re: People drive at night with their bright lights on way too much

Multitude of issues going on. There are also just a lot more taller vehicles on the road these days. So, if you're driving a sedan or something, a lot of lights are going to seem like the high beams because they are just at your eye level now or higher, even if the brights aren't on. Mix that in with what everyone else has pointed out and yea, it is a pain.

I agree that there is a certain demographic that drives around with high beams on all the time. And it's almost always sedans, older trucks, and older BMWs.

But the flip side of this is newer headlights are also really fricking bright. People flash at my low beams. Bone stock, no modifications.

This is not some ghetto squatted or leveled truck with low beams aimed at people's eyes. Or a Nissan Altima or Honda Accord with high beams on ALL THE frickING TIME.

So I just flash them back and they get pissed and flash multiple times like I have some kind of miracle ultra low beam just for them.

Ironically the most blinding cars I've noticed lately are newer Acura sedans and SUVs. They are all fairly low to the ground, but they have a collapsed sun for headlights. Can't see shite in my lane beyond those cars when they drive past. Luckily they are fairly rare vehicles now, but IMO if they are going to have ultra bright headlights like that, they should have the automatic leveling technology like other brands have.

But it's Honda, and Honda is a little slow with tech.

Hopefully more cars are going to fully integrated Matrix LED systems. It's still amazing to me how it adjusts going around curves. They do everything automatically and I have yet to have a car flash their lights at me. I can see considerably more at night than what I used to see and what I can't see, the camera sees and controls the vehicle for me (deer on the side of the road).

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I can’t find an article on it right now, but the manufacturers have been gaming the light regs. Basically, the regs test brightness at a certain spot and they can make lights that meet the requirements at that spot but are much brighter everywhere else.

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I think automatic leveling headlights are becoming more popular. The 2027 Sierra and Silverado has them on some trims. The Toyota Tundra has it I think. It's designed for trucks and vans with heavy weight on the back causing the vehicle's rear suspension to sag slightly, but it will hopefully undermine blinding drivers in the opposite lane when some 2nd or 3rd hand owner decides to level or squat their truck.

One thing I do like about modern lighting: LEDs tend to last much longer, and the lense fade/sun burn issue is pretty rare now. I really like the LED lights being used for braking. They light up faster, and that can help improve driver's ability to react to a vehicle stopping or braking in front of it faster.

Half a second of additional time to react at 70mph is a meaningful distance.

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Maybe I'm just getting old, but it seems like there is more people driving at night with their bright lights on than ever before.

Used to be you could give the approaching vehicle a little flash of your brights and they'd dim theirs. Apparently common courtesy is a thing of the past.

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There are also a ton of vehicles that have automatic brights now. The robots are not as courteous as people.

Rivian?

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The LED's on the back side of police cars are the worst. When they have someone pulled over, I'm completely blinded.

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I know they are for safety, but when we use them for cross guard protection for a party at work......that shite can cause seizures for anyone near a window.

It's really intense.

Maybe I'm getting older and my eyes suck, but I'm also noticing that Louisiana has almost zero reflectors on their highways and there is a shocking amount of street lights that are burnt out. And a lot of commercial or residential properties that install massive spotlights to light their property on the most convenient pole....which is fine....except they often partially aim into oncoming traffic on the highway and blinds the shite out of drivers.

Ascension Parish has one gas station on Airline with REALLY janky lights like that.

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The LED's on the back side of police cars are the worst. When they have someone pulled over, I'm completely blinded.

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thank you. They are so blinding.

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Maybe I'm just getting old, but it seems like there is more people driving at night with their bright lights on than ever before.

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Was this thread prompted by an early morning drive to work today?