Eric OlsenCentral Coast Of CaliforniaJune 9
All I can say is: FINALLY! I’ve been hating these bright lights for years. I have blue eyes. That color makes eyes even more sensitive to intense light. According to the Duke (University) Health system: “photophobia — the term used to describe light sensitivity — typically affects people with light eyes because they have less pigmentation in multiple layers of the eye than those with darker eyes. Because of this, they are unable to block out the effects of harsh lights like sunlight and fluorescent lights.” As others have commented, the big question is whether regulatory bodies will take action on these excessively bright lights which constitute a public health and public safety concern.62 RecommendShareFlagTotito commented June 9TTotitoOttawaJune 9
Absolutely true, and that’s the main reason I now drive an SUV: Height, which greatly reduces glare from other cars.15 RecommendShareFlagSausca commented June 9SSauscaSWJune 9
It’s simple. Get the NHTSA to wake up and follow the rest of the world including Canada and approve adaptive driving beam technology. Another case of our bureaucrats asleep at the switch. There are European imports with all the necessary hardware already in the US just waiting for the government’s approval to release the technology.39 RecommendShareFlagTulipano commented June 9TTulipanoAttleboro, MAJune 9
Closing an eye or being forced to look down to the white line by the road is dangerous. Why are manufacturers getting away with damaging people’s eyes?60 RecommendShareFlagMountain Walker commented June 9MMountain WalkerEast End Of The Milky WayJune 9
Stop looking into the light, it helps.4 RecommendShareFlagDayana commented June 9DDayanaNorthern CalifornaJune 9
I went to my eye doctor because I could no longer drive at night due to the pain in my eyes from headlights. He gave me a new eyeglass prescription, which helps, but it is still harder to drive at night due to this.17 RecommendShareFlagCD commented June 9CCDSouth CarolinaJune 9
Not as widespread a problem but a problem nonetheless is the abusive use of strobe lights on police vehicles. A simple traffic stop far too often is accompanied by multiple lights pulsing blinding flashes in all directions. For emergencies and discos, that’s fine. But SOP for all occasions?51 RecommendShareFlagPeter commented June 9PPeterAnchorageJune 9
Driving a 1962 VW Beetle around Istanbul at night I learned that headlights aren’t needed. No one uses headlights, only parking lights. The result is better visibility for all.22 RecommendShareFlagClean The Swamp commented June 9CClean The SwampNCJune 9
The LED headlights are awful. Do they test these things before unleashing them on the public? They make night driving difficult. Hope they are nixed.60 RecommendShareFlagFriend commented June 9FFrienddcJune 9
The driving factor is not glare or light but what people can be forced to pay. Why sell a bulb for $3 when you can corral people into computer-controlled, adaptive, high-intensity spotlights for $700 — particularly when bundled in cars with a minimum price reaching $30K? SUVs are high-profit mountains of waste made possible by the complete lack of price competition for smaller cars. Why spend $26K on a minimal car when full-featured SUVs are only 10K more? Technology advances serve sellers, not buyers.27 RecommendShareFlagJ c commented June 9JJ cMaJune 9
Headlight aim is tested in my state inspection process. It’s hard to believe this cannot be solved fairly simply by just forcing adjustments to the aim during your routine inspection. Sure, a few bad-actors will re-adjust their lights, but most people won’t bother. PS this is also an issue with street lighting. Our dim-bulb works department swapped out all our street lamps with *unshaded LEDs* that are easily an order-of-magnitude more bright and are now blasting light horizontally into homes, and vertically into space.30 RecommendShareFlagEchis Ocellatus commented June 9EEchis OcellatusTorontoJune 9
As far as I can tell this problem only occurs with aftermarket lights. I never have a problem with the original OEM lights no matter how bright they are and some of them are very bright.5 RecommendShareFlagT Smith commented June 9
T SmithTexasJune 9
What this article refers to as “high beam assist” has actually been available since the late 1950’s. Using a dash mounted electric eye sensor it would automatically shift between high and low beams.7 RecommendShareFlag
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Terry King commented June 9TTerry KingVermont USAJune 9
@T Smith A friend of my father’s named Wade Wilkes worked for a lighting controls company in Connecticut. About 1950 he patented a automatic high beam system that discriminated between oncoming headlights and streetlights by sensing the flicker from the AC powered streetlights. I saw a prototype and it had 2 or 3 vacuum tubes in it. Cadillac came out with such a system about 1955 or later.10 RecommendShareFlagBBunsen commented June 9BBBunsenPacific NorthwestJune 9
GM called this technology “Autronic Eye.”5 RecommendShareFlagLighting Designer commented June 9LLighting DesignerPhiladelphiaJune 9
A most interesting article for an aging Lighting Designer like myself, who now has difficulty driving at night. There are several issues at play here. LEDs are native blue, and are therefore cheaper than an LED spiked w/ warmer phosphors to make it more palatable for the human eye. Making them easier on the eyes, however, means we must sacrifice visual acuity for the warmer tones. So the color that is best for the driver (blue) is the absolute worst for the approaching vehicle. And then there’s the circadian rhythm to consider- driving with blue headlights keeps us from falling asleep at the wheel. The other issue at play is optics. In the architectural lighting world, manufacturers have engineered lenses and reflectors that balance the final projected shape of the light with the number of LEDs on the board, their positions on the board, and the lumen output and color delivered by each. Replacing a halogen headlight lamp with an LED in the same reflector, with the same lumen output and under the same lens created this problem. At the beginning of the LED revolution, manufacturers jammed LEDs into old form factors of fluorescents, incandescent, metal halide, etc… which resulted in some pretty horrible, glarey light fixtures. These automobile engineers can do better. And they will. LEDs are amazing, efficacious sources of light that, when applied properly, can provide the visual acuity the driver needs with the glare control and cutoff the oncoming driver needs.22 RecommendShareFlagTruth at Last commented June 9TTruth at LastNJJune 9
At least someone has not only recognized it but wrote an entire article. It’s not only hard on the eyes, it’s offensive.48 RecommendShareFlag
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CDRC commented June 9CCDRCMarylandJune 9
@Truth at Last I agree! They are the most blinding annoyance on the road.24 RecommendShareFlagBBunsen commented June 9BBBunsenPacific NorthwestJune 9
I fear that our society has reached a point where huge numbers of people not only don’t mind if they’re offensive, but actually desire to be.62 RecommendShareFlagTulipano commented June 9TTulipanoAttleboro, MAJune 9
@BBunsen I live near a major roadway and after the 2016 election there was a fad for macho mikes to drive around with huge US flags in the back of their pickups. Some had dual and upright exhaust pipes which vented huge plumes of smoke. That is just one example of people deliberately offending others (and the black exhaust was meant as an anti-environment ‘message’.)29 RecommendShareFlagPATRICK commented June 9
PATRICKPennsylvaniaJune 9
Even worse are the new pickup trucks and utility vehicle trucks with double sets of headlights. That was just plain arrogant catering to misfits who shouldn’t be on the road if they are so inconsiderate.37 RecommendShareFlagChris commented June 9CChrisKJune 9
It’s funny to hear desire for safety mentioned as a motivation for brighter headlights. Having a car moving toward you at 150 mph is not safe when the driver of that car is blind.42 RecommendShareFlagTessa commented June 9TTessaLong IslandJune 9
This is a valid concern, as is light pollution in general. Now where are the all people complaining about noise pollution, which has really gotten out of control with the fireworks (illegal here, but that doesn’t stop people, nor are they being held accountable) and the illegally modified exhausts that sound like fireworks, gunfire, and even bombs? I wish the noise issue would get the press it deserves too.41 RecommendShareFlagBrunella commented June 9
BrunellaBrooklynJune 9
I have trouble with this daily, in Michigan. Especially when facing SUVs in an intersection, while driving a sedan. It’s a design flaw that needs to be addressed.42 RecommendShareFlagA Good Lawyer commented June 9AA Good LawyerSilver Spring, MDJune 9
I have found that when a truck or SUV comes up behind me with these bright lights, the light bounces off my outside rear view mirror. Because these are electrically powered, it is a simple matter for me to redirect the light flow from the mirror back at the offending driver.30 RecommendShareFlag
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compactz commented June 9CcompactzSCJune 9
@A Good Lawyer I’ve learned to do the same thing. I’ve also adjusted my rear view mirror to give them a dose of their own medicine. It has the salutary effect of making them back off of my bumper.21 RecommendShareFlagGreg commented June 9GGregMichiganJune 9
@A Good Lawyer I’ve tried that. I don’t find it that simple. Certainly not the solution to this problem.11 RecommendShareFlagRGRoberts commented June 9RRGRobertsEugene ORJune 9
@Greg I do it all the time…it’s easy and effective!7 RecommendShareFlaghistoryRepeated commented June 9HhistoryRepeatedMassachusettsJune 9
Headlight aim is key, and I think folks sometimes toy with it. However, the prevalence of these massive-fronted pickup trucks with lights high up is really making it challenging. There’s no reason for it. The headlights are higher than nearly all of the big rigs I see on the highways. When one gets behind me at night, I need to aim my mirror back at the pick-up. I literally cannot see otherwise. And to another commenter – yes, I think the lack of decent painted markings on roads contributes to the high-beam phenomena.26 RecommendShareFlagJeff K commented June 9JJeff KLogan, UTJune 9
Why not make headlight aim part of mandatory safety inspections?20 RecommendShareFlag
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John commented June 9JJohnarytvbew5June 9
@Jeff K Maybe a good idea, but keep in mind headlight aim depends 100% on car aim. Drive over a bump, a crest, a small rise, encounter a sizeable stick, and your headlights careen up and down with the ferocity of an angry cop wielding a spotlight. Which, by the way, raises my favorite complaint: cops who aim their high beams at oncoming traffic while issuing tickets or offering kindly advice, thereby playing Russian Roulette with sightless oncoming drivers. They become toreadors of traffic, prancing about, paperwork in hand, apparently no idea they are invisible.15 RecommendShareFlagKenC commented June 9KKenCLong IslandJune 9
Out here in Suffolk County at least half of the blinding glare appears to be from average-size cars with their high beams on. People find it necessary to drive with their high beams because our road markings are, on average, worn to invisibility — to preserve funding for patronage and racism.28 RecommendShareFlagGreg commented June 9GGregMichiganJune 9
So surprised that this is a problem. Money and profit always outweigh health, here in America. Male machismo is another offender behind it all. Are concerts too loud? Are headlights too bright? Are drivers distracted by their cell phones? In general, Technology is worshiped and people don’t know how to use it practically. Top three American characteristics are Hype, loudness, and rudeness.37 RecommendShareFlagTGM commented June 9TTGMPAJune 9
The bright lights truly are blinding, causing the inability to see the lane in front. I just keep exactly as I was for that blinded moment and pray that nothing changes in from of me. Someone is going to get killed or have a terrible accident because of them, if they haven’t already. When they’re in the rear, it’s not just the rear view mirror that gets hit, but the side mirror. I find I have to but my hand over it. If the headlamps aren’t changed, perhaps the auto manufacturers should start making small pull-up screens for the side mirror such as they do for rear seats…28 RecommendShareFlagPerfect Gentleman commented June 9PPerfect GentlemanNew YorkJune 9
Banning bright lights? You’ll be able to add that to all the other auto option violations that aren’t prosecuted, like noisy mufflers, tinted windows, clear license plate covers, loud music, etc.16 RecommendShareFlagTeacher commented June 9TTeacherKentuckyJune 9
I just bought an older MX-5, and I concur wholeheartedly. Driving on an interstate with car that is lower to the ground is really problematic in terms of lights in SUVs and trucks. They are blinding much of the time.16 RecommendShareFlagPairofsocks commented June 9PPairofsocksMAJune 9
Overly bright headlights are also a bonafide danger because it makes it harder to see pedestrians, buggies, animals etc that are not emitting bright lights in the evening. Your eyes’ photoreceptors get overly stimulated /bleached by these insanely bright car lights and those seconds it takes for your eyes to readjust or reset can mean you miss something dashing out onto the road. There should be a more sensible law or regulation about this.46 RecommendShareFlagBunnit commented June 9BBunnitSeabrook Island, SCJune 9
And once again we find Europe to be ahead of the US. Will we ever catch up to the rest of the civilized world? Fortunately I have little problem on highways and on roads that have medians. But much of my driving must be on a long, two lane road. Those of us on Seabrook or Kiawah must drive this road to get to areas with the most to offer in the way of stores, retail, doctors, and Charleston itself. Driving this road at night can be pretty difficult. Time for a headlight modification.10 RecommendShareFlagaveryt commented June 9AaverytManhattanJune 9
I just ordered a new car and upgraded to LED lights from Bi-Xenon lights, because I read that LED are bright enough that I won’t need to use my high beams. I enjoy night drives on the Saw Mill and Bronx River parkways. I want to see the deer without blinding oncoming traffic.4 RecommendShareFlag
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Fran commented June 9FFranNYJune 9
@averyt You will blind oncoming traffic.23 RecommendShareFlagaveryt commented June 9AaverytManhattanJune 9
@Fran Probably not. The car is very low (Cayman GTS 4.0). The direct beam from my headlights is at the level of most cars’ license plate. My steering wheel is at the level of most other drivers knees. Anyhow, I usually drive only between midnight and 3AM (recreational).4 RecommendShareFlagDoc Mintz commented June 9DDoc MintzNorthern CaliforniaJune 9
I’m a 69 year-old optometrist; I have personal and professional comments. I get more glare as I age (regardless of the nature of the oncoming headlight) because of the lenses inside my eyes getting cloudier (on their way to cataracts but not there yet). This haze scatters BLUE light the most, so, the bluer the headlight, the worse the glare. If the new brighter lights can be shifted toward the red end of the spectrum, it would help. You could also polarize the headlight and wear (at least partially) cross-polarized glasses to dim the oncoming headlights.41 RecommendShareFlag
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FDR commented June 9FFDRPhiladelphiaJune 9
Polarized headlights should be mandatory. I first saw the concept in a geology class in college, where polarized light was used to inspect polished rock surfaces. Sad that such simple and elegant solution exists but is not adopted… https://www.polarization.com/land/land.html16 RecommendShareFlagDanny Mathews (aka Grizzly Cub) commented June 9
Danny Mathews (aka Grizzly Cub)Southern CaliforniaJune 9
So that explains a recent and now more commonly situation where I briefly flash my lights to remind an oncoming driver to turn off their high beams and the response is to flash the lights to a greater and more blinding intensity, as if saying, “You think I am using my high beams? You haven’t seen nothing yet!”40 RecommendShareFlag
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DJ commented June 9DDJSan FranciscoJune 9
Yeah we get flashed a lot at while driving with low beam lights on. This has encouraged us to drive without low beam on, but that gets to the point of dangerous :(2 RecommendShareFlagDanielle commented June 9DDanielleCincinnatiJune 9
As the owner of a 1994 station wagon, I’ve come to loathe driving at night. People either have blindingly bright headlights, or omit using them at all. Take your pick; impaired vision, or increased risk of collision…22 RecommendShareFlagTerry Miller commented June 9TTerry MillerSan FranciscoJune 9
So IIHS is the culprit. Doesn’t that just figure. Perhaps they should be named in suits from drivers hurt when temporarily blinded by juiced up headlights? And what about NHTSA in the Federal government? Surprised they weren’t contacted for this. Headlights today feel like a hostile arms race.18 RecommendShareFlagMichelle commented June 9MMichelleCAJune 9
Glad to know I’m not crazy. I absolutely hate driving at night now, and avoid it whenever possible. The headlights of other cars behind me on the freeway, or coming toward me on a two-lane road, are blinding. It becomes painful and gives me a headache after a short amount of time. And I’m only in my early 30s and with no eyesight issues. I really hate bright headlights.69 RecommendShareFlag
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averyt commented June 9AaverytManhattanJune 9
@Michelle My car has auto-dimming mirrors (rear view and side). It helps a little.5 RecommendShareFlagDoug commented June 9DDougNJJune 9
Particularly egregious are the after market lights, many of which are not DOT approved. Some of them are, and even those are painful, but the ‘offroad competition only’ replacements are the worst. And there are several older Jeeps in my neighborhood that have installed them. One got them, the others thought the look cool, I guess. If you look closely at the bulbs, it has ‘offroad competition use only’ molded right into the cover. Clearly not DOT, and if you encounter them at night, they are searingly bright. The other huge offenders are those aftermarket LED light bars that span the grill. The police don’t make any effort to control the use of those. It is ridiculous.22 RecommendShareFlag
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Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
Exactly…. it’s like Close Encounters of the Third Kind (without the music).6 RecommendShareFlagJohn commented June 9JJohnMadison WIJune 9
Well engineered lenses and LEDs are wonderful. But, putting a aftermarket ultra bright LED in a yellowing headlight lens makes the perfect flood light at night.4 RecommendShareFlagmike commented June 9MmikechicagoJune 9
Older cars had a mechanical lever on the rear view mirror so you could tilt it with a flick of the finger (and deflect bright headlights in the mirror). Newer cars attempt to do this with some kind of dimming magic but it doesn’t work, at all.12 RecommendShareFlag
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RGRoberts commented June 9RRGRobertsEugene ORJune 9
@mike My Tacoma, and my Highlander Hybrid before it, had auto dimming rear view mirrors, and they work brilliantly…I would not buy another car without this feature!2 RecommendShareFlagPeter commented June 9PPeterCambridgeJune 9
“The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent, nonprofit research group, released its first headlight ratings in 2016, only one headlight system of more than 80 that were evaluated received a “good” rating. As of March, more than a quarter of those tested received such a rating, the institute said.” And there lies the problem. The IIHS criteria for evaluating headlights consider only visibility for the driver of the vehicle on which they are mounted, and do not consider oncoming drivers. Auto manufacturers engineering their products to the standard test and, as improved scores over the last 3 years show, they are doing so. The solution is for IIHS to add criteria for on-coming traffic to their tests.46 RecommendShareFlagAmduat commented June 9AAmduatPAJune 9
I am constantly blinded by these lights, a situation made doubly worse by the clueless, selfish, drivers (especially pickups and SUVidiots) who insist upon also leaving their fog lights on all the time. Fog lights were intended for use in, uh, fog… DUH!30 RecommendShareFlagCarl Bumba commented June 9
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
Brights lights may hurt a bit (and even increase your chance of dying), but please don’t let this drive you to blame the other drivers. Concluding that other drivers are selfish (when they’re probably just insensitive) makes it that much harder for us to act unselfishly, which is what is needed here. As with vaccines, not all collective safety and common good can be rationalized and reduced to individual safety. The spiral goes in either direction… we choose.1 RecommendShareFlag
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John commented June 9JJohnarytvbew5June 9
@Carl Bumba One small difference: vaccine or no, I will not drive into a tree or a deer or a teenager biking home from D&D. The lights, some obviously intended to be abusive, can be immediately and instantly lethal. It matters not one whit if some driver is selfish or kind, if they take away my sight any bad thing is more likely to happen.12 RecommendShareFlagCarl Bumba commented June 9
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
Maybe we should bring the budgets of the Consumer Protection Agency and the Defense Department a little closer together.12 RecommendShareFlag
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Truth at Last commented June 9TTruth at LastNJJune 9
@Carl Bumba I actually wrote to the Consumer Protection Agency about this, just before COVID; they never responded. Perhaps some of the people in this article could help.5 RecommendShareFlagRGRoberts commented June 9RRGRobertsEugene ORJune 9
@Truth at Last Write to your elected federal representative; the CPA and other Executive Branch agencies respond much more readily to political pressure than to reasoned requests from the proletariat.5 RecommendShareFlagJrb commented June 9JJrbEarthJune 9
I was driving home last night through an unlit stretch of an eight-lane (four in each direction), interstate highway with low visibility and worn out lane striping. It’s a challenge along there to stay inside your lane when there are no cars ahead of me, providing extra light. I could see bright headlights slowly catching up to me, and as he passed me in his high-riding pickup truck I was kind of amazed at the light he cast. All four lanes ahead were completely lit in white light, as if someone turned on a switch. It was such a relief on my eyes to see the road ahead of me, I picked up my speed and stayed with him until we got to the stretch where lights were installed. But I sure felt bad for the oncoming traffic, all those drivers getting smacked with that level of light.12 RecommendShareFlag
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JMjr commented June 9JJMjrMinneapolisJune 9
@Jrb I think having that capability is fine, but just not all the time, please.3 RecommendShareFlagLeft coast geek commented June 9LLeft coast geekSanta CruzJune 9
the issue is badly adjusted lights more than the lights total brightness. at least with proper lighting fixtures. now, putting aftermarket LEDs in a headlight meant conventional halogens results in all kinda glare. fun, my new car, major european brand, has these ‘intelligent’ LED lamps… in the world market they watch oncoming vehicles and ‘cut out’ a box around them, but thats not allowed by our DOT with their 1950s technology headlight regulations, so that feature is disabled.11 RecommendShareFlagbill commented June 9BbillSeattleJune 9
“High beam assist… introduced about five years ago.” It’s so amusing when the youngsters reinvent the wheel. My grandmother’s ’63 Cadillac had an “electric eye” that controlled the high beams.8 RecommendShareFlag
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Technic AllyTorontoJune 9
I recall the switch by the left foot for bright/dim lights, pre 1970s or so. Give the left foot something to do again.7 RecommendShareFlagsteveh64 commented June 9Ssteveh64Matthews, NCJune 9
@bill : Yes, and I remember my uncle’s car (a ’57 Oldsmobile, I think) that had one of those electric eyes. What goes around, comes around.5 RecommendShareFlagBrad commented June 9BBradMcCartyJune 9
There should be a regulation on how high lights can be mounted on a vehicle. They should all be at the same hight regardless of the vehicle.13 RecommendShareFlagThirdWay commented June 9TThirdWayMassachusettsJune 9
Thank you for this article. These lights have made night driving a nightmare. Where is the NHTSA?32 RecommendShareFlagJR commented June 9JJRCincinnati, OhioJune 9
WOW! I thought I was the only driver who noticed the increased light intensity. Count me in the number of complainants. Where do I sign to be in that number to get this safety issue resolved?62 RecommendShareFlagCHN commented June 9CCHNNYCJune 9
It also effects pedestrians trying to cross the street at night, even in a big city with streetlights. The headlights are blinding, and very dangerous. How necessary are they? They create a brighter path for the driver – but how bright a path is needed in order to drive safely? It puts others in danger, and needs to be reassessed.25 RecommendShareFlagKent Miller commented June 9KKent MillerLincoln NebraskaJune 9
This is also a problem with bicycle lights. They have gotten much brighter without concern about focusing the beams. A oncoming cyclist approaching a broad beam of bright light is blinded to hazards ahead, including pedestrians! Better design standards, better information for consumers and, yes, regulation is much needed. I’m sure cyclists who purchased these lights don’t realize the hazards they impose on others. This is a public safety problem that is becoming much more pervasive with the rise of e-bikes.10 RecommendShareFlag
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bill commented June 9BbillSeattleJune 9
@Kent Miller German bike headlights are built to regulations that require not blinding oncoming traffic. Generally they have a sharp cutoff at the top of the beam and good beam shaping to put light on the ground instead of up in the air.5 RecommendShareFlagJMjr commented June 9JJMjrMinneapolisJune 9
@bill Nevertheless, as an avid cyclist I can say that it’s really bad, as bad as cars even. I just don’t think riders know that they can’t point these lights directly at the other riders’ faces. Again, where’s the regulation? Or even just the communication?3 RecommendShareFlagStew Hannaford commented June 9SStew HannafordChicagoJune 9
@Kent Miller As another avid cyclist and occasional driver of vehicles with internal combustion engines (what makes me think what would an external combustion engine be?), I hate those folks who have falshy headlights at high noon on a bike trail. We can see you folks. What are you thinking? And for the other folks, why do you have your fog lights on all the time. There’s a reason they are called fog lights. If it is not foggy, turn the darn things off!5 RecommendShareFlagP.A. commented June 9PP.A.MassJune 9
I rarely drive at night anymore because I feel blinded by the oncoming headlights. I’m afraid I’ll get into an accident. I also got rid of all the LED lightbulbs in my house because I realized they were bothering my eyes. Also why do so many people drive with their headlights on all day? It’s nuts. I have always considered myself an environmentalist and give money every year to environmental groups, but some things that are “good for the environment” seem to cause harm. They are good in one way and bad in another.10 RecommendShareFlagFrank commented June 9FFrankUSAJune 9
I just wear sunglasses when I drive at night. Solves the problem for me.3 RecommendShareFlagJMjr commented June 9JJMjrMinneapolisJune 9
In my opinion, this new lighting technology has to be regulated. It’s too much. I don’t know if it’s cultural cachet or what, but there are people driving “lesser” i.e., older vehicles, with their brights on–in the city, not on the highway–in what seems like a limp attempt to approximate the “sexy and modern” headlight look. Road rage, anyone? And as someone has already mentioned, even bike lights are waaaaay too bright. I can barely keep on the bike path when I pass someone with these lights. Point ’em at the ground if you got them. I see you. (How can I not?) You don’t have to blind me.13 RecommendShareFlagCCForbes commented June 9CCCForbesWashington DCJune 9
Headlights at night (when pupils are dialated) have been hurting my eyes for a number of years. Actually hurting and blinding to a degree. I flash my high beams. For two reasons: let the other driver know he/she has their high beams on and to signal my displeasure because they are causing me pain. And to say, directly, turn yours down. I can’t yell, send an email or wave frantically in my car to signal to the other driver that their high beams are on high and hurt oncoming traffic. I always lower my high beams when an oncoming car enters the mid front zone of my high beams. The other driver can see that I have lowered mine. They usually follow suit. If not, I flash to remind them. The new technology may be great for the oncoming driver but actually dangerous to the receiving driver. What is the more dangerous? The driver subjected to a quick reminder flash or the recipient driver blinded by steady high beams that last for a lot longer than the quick flash? Otherwise, what is the solution to poor driver etiquette?5 RecommendShareFlagYahoo commented June 9YYahooSomersetJune 9
Good article. I was struck by Mr. Mele’s comment that in Europe car makers are using a newer and safer light technology — but that we in the US are dragging our approval feet. I believe in responsive government. Why would the NHTSA hold up a technology that improves highway safety?10 RecommendShareFlagTom Goff commented June 9TTom GoffCarmichael, CAJune 9
LEDs At Night Cars, cars, cars, cars. Thy bluish headlights blind. It’s the reverse of Jesus’ parable: The mote is in mine eye, the beam in thine Dazzling basilisk lamps. We’re arable Land your vicious brightness plows, so sharp- Bladed your discs. Your bliss makes corneas blister, We swerve too close to gulches; lay the tarp Over our corpses now. And so’s your sister A night berserker. Yes, my windshield stars As if you’d bullet-holed it. Even cleaned Inside and out, the scintillating spars Rank with unsafe and insane fireworks. To have to plead for restraint, one feels demeaned, Crying danger along with cranks the least itch irks.10 RecommendShareFlag
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Jrb commented June 9JJrbEarthJune 9
@Tom Goff Those last two sentences made me laugh aloud. Well done.2 RecommendShareFlagJLK commented June 9JJLKVAJune 9
This article rings very true for me as do the vast number of replies where folks direct their mirrors any which way except towards their eyes. Even my auto-dimming rear view mirror is largely ineffective against the worst culprits. In addition to head lights there are people with bright LED bars!!! Either affixed at front bumper level or above their windshield! Another big issue is our small city’s police cruisers. Once they’re pulled someone over they still have all their lights going and they are brighter than anything mentioned in this article. You’re blinded attempting to navigate your way around them. Are there no laws at all about light intensity? Somebody somewhere just thinks brightest is best and performs zero real-world tests.20 RecommendShareFlag
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Doug commented June 9DDougNJJune 9
@JLK Thank you for mentioning those aftermarket light bars. They are awful. I have been told that part of the effect of being dazzled by police lights is a desired side effect, because it forces people to slow down. i don’t like it, but I have been told it is intentional.1 RecommendShareFlagJLK commented June 9JJLKVAJune 9
@Doug Very interesting that the extra bright (and dazzling) lights on a police car could be intentionally slowing passers by down. I’m originally from the UK and our emergency vehicles are covered in reflective stickers. It makes perfect sense. Back stateside another local city’s cruisers are black and all the state troopers’ cars are dark gray. I think they could tone the lights down if the entire vehicle was more visible. It really seems like a lost opportunity and I wonder what the thought process is, especially in the day of easy to apply & remove car wraps and extremely hi-vis modern materials.5 RecommendShareFlagRay commented June 9RRaySeattleJune 9
Thank you so much for addressing this issue. I find it particularly difficult when those super intense headlights reflect in my rearview mirror. I try flipping the mirror and weird position adjustments, but often the only solution is to aim the mirror at the car roof and just try to rely on my side mirror. I was recently on a rural poorly lit road; I decided to pull over to let the bright light driver go past me; unfortunately, I was so distracted, my right front tire went into a ditch and I spent hours waiting for AAA. My damage was minor but I had to pay a $500 dollar deductible. I recently had my eyes checked and asked my doc if there was something wrong with my eyes. He said I was fine and he hears that complaint daily in his practice.26 RecommendShareFlagChristopher Walker commented June 9
Christopher WalkerDenverJune 9
Your article only mentions it obliquely, but I think the issue with modern headlights is the color temperature, not the brightness, right? The same level of light in the “daylight” spectrum is harsher than that in the “soft white” range. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use LEDs. The are more efficient and reliable. But the color temperature can and should be adjusted. I think it would add to the cost, though.8 RecommendShareFlag
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Tom Bauer commented June 9TTom BauerCresskill, NJJune 9
@Christopher Walker, I would expand on the colour temperature proposal by also applying a semi-amber glass lens to the LED’s to simulate a faded incandescent off-white / yellow that halogen lights emit. It’s healthier for the eyes overall. We can also go the French route. In France, the law decrees that motor-vehicle headlights emit a bright light lemen-yellow colour (amber is darker). When I drove there, I did not suffer the eye-strain that I usually suffered on American roads.10 RecommendShareFlagTechnic Ally commented June 9
Technic AllyTorontoJune 9
I agree on a warmer hue, but LEDs can be and are manufactured in the desirable colour, no extra lens is needed. Their use must be mandated of course.4 RecommendShareFlagDoug commented June 9DDougNJJune 9
@Christopher Walker It is partly that, but the lumen output is also quite a bit higher. It is a double whammy. And when they are high mounted on a truck, it is the worst.2 RecommendShareFlagMs. Pea commented June 9MMs. PeaSeattleJune 9
I can’t prove it, but I do think some of the guys that drive those big trucks with lots of chrome on the front use high intensity lights as a form of intimidation. They come right up behind you and their lights are level with a car’s mirror. Blinding. I started putting a piece of cardboard on my driver’s window to block the headlights in the side mirror. I also turn the rear view mirror up.21 RecommendShareFlagDavid G. commented June 9DDavid G.WisconsinJune 9
Yes, headlights are way too bright. Also: does anyone else see darkened windows (windshields and front side windows) as a safety issue? No way to tell if the driver sees you.20 RecommendShareFlag
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Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
@David G. Definitely – great point. I’m guessing law enforcement wouldn’t mind seeing this done away with, too. (But since it protects criminals AND potential victims of profiling AND libertarians it may be a hard sell.)4 RecommendShareFlagJrb commented June 9JJrbEarthJune 9
@David G. I agree some of these headlights are blinding. They’re almost painful sometimes. Tinted windows are legal in every state, although laws vary from state to state as to which windows can be, the amount of tint, etc. The police carry devices that measure the visible light transmission – VLT – allowed through the tint. Windshield tints are not legal except for a 5-6″ strip (depending on the state) across the top. Most cars come with tinted windows. Even my neighbor’s 2005 Honda came with them. They’re plenty safe as legislated. I have them also. When your sides and rear windows are tinted to the legal limit, the inside of the car is what’s dark. It gives the illusion to people outside that the windshield is also tinted, when it isn’t. I get asked about this myself. Also, when you’re inside the car looking out, it’s no different than wearing sunglasses while driving. This is why when the rear windows are tinted to the legal limit, the front side windows either have to be in a lighter tint or the car must be equipped with side mirrors, which aren’t legally required normally. Specs can be different for trucks and large SUVs. Speaking of trucks and the visibility issue you raise with tints, big rig drivers have no rear vision at all and never did. They rely solely on their side view mirrors, and can’t see you at all unless you’re where you can see THEM in their side mirror. It’s best to drive defensively, always, as if other drivers can’t see you.5 RecommendShareFlagCarl Bumba commented June 9
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
Ironically, many ultra-safety conscious people drive with their lights on during the day. Besides adding to eye strain and wasting fossil fuel/creating emissions, it makes it more likely that they will be rear-ended because it’s harder to distinguish brake lights when the driving lights are already on. Fractions of a second really matter at high speeds.5 RecommendShareFlag
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Doug commented June 9DDougNJJune 9
@Carl Bumba Many modern cars have day time driving lights that come on with the ignition. It is the low beam lamp, typically, but driven at a lower level.8 RecommendShareFlagCarl Bumba commented June 9
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
@Doug Yes, it’s an improved lighting option (especially if the tail lights aren’t involved). But the fact that it can’t be disengaged seems bad.RecommendShareFlagJohn commented June 9JJohnarytvbew5June 9
@Carl Bumba There are jurisdictions that, having found headlights or parking lights on during the day substantially reduce accidents, require their use. The smart ones make sure taillights remain off in daylight.1 RecommendShareFlagSteven Brown commented June 9SSteven BrownKennet Square, PAJune 9
It used to be that you could always tell if an approaching vehicle had it’s high beams on — it was obvious. Nowadays, not so much. On pickup trucks and SUVs, the traditional supplemental parking lights have become a second set of head lights. What was a pair of headlights in the old days is now four headlights coming at you. Add on the problem of “high beams” or mis-aimed lights, and it gets ridiculous. But until spotting this article, I really thought it was just me who even thought about this at all.29 RecommendShareFlagBrookhawk commented June 9BBrookhawkMarylandJune 9
This is why I seldom drive at night anymore, and for that matter I don’t walk anywhere after dark except maybe Manhattan. The brighter lights may help a driver see better, but that much better? When you’re doing 50 in a 25 zone and a pedestrian steps out in front of you 100 feet ahead, will the brighter lights help you avoid hitting the person? Characters with really bright lights seem to think they are there so they can drive faster. As I recall, we used to note that headlights were not so much to help you the driver see as to make sure your car IS SEEN by other drivers. Now, like large pickup trucks that aren’t needed for any reason other than to make the driver feel big and powerful, bright lights aren’t there except to make the driver feel big and powerful and like he can go faster.20 RecommendShareFlag
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Kathleen Adams commented June 9KKathleen AdamsSanta Fe, NMJune 9
@Brookhawk And he does go faster! I think that’s another aspect of the problem. Meantime, I can’t see for a second as he goes by.7 RecommendShareFlagBarton commented June 9BBartonMinneapolisJune 9
@Brookhawk same. I don’t drive after dark if I can help it. On top of these horrible lights, I’ve got astigmatism in both eyes, so not only are the lights too bright, they sort of dance, have halos, and sort of fracture. And while I’m blinded by the horrible lights, I’m freaked out that I might miss a pedestrian or cyclist who has the right of way. I’ve taken to wearing amber colored sunglasses at dusk/night – and it helps, but it isn’t great.7 RecommendShareFlagSri commented June 9SSriBostonJune 9
I am biomedical engineer doing vision research and I believe that our eyeballs are getting fried by LEDs everywhere, leading to a problem that is out of control . Not just car headlights, but bicycles, flashlights, street lamps, ….. The intense flashing bicycle lamps actually induces temporary blindness in oncoming pedestrians and drivers. I have to tape over all the indicator LEDs on electronics in my bedroom, and draw all curtains tight to block street lamps, and yard lights from neighbors, to avoid sleeping in near daylight during the night. This problem has crept up on us thanks to significant developments in semiconductor technology. However it is not clear who can address this. The govt and Congress need to set up legislation to address this rapidly increasing health hazard.69 RecommendShareFlag
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RGRoberts commented June 9RRGRobertsEugene ORJune 9
@Sri Can you give us some references to your research papers so we can read them and look at the evidence for frying eyeballs?3 RecommendShareFlagMichael commented June 9MMichaelEvanston, ILJune 9
I have to turn my rear view mirror up when being followed by a vehicle with high intensity lights. Once at a stop light, a car that had been following me pulled up next to me to make a turn. I rolled down my window and said “You’ve got your brights on.” “No they’re not,” he said, and he proceeded to flip his brights on and off to prove it. His brights were like having stadium lights on a car. These lights are dangerous and intimidating – but in many cases intimidation is the point. Many drivers covet these lights as a macho expression – really a substitute for something else they are insecure about. And loud mufflers are another example: look at me, look at me; I’m loud and tough. How can they be legal? How about an article on them?99 RecommendShareFlag
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Brookhawk commented June 9BBrookhawkMarylandJune 9
@Michael I’ve had to adjust my sideview mirrors because the lights from behind me are even more blinding than the oncoming lights. Lots of people leave the high beams on when they are “only following” someone. The trouble of course is that to get the light from the side mirror out of my face I have to move it so I can’t use it at all to see what the guy behind me or coming up beside me is doing.13 RecommendShareFlagCCForbes commented June 9CCCForbesWashington DCJune 9
@Brookhawk: in those cases, I aim my side mirror right at the following car (or try to, to signal the unsafe and rude behavior).8 RecommendShareFlagRun2Eat commented June 9RRun2EatPutnamJune 9
@Michael I agree with your mini-rant on the modified exhausts, but don’t neglect to include the oversized tires (being slightly out of balance or snow tire tread) so that even when coasting they maintain their machobnoxious presence heard literally for miles. I can remember a time when these noise infractions would earn you a ticket from the police. Are those anti-noise laws still on the books or are the police just not enforcing them? I’d love to know.6 RecommendShareFlagPractical Realities commented June 9PPractical RealitiesNorth of LAJune 9
The painfully bright lights of headlights, billboards, parking lots and athletic fields are a menace. They really hurt one’s eyes. On the roads, they are truly dangerous, as the on-coming lights make it harder to see the road. I would be surprised if there are not accidents caused by these lights.25 RecommendShareFlagNicole commented June 9NNicoleMaplewood, NJJune 9
Thank you, thank you for bringing up this problem. I can no longer drive at night. The worst is when it rains. No matter how much I try to focus on the right shoulder, it just doesn’t work. And I drive slower gripping my steering wheel, which in itself could be an accident waiting to happen. But I’m not confident that this problem will be resolved and will get worst in the future.35 RecommendShareFlagTom Goff commented June 9TTom GoffCarmichael, CAJune 9
This is a genuine problem. The arms race to see whose headlights can blind the most is terribly dangerous at night. Could it also be a contributing factor in road rage incidents? I’m reminded not only of the US-Soviet competition in manufacturing ICBMs but of the Italian city-states of the Renaissance, where powerful families strove to see who could build the strongest, tallest, and most impregnable towers, eventually blotting out all sunlight for their poorer neighbors.13 RecommendShareFlagPops commented June 9PPopsCaliforniaJune 9
Let’s solve multiple problems at once— we need to make a shift away from cars as our primary form of transportation if we want the earth to persist with some shred of biodiversity.9 RecommendShareFlagJlaw commented June 9JJlawCaliforniaJune 9
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been driving when suddenly I can’t see because the oncoming truck has decided to install some insanely bright LED lights. From tacky yellow to smurf blue. The bigger problem is that most of these are installed at home and not by the car manufacturer. I think the government needs to put restrictions on what can be sold at local auto shops and online, because some of these lights on the road can’t be legal.51 RecommendShareFlagRwB commented June 9RRwBUpstateJune 9
Actually, there might be a relatively simple solution, but It might take ten or more years to implement. Consider changing the plastic center of automobile glass to a polarizer that directs light at the viewer at a horizontal angle and a second polarizer is in the cover of the headlights – only this polarizer is set at about 90 degrees from the horizonal. An on-coming car with his headlights ON would appear dim to the driver, in the approaching car(because the polarizers are now crossed). The same effect would happen when someone behind the driver is shining his lights in to the drivers’ rear window (so much for that intimidating driver behind you). There are problems and savings with this “new” standard. Problem Number One is that the auto glass and other car lens(parking lights, etc.) need to have their components polarized. Problem Number Two is getting all auto manufacturers to agree to this solution. A possible savings offset is available – No more High or Low Beam Headlights or associated connections available to the driver. This portion of the automobile would be totally automatic.15 RecommendShareFlagSouthern Hope commented June 9
Southern HopeChicagoJune 9
thank you! I have been telling people for years that those LED car headlights are nuts (and don’t get me started on the stadium-level lighting that they installed in our previously good neighborhood street lights, flooding us with strong lights all night). The upside seems to be “they last longer!” but, gawds, that’s the last benefit I’ve been looking for. I’ve actually been entertaining ideas on how to use a slingshot to disable the street lights that shine into my home.48 RecommendShareFlag
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Sweetbay commented June 9SSweetbayGainesville, VAJune 9
@Southern Hope Yes, much like my neighbor’s floodlights. A BB gun comes to mind3 RecommendShareFlagJrb commented June 9JJrbEarthJune 9
@Sweetbay We’ve had a number of our cooperative’s LED security lights taken out with BB guns. They were installed as a cost-saving measure, but I have to wonder how long the savings will continue at this rate.1 RecommendShareFlagTGM commented June 9TTGMPAJune 9
@Southern Hope – call and ask for a hood to be put on it. It’s simple to do, and I’m guessing shining a light directly into residential windows is banned per ordinance. As far as the lumens, it will be more complicated but the bulbs can be changed. Frankly, the brightest ones should not be allowed for municipal use and should be saved for industrial working areas. Ask your councilperson/town rep and speak to your neighbors; perhaps you can get the ball rolling on a change of bulbs.5 RecommendShareFlagjkongting commented June 9JjkongtingtrinidadJune 9
The number one cause of headlight glare is the dirty windscreen. You need to clean your screen both inside and out. Sunlight is hundreds of times brighter than headlights. If you drive while the sun is low in the sky, you will suffer the same glare from a dirty screen. While most people use their windscreen washer function, they neglect to clean the inside of their windscreen and their rear screen too. When I drive at night, I have zero problems with headlights. All my glass is clean. In dusty conditions, I might clean twice a day.5 RecommendShareFlag
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Brookhawk commented June 9BBrookhawkMarylandJune 9
@jkongting The sun is seldom directly in my eyes. When it is, I drive with one hand blocking out just the sun. It’s hard to block out several cars with ultra bright headlights all at once, not to mention the reflection off the pavement especially when it is raining. And yes, I keep my windshield clean. Since you live in Trinidad, your problems might be a little different that those of us on the US mainland and a bit more manageable.9 RecommendShareFlagJrb commented June 9JJrbEarthJune 9
@jkongting “Number one” is highly suspect. However, windshields take a tremendous amount of abuse: Dust, dirt, sand, hail, salt, grit…. It loses it newness in the first year, after which all that daily abrasion causes light to refract. The older the windshield, the more light refraction and halos, auras, glare. I’m as fanatical about a clean windshield, inside and out, as I am about my glasses. It’s not the problem.2 RecommendShareFlagSidney commented June 9SSidneyTri StateJune 9
Polarized sunglasses work for me. Before figuring it out, nite driving was torture.8 RecommendShareFlag
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Tom Goff commented June 9TTom GoffCarmichael, CAJune 9
@Sidney There are also glasses solutions anyone can investigate at www.irlen.com, plus good answers as to why much of the discomfort occurs in the first place.RecommendShareFlagJMjr commented June 9JJMjrMinneapolisJune 9
@Sidney How about we just agree that this lighting is too much and start to curb it?6 RecommendShareFlagCarl Bumba commented June 9
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
Of course it’s aggravating and dangerous. But our society is: one, very insensitive to those at the RECEIVING END of commercial, especially corporate, developments and, two, extremely scientific reductionistic and misses the clear collective, SUBJECTIVE experiece of visual interference and eye strain that more reasonable societies would recognize immediately. Instead, we allow science (and industry) to pick the low hanging fruit of measuring lumens or whatever of the lights themselves and pronounce that these lights are, if anything, safer! It’s nonsense. Personally, I think they have made night driving significantly more disturbing, tiring and dangerous, in a cumulative way. There is an unfortunate temptation to reflexively blame oncoming drivers – and fellow citizens – when the real problem is profit-driven consumerism left unchecked. Many of these drivers are unaware of the discomfort they bring to others. (And sensitivity is not especially common in America, as our consumer-based economy depends on advertising insensitivity… the invisible hand at work.)27 RecommendShareFlagSarita Sarvate commented June 9SSarita SarvateAlbany, CAJune 9
I have been suffering from the glare of oncoming traffic for years. I had a Subaru Forester in the 2000s. As years went by, other cars on the road became much more bright at night and I became nervous about driving. When I purchased my RAV-4 in 2018, I was worried about the same problem. But somehow the inclination of the windshield on the RAV-4 and its increased height made it a little easier to drive. I think the government needs to have standards for the brightness of lights on cars. The LED lights are a disaster when it comes to creating glare on the road. I am pleased that at last there is this report in the media which I have been waiting for.32 RecommendShareFlagJoe from Southbury commented June 9JJoe from SouthburySouthbury, CTJune 9
Think spouse and I experienced this several years back in the U.K. We had made multiple trips to visit relatives over the past 10 yrs but on most recent trips noticed that oncoming lights on main roads such as the A417 seemed unusually bright. It almost appeared that on curves the cars were actually on our side (left) of the road! Think this might have been a harbinger of things to come in U.S. Couple years back in U.S. there were ads touting the new brighter lights that allow you to see a deer in the road when regular lights would not. Always wondered, if lights were so much brighter what about oncoming traffic?6 RecommendShareFlagBlossom commented June 9BBlossomThe Buckeye StateJune 9
Thank you for this article. I don’t drive, but my husband does. He starts work very early in the morning. In our part of the country, it’s dark 6 months out of the year when he leaves to drive to work. He frequently complains about how blinding the glare from oncoming traffic is, in the dark. We have a SUV and it’s still bad. We has assumed it was due to age related vision changes, as he’s in his mid 50s. Good to know, (albeit unfortunately), that drivers of all ages are experiencing the same thing. And of course Europe is ahead of us with safety related auto technology. No surprise there.13 RecommendShareFlagConnie Clifford commented June 9CConnie CliffordOregonJune 9
Lights from lifted pickups are the worst. But I did not see fog lights mentioned. Many people leave them on all the time and they are truly blinding.19 RecommendShareFlag
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Thomas Burke commented June 9TThomas BurkeWinter Park, FLJune 9
@Connie Clifford Another problem with many pickups here in Florida is the many trucks have LED arrays with 10, 20, 30 LEDs. When activated, the illumination is overwhelming. Another related irritation… cars and trucks are designed to be safe and tested by OEMs to validate the design. So many people modify the vehicles’ suspensions, which I suspect seriously affects the vehicles’ stability. I recently saw a high-riding truck overturn on I-4 and roll over down the side of the rode. Vehicles that are modified should not have license plates.4 RecommendShareFlagatibamanii commented June 9AatibamaniiphillyJune 9
” “The eyes in the low car are going to get zapped hard by the lamps mounted up high on the S.U.V. or truck every time.” (Almost half of the 280 million registered passenger vehicles in the United States are S.U.V.s or pickup trucks.)” Wow, I guess banning the huge SUVs & pickups is not an option? Never discussed? Just imagine…280 million autos gone!8 RecommendShareFlag
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Paula commented June 9PPaulaEugene, ORJune 9
@atibamanii well we can dream. I’d love to see size / weight / mpg limits put on personal vehicles. we’d save so much gas and make the roads a lot safer.7 RecommendShareFlagCD commented June 9CCDNYCJune 9
@atibamanii At minimum, it would be nice if registration fees and vehicle tolls were commensurate with vehicle size. Maybe people would think twice if it cost 4 times as much to register an Excursion versus a Mini Cooper.19 RecommendShareFlagA commented June 9AABrooklynJune 9
The default lights now are awful to be sure, but the worst are people (especially pickups) driving around with their high beams on. Common courtesy would at least dictate turning your lights down when you see someone nearby, but as we have pretty much proven once and for all these days, common courtesy is dead. (On several long night drives on the interstate through Pennsylvania, I would let them pass, then turn on my high beams and drive right behind some of the worst offenders for a bit – give them a taste of their own medicine at least.)8 RecommendShareFlag
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Teri commented June 9TTeriCaliforniaJune 9
@A I did this once and the person slowed down SO MUCH as to goad me into passing (I didn’t). That lasted for about 15 miles until they got tired of going slow and took off.1 RecommendShareFlagPablo commented June 9PPabloNew MexicoJune 9
Guiding your car while looking at the right shoulder stripe until the offending vehicle is past is one partial solution. I’ve done this since I started driving in the early 60’s. It got me through until cataract surgery a few years ago. That helped. Cataracts are a slowly progressive condition that many may be affected by…have your eyes checked by a good eye doctor and corrected as needed. The Golden Rule applies abundantly with night time driving. European headlights use a tightly cutoff high beam for this very reason. You’d have to see this problem fix from the drivers seat but it works well. The rear view mirror night setting helps too. Be sure it deflects the lights up towards the inside roof. Never use your brights if there’s any oncoming traffic. Many aftermarket bulbs aren’t geometrically correct for the reflectors they’re used with. Finally, try to avoid night driving if you aren’t comfortable with it. I drive a Volkswagen Golf and get hit hard by pickup truck lights from both front and rear. Fewer pickups on the road would be one solution. Driver education classes are a good thing as well.19 RecommendShareFlag
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Tulipano commented June 9TTulipanoAttleboro, MAJune 9
@Pablo Medicare rules put off my access to cataract surgery for years. I kept telling the eye doctors that I was not a safe driver because “I can’t see” safely enough. Luckily no accidents but with insurance companies running what health care we get, this is a problem for many.2 RecommendShareFlagRobert Blickwedehl commented June 9RRobert BlickwedehlElma, New YorkJune 9
Until recently I lived in New York State’s north country which has more deer than people. High powered headlights are perfect for this environment. Now I live in the Buffalo metropolitan area where there are fewer deer, streetlights and much more oncoming traffic. The high powered headlights currently available in the US are not suited for this environment. Headlights available in the US are different from those sold in Europe. Because overhead signs on US expressways are not illuminated like they are in Europe, our headlights must have a beam pattern that includes an upward projection. European headlights have a flat cutoff. The upward projection is what annoys oncoming drivers and also makes driving difficult in falling snow. Good fog-lights would solve the latter problem. However, regulations require low beams to be on while using fog-lights which destroys this advantage. Adaptive headlights like the ones used in Europe would solve all these problems. The NHTSA has been sitting on this issue for many years. They need to make this a priority issue and tell the lobbyists who are blocking action to ‘Get Lost!’.95 RecommendShareFlag
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Andy commented June 9AAndyUtahJune 9
@Robert Blickwedehl Great comment ! I agree with everything you stated. Especially with getting the lobbyists out of Washington.13 RecommendShareFlagGordiniDave commented June 9GGordiniDavePC Or.June 9
@Robert Blickwedehl Thanks for your input. I agree completely! I have used “e-code” halogen lights for decades. The distinct cutoff gives you a steady field of vision. Properly aimed, low beams are as effective as conventional highs…maybe more so. LED light bars (shouldn’t be on on the street, anyway!) and LED/HID conversions for older lights give no thought to beam focus, just throwing electrons down the road.9 RecommendShareFlagAndy commented June 9AAndyUtahJune 9
There used to be laws and regulations regarding intensity and aim. It seems we have lost all sorts consumer protection laws and regs. Big lights, big tires, big trucks seems to be a great marketing thing. I travel extensively by vehicle for my business and agree than many headlights are overly bright, misaligned, and vehicles following too closely are preventable hazards. Does anyone really know what the laws is regarding intensity, direction, aim?26 RecommendShareFlag
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Michael commented June 9MMichaelEvanston, ILJune 9
@Andy Like everything else, it is no longer about the collective good and the laws that protect it. Individualism now rules – individual freedom. Headlights have become a 1st Amendment issue – an element of freedom of speech. And they have become part of the conservative anti-government backlash. Laws regulating headlights are seen as government intrusion into personal freedoms. It is seen by many to be like the COVID mask issue. Too many people think personal freedom trumps everything else – even collective health and safety. And there is a free-market aspect to this. Manufacturers are looking for ways to add features to cars that will make them more attractive to buyers. They know the lights are unsafe, yet they put them on their vehicles. America has lost all common sense.21 RecommendShareFlagjoe commented June 9JjoebrooklynJune 9
you touched on the real problem: “Almost half of the 280 million registered passenger vehicles in the United States are S.U.V.s or pickup trucks,” but elided this issue in your section on solutions. s.u.v.s and pickups are not only a problem for other drivers’ night vision, they also are more dangerous for other drivers and pedestrians in the event of a collision, and they are worse for the environment since they get atrocious fuel mileage. clearly, the solution is that they need to be regulated much more heavily. most people who own these vehicles don’t actually need them at all and could get along just fine with a compact car (or for large families a minivan) so they should be made much harder to get and the negative externalities they cause should be factored into their pricing.65 RecommendShareFlagBill O’Rights commented June 9BBill O’Rightsyour heartJune 9
I think the hotter – bluer – color temperature light emitted by the newer systems plays a far bigger role in diminishing oncoming drivers’ vision than this article alludes to. A well designed system puts light everywhere except into the oncoming lanes. But the “hot” lights need to go, period. Simply a hazard.18 RecommendShareFlagPam Smith commented June 9PPam SmithPAJune 9
I perceive these large, bright lights as aggressive, especially in the huge pickup trucks and SUVs. They come up behind you so close as to light up the interior of my small car like daylight! It makes me mad! SO aggressive! They should stay back a little but they purposely come right up on you in a manner that says ‘get moving’! As said earlier in the comments, the lights in the huge trucks and SUVs should be angled further down onto the roadway. Headlights are meant to light the road, not to blind the person in the car in front of you!150 RecommendShareFlag
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Paul commented June 9PPaulPensacolaJune 9
@Pam Smith – Agreed! These bright lights are often used by aggressive drivers to intimidate other drivers. Why are so many people acting out aggression these days?21 RecommendShareFlagFrank Jones commented June 9FFrank JonesALJune 9
@Pam Smith Where I live (Alabama) these huge pickup trucks almost always have their fog lights on, too, further aggravating an already bad situation.9 RecommendShareFlagCarl Bumba commented June 9
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
@Paul capitalism = competition = aggression (especially in males) … and then there are those physical parameters of heat and humidity.5 RecommendShareFlagDebbie commented June 9DDebbieBroadview Heights OhioJune 9
It’s ironic that the lights are getting brighter to meet safety standards but they are actually creating new unsafe situations of literally being blinded by the light. I drive a car and at night find myself blinded by lights of vehicles that sit higher like SUV’s and trucks – both oncoming and behind me. Headlight manufacturers need to stop giving drivers a false sense of security with lighting the road ahead and start to consider other drivers on the road.90 RecommendShareFlagBirdygirl commented June 9BBirdygirlCAJune 9
The new headlights are obnoxious and dangerous, especially with trucks and SUV’s as they hit you right in the line of vision. Not sure what can be done about this, but presented with good data might inch vehicle manufacturers toward addressing this issue.32 RecommendShareFlagZoli commented June 9ZZoliSanta Barbara CAJune 9
“LEDs became popular because they were longer-lasting, energy-efficient and perceived by automakers as sexy and modern.” Really? That is sick. Now sexy trumps injury to drivers. Great culture we’ve created.26 RecommendShareFlagPJ commented June 9PPJAlabamaJune 9
The blue ones are the worst. I dread them from 1/4 mile away.10 RecommendShareFlagRay commented June 9RRayIdahoJune 9
I’ve come to hate new car and trucks with their super high intensity headlights. I really believe that they are not only a nuscience but dangerous. Then you have those folks that have trucks with raised suspensions that really add to the misery. Maybe anytime a vehicle is registered or smog inspected a headlight adjustment inspection should be mandatory. ( Did it often while working at a full service gas station in high school.) Then we could add to the subject of police car flashing lights. They too are ridiculous. They are so bright and flashy that they too become blinding. What ever was wrong with the single cherry flashing light? Everyone could see it for a mile and knew what it meant and what to do.105 RecommendShareFlag
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Photography is not a crime. commented June 9PPhotography is not a crime.USAJune 9
@Ray Thank you for mentioning law enforcement’s blinding lights. Add in the lights on emergency vehicles. When any of these vehicles is by the side of the road and these lights are illuminated, the eyes retina closes down to adjust to the brightness of the light. And, this leaves the ability to see the darkness of the main road grossly diminished. That, of course, makes bad accidents much more likely to occur.12 RecommendShareFlagBigiron390 commented June 9BBigiron390FloridaJune 9
There is no mention of the fact that the down angle for cars, SUVs, pickups, etc. is 3 degrees. SUVs and pickups should have a greater down angle. It would certainly help for the case of cars approaching SUVs and others of that height.54 RecommendShareFlagHerry commented June 9HHerryNYJune 9
Acura SUV’s are the worst. I keep a pair of sun glasses on top of my head at night (not dark lenses) and flip them down when a car with lights too bright is passing. That or I close an eye. Safety should apply to the driver of the car and those coming in the opposite direction. If you cause an accident blinding others what have you really achieved?21 RecommendShareFlag
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Fang commented June 9FFangOregonJune 9
@Herry For me, the worst offender has been the Toyota Prius, one in particular, that always has to follow me to the office, Those lights are obscene!2 RecommendShareFlagbill o. commented June 9Bbill o.North Jersey.June 9
These lights are a menace. In my neck of the woods, it has become commonplace to also use high beams, even in areas of perpetual traffic. Headlights main purpose are for you to be seen, not to assist your vision. Of course high beams are useful and acceptable on dark, lonely roads. A big negative of the LEDs is that they don’t produce heat, which in turn keeps snow and ice from accumulating on the lenses. Let’s return to prior technology. Newer is not always better.33 RecommendShareFlag
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Vanessa commented June 9VVanessaTexasJune 9
@bill o. Though I agree with most of what you’re saying, aren’t headlights meant to assist your vision at night? And running lights are to help OTHERS see you?2 RecommendShareFlagPaul commented June 9PPaulPensacolaJune 9
@bill o. – I have noticed that many people, especially drivers of pickup trucks, tend to leave their high beams on all the time. It amazes me that so many people are so lazy (or just jerks) that they cannot be troubled to turn down their headlights or to use their turn signals.6 RecommendShareFlagKeith Ferlin commented June 9KKeith FerlinSummerland, B,CJune 9
@Paul For them it is all tied up with being a Real Man.8 RecommendShareFlagPricella Alden commented June 9PPricella AldenOxford OhioJune 9
There has been nary a word about this problem that my now deceased mother and I would comment on. So glad to hear our concerns were oh my real! I find one of the worst experiences as a human is experiencing a problem and not being able to get it confirmed. True angst at all the vast levels with this type and kind of communal issue. Now more than ever those in the Know need to speak truth. Ralph Nader did it as did the Consumer Protection movement. Does anyone care anymore or are we just massive blobs of Id? It does not have to be this way.9 RecommendShareFlagMVB commented June 9MMVBLAJune 9
I’ve had this issue since my 20s (am now in my 30s). I have a pair of special sunglasses designed for night blindness that I have to put on when a vehicle with LED lights is oncoming or directly behind me. The glasses help a lot and are inexpensive. It’s frustrating that I have to use these though since I don’t actually have night blindness and there’s nothing wrong with my vision. The problem is with the LED headlights.21 RecommendShareFlagT commented June 9TTNew JerseyJune 9
I have stopped driving on highways at night. I’m in my 30s and healthy but the lights from oncoming traffic hurt my eyes and make it hard to see.117 RecommendShareFlagBarbarian commented June 9BBarbarianNew YorkJune 9
So glad this issue is being raised, and to find out that I am not the only one experiencing this dangerous problem.171 RecommendShareFlagC commented June 9CCBrooklynJune 9
The NHSTA has been dragging its feet on updating the rules on lighting for decades. The adaptive lighting used in Europe is brilliant and ready to scale technology, we don’t have it. And as they said in the article they don’t know how long to approve a proven technology. Frustrating.99 RecommendShareFlag
1 REPLY
Tulipano commented June 9TTulipanoAttleboro, MAJune 9
@C They are afraid of the bullies.2 RecommendShareFlagExile In commented June 9
Exile InBible BeltJune 9
Finally tackling a 20 year old problem- wow- progress. Now can someone regulate those maddeningly bright LED billboards? Is there anyone whose retinas are not burnout out for several minutes after driving by one of those?47 RecommendShareFlag
2 REPLIES
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
@Exile In Absolutely. Actually ALL billboards should be removed. The whole point of them is to draw attention away from the road! How many lives have they cost? The things we do to ourselves to support commercial activity…. Uniform and informative-only exit signs should be the only thing on our interstate highways, with Walmart’s sign being no bigger than the local hardware’s. When I lived in VT, we had prevented billboards (and Walmart, for that matter) throughout the state. Since then, I understand corporate capitalism has won out.5 RecommendShareFlagTGM commented June 9TTGMPAJune 9
@Exile – yes! They are pernicious!1 RecommendShareFlagDean commented June 9DDeanSeattleJune 9
Blinding lights are a real problem. Where I live the bicycles are worse than the cars. Super bright, (high lumens) in a tiny light flashing rapidly are very popular. Most are pointed straight ahead into the eyes of anyone coming at them – cars, pedestrians, other bikes. The only response is to look away, creating a more danger.39 RecommendShareFlagimpegleg commented June 9IimpeglegNJJune 9
As senior driver this problem is much worse. I’ve had my eye glasses made with the highest rated anti-glare coating available. Helped a lot. For many drivers night driving glasses my be an immediate answer to ameliorate this problem..46 RecommendShareFlagHPS commented June 9HHPSNYCJune 9
It’s truly amazing to me that the National Highway Safety group let this happen but it is now going to be very difficult to resolve with millions of vehicles now equipped with these lights.192 RecommendShareFlag
4 REPLIES
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
@HPS Not so hard maybe. New products can be sold to replace them.1 RecommendShareFlagLeft coast geek commented June 9LLeft coast geekSanta CruzJune 9
@Carl Bumba every 2-3 years, every model car gets a new headlight design, and there’s easily 20 years of cars on the roads, at least around here where cars last 30+ years if not abused. Thats a LOT of headlight designs.3 RecommendShareFlagCarl Bumba commented June 9
Carl BumbaMO-OzarksJune 9
@Left coast geek Yes, this is my point. The pain of corporate missteps (like these blinding lights) is softened by all the new commerce generated in correcting them. It’s all about change.4 RecommendShare