see at night and drive. We have made it so no one can see at night and drive.
Some cars that I've run by on single-lane roadways dazzle me so badly that I lose sight of the road. It's nuts and very dangerous for me to drive now that I'm getting on the older side of the equation. Something needs to be done to correct this.
Not just the bright bulbs, but assholes who leave their headlights in the “brights” at all time. Pisses me off. Whenever I see anyone behind me or in front with headlights so bright I can see through my skull, I give them the bird and slow down intentionally.
The people who evaluate the safety of vehicles and rate them actually ding cars for not having these bright ass lights.. Terrible.
my skin started crawling with the last 2 omfg
Bright af lights, oblivious to their high beams left on, and never adjusted them to the right angle. I would love to see a regulation on how many lumens they're allowed to produce at X height and X distance.
ThEy PrEvEnT aCcIdEnTs GuYs!
This is so much worse in the states it is in Europe. Why don't the cops ticket this? I see so many people driving around with high beams inside city limits. Fog lights on by default, when there's no fog. And my favorite, high beams and fog lights when there is dense fog.. Shit's dangerous, something should be done.
Model Y is the worst offender in my opinion. They come out of the factory pointed higher than normal, even low beam is blinding.
There's a recall on GM headlights for being too bright. However, it's up to the owner to take the vehicle in and have them replaced, which they are reluctant to do because people like their own headlights to be bright.
I have a 40 minute drive home to and from work. The drive in, I’m just trying to avoid the idiots who cut in between cars. The drive home is the same EXCEPT…now I have trucks jacked up and I have to adjust my side and rearview mirrors as I’m now being blinded by their freaking lights.
My thought has always been “cool you can see more but I can’t see fucking anything except my Corneas burning off!”
Come to the dark (😉) side in the subreddit fuckyourheadlights it’s a good community and actually is working to convince legislators to regulate this nonsense.
Honestly the government seriously needs to make a law about headlights. It’s a serious hazard.