headlights on new cars to bright or is it me?

[path1]

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?

[paulcardoza]

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.

[bguy]

What amazes me is how many that you can't even look at in daylight because they're too bright.

[dodge_guy]

With so many cars with way to bright headlights on the road, ide never be looking at the road if I had to keep looking away from the headlights!!!!

[dcmac214]

And it doesn't help any with the inconsiderate idiots who drive high beams only.

[Deleted_per_op]

RayJayco wrote:
I have found that when facing on coming bright lights, it is better to shift eyes a bit to the right and look down at the lane striping on the right side of the lane until the vehicle passes.
This assures that I am staying in my lane and allows for peripheral vision to verify that they stay in theirs.

That is exactly what is stated in our DMV drivers manual and is the same thing AARP senior driver safety classes recommend.

[rhagfo]

TUCQUALA wrote:
Back in the '70s and early '80s, lots of people where installing "european" headlights in their vehicles. Used halogen bulbs, good glass with mirrored interiors. BUT, the DOT considered them illegal!! Not a sealed beam, water could get into lamp causing corrosion and deterioration of light output.

Look at what we got now!! Plastic lenses that yellow and fog, crack easily, water inside!!! Don't know what happened to the DOT and headlight regs, but seems like they don't do anything about it anymore. You'd think they would be all over the car mfgs for the poor quality lamp assys nowdays and make them replace them with a good glass assy.

And, as to the newer led stuff and aftermarket stuff, they seem to be completely missing in action!! Go figger!!

I agree, best light combination of lights I ever had was a set Lucas flame thrower driving lights, and a matching set of their fog lights.
The driving lights were switch controlled, and tied into high beams, would light up about 1/3 mile of freeway, but only two lanes wide very tight beam.
It was all about reflector and lens design.

[crcr]

Some of the newer LED brake lights are too bright also when you have the misfortune to be sitting right behind them at a traffic light at night. Some Cadillacs are a case in point.

[Sam_Spade]

jfkmk wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:
Nothing worse than having an oncoming vehicle with one of those 'off road only' LED lightbars poorly aimed, blinding you.

If I was a cop, I'd be writing a lot of tickets to drivers who use them when they should not be used...on the road.

Very irritating.

It's ok to blind oncoming drivers with LED replacement bulbs in halogen housings but not with an LED light bar?:h

He didn't even come CLOSE to saying that.
Are you just looking to pick a fight ??

[RayJayco]

I have found that when facing on coming bright lights, it is better to shift eyes a bit to the right and look down at the lane striping on the right side of the lane until the vehicle passes.
This assures that I am staying in my lane and allows for peripheral vision to verify that they stay in theirs.

[jfkmk]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Nothing worse than having an oncoming vehicle with one of those 'off road only' LED lightbars poorly aimed, blinding you.

If I was a cop, I'd be writing a lot of tickets to drivers who use them when they should not be used...on the road.

Very irritating.

It's ok to blind oncoming drivers with LED replacement bulbs in halogen housings but not with an LED light bar?:h

[Woodtroll]

SidecarFlip wrote:

Steeljag wrote:
It is mostly the knuckleheads who replace their own, and do not aim them correctly ! Or, newer vehicles carrying loads in the rear, and Motorcycles who also change their own and don’t plan for a fat passenger !

Nice to know I'm a knucklehead, well, I'm an old one at least. Replaced my halogen bulbs with LED bulbs and yes they are bright. I can actually see down the road now. Amazing technology.

Yes, if you put LED bulbs in a stock halogen reflector, you are a knucklehead, even if it is unknowingly. The LED "bulbs" don't distribute light like the halogen bulbs the reflectors are designed for, so the LEDs don't have a good cut-off pattern in those stock assemblies. They throw a lot of stray light everywhere, which causes problems for other drivers. LEDs should only be used in reflector assemblies that are designed for them. I have yet to see a retrofit LED "bulb" assembly, like say a 9007, that can just pop into a headlight and cast light like it's supposed to. I have tried several of them and other folks I know have tried other brands/types. None have worked as they should to prevent blinding other drivers.

[SidecarFlip]

Nothing worse than having an oncoming vehicle with one of those 'off road only' LED lightbars poorly aimed, blinding you.

If I was a cop, I'd be writing a lot of tickets to drivers who use them when they should not be used...on the road.

Very irritating.

[Ski_Pro_3]

I don't think the problem is with newer cars and their newer light technology, I think the problem is with AFTERMARKET lights that don't meet DOT specifications and therefore throw light into driver eyes. Headlight beam should be cut sharply above a specified angle and distance. These cheap Chinese aftermarket lenses don't do that.

[wa8yxm]

In days of old when I was not yet licensed to drive
"Brights" were 36 watts
"Dims" 56.... Now you know why they switched to High/Low beams.

And yes improvements in many areas mean they are getting brighter, Much Much brighter... Even brighter.. Theory is my "Fog" lights (Which I do not often use) are the equal to six 100 watt 120 volt lamps.

[rexlion]

A combination of factors can be the culprit: brighter headlamps available, poorly aimed headlamps, and aging eyes.

As we age, our lenses often get a slight haze in them. Not yet a cataract (often not even close to cataract stage), still it scatters incoming bright lights and makes it harder to see. Sort of like a dirty windshield, only it's right on the eyeballs.