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Headlights have become way too bright

#21
SonicBlueJoe said:
What the...? :rollno: Is that the headlight version of mine is bigger than yours? o_O

I agree that headlights are too bright. I've recently come to this same realization as I have recently had cause to be driving two-lane country roads at night, and I've been getting the high-beam flash about every other car. I flash back and unlike you, they realize its not my high-beams, and they drop theirs.

FWIW, I drive a factory stock 2016 Acura MDX. No fog lights, or anything else extra. Yeah, them damn lights must be real bright. What am supposed to do to get you to drop your high-beams and stop putting me (and you) in danger? Turn off my lights altogether? I got no other options.
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turning them off briefly might do the trick actually. I'm pretty sure it's not just bass players who have noticed modern lights are TOO BRIGHT.
 
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#22
SonicBlueJoe said:
What the...? :rollno: Is that the headlight version of mine is bigger than yours? o_O

I agree that headlights are too bright. I've recently come to this same realization as I have recently had cause to be driving two-lane country roads at night, and I've been getting the high-beam flash about every other car. I flash back and unlike you, they realize its not my high-beams, and they drop theirs.

FWIW, I drive a factory stock 2016 Acura MDX. No fog lights, or anything else extra. Yeah, them damn lights must be real bright. What am supposed to do to get you to drop your high-beams and stop putting me (and you) in danger? Turn off my lights altogether? I got no other options.
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There used to be screws in or on the housing thingy that allowed you to kind of angle the beam a little more downward (or upward), but i can't speak of newer model cars. That could help without reducing the visibility you need.
 
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#24
SonicBlueJoe said:
What the...? :rollno: Is that the headlight version of mine is bigger than yours? o_O

I agree that headlights are too bright. I've recently come to this same realization as I have recently had cause to be driving two-lane country roads at night, and I've been getting the high-beam flash about every other car. I flash back and unlike you, they realize its not my high-beams, and they drop theirs.

FWIW, I drive a factory stock 2016 Acura MDX. No fog lights, or anything else extra. Yeah, them damn lights must be real bright. What am supposed to do to get you to drop your high-beams and stop putting me (and you) in danger? Turn off my lights altogether? I got no other options.
Click to expand...

You might be able to open the hood and grab a screwdriver and make a minor adjustment aiming them Down
a hair. Maybe, maybe not.
 
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#27
SonicBlueJoe said:
What the...? :rollno: Is that the headlight version of mine is bigger than yours? o_O

I agree that headlights are too bright. I've recently come to this same realization as I have recently had cause to be driving two-lane country roads at night, and I've been getting the high-beam flash about every other car. I flash back and unlike you, they realize its not my high-beams, and they drop theirs.

FWIW, I drive a factory stock 2016 Acura MDX. No fog lights, or anything else extra. Yeah, them damn lights must be real bright. What am supposed to do to get you to drop your high-beams and stop putting me (and you) in danger? Turn off my lights altogether? I got no other options.
Click to expand...

The vast majority of trucks I hit with my high beams are older jacked up trucks with aftermarket lights. But, frankly, I don't care. If your lights are too bright, they're too bright. I don't care who put them there. If you are hitting me with lights that are too bright, I am going to hit you will lights that are too bright. Mature? Nope. Never said it was. But when I can't even look forward because of someone else's headlights it's dangerous. Maybe somebody will eventually get the message that more isn't better.
 
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#28
My favourite is the LED light bar mounted to the grille or roof. These are unfocused flood lights, and completely blinding. Many of them are green. Sometimes, I have no choice but to drive straight into the light, because I can't see anything else!
 
#29
I suspect the vast majority of offenders are aftermarket upgrades, either accidentally or intentionally installed incorrectly (not aimed correctly/lawfully).

Just as a counterpoint:

Car Headlight Performance Found to Be Not So Bright

"A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that among 31 vehicles tested for car headlight performance, only one earned IIHS's top Good rating: the Toyota Prius V with LED lamps. Mirroring Consumer Reports test results, this first-ever car headlight ratings evaluation by IIHS shines light on how lamps are underperforming.

In fact, 19 vehicles received Poor or Marginal scores for their disappointing performance. The worst performer in the IIHS tests was the BMW 3 Series equipped with halogen headlamps.

Our own ratings have found that while newer technologies such as high-intensity discharge (HID) and now LED headlights typically provide brighter and often more visibility to the sides of the road, they don’t necessarily provide added visibility straight ahead."
 
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#30
Alkali Ike said:
Well just as a counterpoint:

Car Headlight Performance Found to Be Not So Bright

"A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that among 31 vehicles tested for car headlight performance, only one earned IIHS's top Good rating: the Toyota Prius V with LED lamps. Mirroring Consumer Reports test results, this first-ever car headlight ratings evaluation by IIHS shines light on how lamps are underperforming.

In fact, 19 vehicles received Poor or Marginal scores for their disappointing performance. The worst performer in the IIHS tests was the BMW 3 Seriesequipped with halogen headlamps."
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OK. I'll accept it. But I will also point out that the 2 oldest guys on this board were the first ones to disagree and post a "counter point".
 
#31
I ride a motorcycle when I don't have to carry anything more than a backpack. The general consensus among motorcycle riders is that brights are a good idea in order to be seen better. Having had to look at oncoming brights on motorcycles during the day, I have a different opinion. Yes, you are seen, but it's hard to see where you are in the glare. That's dangerous to everyone, including the rider using brights. At night, it's worse.

I expect a whole lot of the problem is headlight aim. The can be aimed, and they are supposed to be aimed a little down and to the right on low beams. They often are not aimed that way if the vehicle has had bodywork, had the headlight housing and lens changed somehow, or if aftermarket lights are installed. Lifting it, like people do with pickups, also screws up the aim. It's dangerous, but nobody does anything about it. Moral of this story: aim your headlights fer chrissakes!
 
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#32
FingerDub said:
Been feeling this for a little while but last night I had to pull to the side twice because the oncoming headlights were SO bright, that I was blinded couldn't see. I put my hand up to block what I could and I could still feel my eyes hurting. I just don't think they need to be that bright.
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When being blinded by an oncoming car your eye's iris closes rapidly to protect itself. After the bright light passes, it can take several minutes for your iris to open up again to be suitable for night vision. When this happens, the solution is to close your left eye only. After the offending car passes, then reopen left eye and you will have much better vision. My dad was a navy officer and when on watch at night they would use this method to persevere their night vision when a bright light was present. Try it, it really works...:thumbsup:
 
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#33
Stewie26 said:
When being blinded by an oncoming car your eye's iris closes rapidly to protect itself. After the bright light passes it can take several minutes for your iris to open up again to be suitable for night vision. When this happens the solution is to close your left eye only. After car passes then reopen left eye and you will have much better vision. My dad was an navy officer and when on watch at night they would use this method to persevere their night vision when a bright light was present. Try it, it really works.
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I'm going to try this. Thanks for posting it!
 
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#34
How about the lights on fire trucks, cop cars and ambulances? There seems to be an urge to upgrade to the latest high-intensity high-power lights whether they're needed or not. So now there's some incident or smashup or whatever, five or eight vehicles converge, and ALL of them leave the lights flashing. So traffic is not stopped but allowed to pass the site, and it's so bright you can't see where the he77 you're going. OK, you have my attention already! Turn some of 'em off! Sheesh!
 
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#37
kartiste said:
How about the lights on fire trucks, cop cars and ambulances? There seems to be an urge to upgrade to the latest high-intensity high-power lights whether they're needed or not. So now there's some incident or smashup or whatever, five or eight vehicles converge, and ALL of them leave the lights flashing. So traffic is not stopped but allowed to pass the site, and it's so bright you can't see where the he77 you're going. OK, you have my attention already! Turn some of 'em off! Sheesh!
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Which department gets sued for not being as visible as possible if someone runs into them? And who makes that choice?

I believe the lights are as much for the protection of first responders who have left their vehicles as it is anything else. Too often, police, fire or rescue squad personnel are in very real danger from being struck by a driver who "didn't see that something was going on."
 
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#40
Old Garage-Bander said:
Which department gets sued for not being as visible as possible if someone runs into them? And who makes that choice?

I believe the lights are as much for the protection of first responders who have left their vehicles as it is anything else. Too often, police, fire or rescue squad personnel are in very real danger from being struck by a driver who "didn't see that something was going on."
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Key thing: brighter than NECESSARY.
 

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