headlights on new cars to bright or is it me?

Mr.Mark wrote:

I, too, will flash people with 'over-bright' headlights. I feel they need to know that they are blinding oncoming traffic. If someone has their brights on, I will flash my brights and if they don't turn them off, I leave mine on too. Many times, they will turn theirs off.

It has always seemed counter-productive to me to leave one's brights on when an oncoming car fails to dim theirs. The last thing I want when I have trouble seeing the road and another car is approaching is for them to also not be able to see anything. In the off chance that it's not their brights but a very misadjusted light or an (illegal) aftermarket light or something, there's no way they'd be able to correct the problem in the several seconds before we pass each other.

It seems to me that a quick flash or two is all that would be advisable, and if that doesn't work, grumble and get on with life...or even just carry on without grumbling.

path1 wrote:
Just me or anybody else notice this?

I thought it was just me. I find them way too bright and flippin' annoying and actually distracting. It used to be that the super bright HID headlights weren't legal now they're standard equipment. I can only imagine the pressure that was put on the gov't by vehicle and headlight manufacturers to allow them. The bluish/purplish spectrum of them is annoyingly harsh.

Around here in our rural area, we have a lot of pickup trucks which bother me when I drive our car because we're lower to the ground and get the light reflected back of the mirrors. Lifted trucks are really bad and their headlights go directly into my eyes. When they come up behind me at a stoplight, I feel like getting out with a hammer and fixing the problem. Cars full of passengers can tilt the beams higher and into your eyes.

And then there's some drivers that insist on using fog lights when it's not foggy and high beams at the same time 'cuz it's cool.

As a person being in my very very very late 50's :R ....so late, that the BIG number is just around the corner. Bright headlights do bother me.

I bought a new 2002 ML500 SUV (at the time) when the xenon headlights were first coming out. I was flashed quite often and took the car back to the dealer. My headlights were out of aim and once fixed, I never had the flashing problem again.

I, too, will flash people with 'over-bright' headlights. I feel they need to know that they are blinding oncoming traffic. If someone has their brights on, I will flash my brights and if they don't turn them off, I leave mine on too. Many times, they will turn theirs off.

I don't know if it's just human nature but when people have their brights on (and won't turn the off), I can't help but naturally want to stare at them. I have trained myself to focus on the right fog line until they pass.

About a year ago, I sold my old '64 car that I had for almost 19 yrs. It had the dual sealed beam headlights. I think I could have seen better with a flashlight...LOL!

MM.

Agreed, too bright for me. I rarely drive at night for many reasons this is one of them.

Facebook featured this article today:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43525525

Not so much bright as the lighting patterns are poorly controlled, beam cutoffs higher even when adjusted right, and the technologies (particularly HID) are going to color temperatures that scatter a lot more: atmospheric moisture and dust, dirt on windshield, eyeglass surfaces, cloudiness in aging lenses.

There was briefly a move in headlamp standards to reduce the max headlight height to where the low-beam cutoff below windshield height for most cars, but the manufacturers kicked back on the standard as more and more buyers shifted to taller SUVs and pickups. The proposals did manage to get lower mounting points on large trucks, where styling is not so much a factor in lighting.

I've found the best thing I can do is keep my windshield clean, inside and out, and make sure my glasses (polarized) are clean before driving at night.

Lynnmor wrote:
Studies show that the new stylish headlights are a problem. Headlight article

The current crop of designs are more about style and aerodynamics and less about safety and function.

Good article Lynmor always got good comments.

gbopp wrote:
I don't think they're too bright. It's new technology and we need to adapt.
LED street lights are becoming common, yes they are bright, just don't stare at the 'light bulb' and you will be okay.

The technology maybe good but they have to be aimed properly and I don't believe the are. I find truck being one of the worst droping the TT/5W on and you have blinding lights.

I remember back in 1976 when my sister bought a brand new car with "square" headlights. They were so bright, whiter than any older car on the road. Nobody thought lights could possibly get any brighter! Fast forward to today, headlights, fog/driving lights are very bright indeed but will they be brighter in 40 years? Probably but it won't matter, the cars will be driving themselves and can only blind each other! Amazing technology.

Newer LED headlights are very bright in their focus area. It becomes critical to have them properly aimed. Even then when approaching a car with LED lights at the wrong angle (on a curve or over a hill) you can end up within that focus area and be blinded.

I replaced the horrible OEM lights on my Jeep Wrangler with LED's and took great pains to properly aim them.