headlights on new cars to bright or is it me?
I see eye dr every year, mid 60's, 20/20 with bi-focles for close up stuff. Dr says my eyes OK. I notice that newer cars headlights are supper bright. Just me or anybody else notice this?
Forum Discussion
I think that a large part of the problem is the color temperature of the lights. Old style headlamps burned at about 3500K, which is a "warm white" light that appeared somewhat yellow. This is just fine for the light-sensitive rod cells in your eyes and won't mess up your night vision. Newer lamps are often in the 5000-6000K range, which is more of a "daylight" color that appears whiter because it contains more blue. This overwhelms your rod cells and makes you rely on the cone cells that normally only see use in daytime. Once the lights have passed, you'll find yourself blinded until your rod cells recover and restore your night vision. If the DOT was smart, they'd outlaw headlights over a certain color temperature and enforce the rule.
