Is it just me that thinks car headlights are now insanely bright?

[Vinnie From Indy]

Driving home from dinner tonight damn near fried my retinas!

[Ocelot II]

1. Some new cars have very bright, sort of greenish LED headlights

that will definitely scorch your retinas. It's not your imagination. I hate them.

[SheltieLover]

13. HIDs?

I hate them! Instantly feel like I'm being jabbes in eyes with hot pokers.

[Ocelot II]

14. More about LED/HID headlights here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/05/business/led-hid-headlights-blinding.html

Lots of people hate them, apparently.

[SheltieLover]

18. I can always differentiate HIDs from LEDS by pain in eyes.

Ty!

[applegrove]

2. Noticing that too. They look like high beams.

[usaf-vet]

41. And they ignore your flash requesting them to dim thier lights. In Wisconsin the state police in ...

....particular, will pull you over if you refuse to dim your lights.

They suspect the driver might be intoxicated and use that as probable cause to pull you over.

It happened to me about two years ago.

And my wife and I spent 30+ minutes sitting on the side of the road while he ran our plates and both licenses.

Finding nothing, he let us go.

We are now very reluctant to drive after dark, precisely because of these new 'blue' high-intensity lights.

[applegrove]

47. I don't drive so I wasn't really paying attention to it but my brother commented that he could not

Last edited Sun Nov 27, 2022, 03:39 AM - Edit history (1)

tell who had high beams on and I looked and sure enough there were LED lights on cars at the intersection and I could not tell either.

[a kennedy]

3. and what about those blue ones??? What the hell is up with those???

[Ocelot II]

6. Those are the LED ones - they look bluish or greenish and are painfully bright.

[texasfiddler]

4. yes. I agree. Even on low beam the new headlights are very distracting and bright.

Or maybe i'm getting old.

[Diamond_Dog]

5. No, it's not just you.

Oncoming vehicles’ headlights at night are literally blinding these days. Hubby and I were just saying that the other day as we drove to pick up a pizza. And when those large pickup trucks are behind you on the road ….

[Biophilic]

7. No, it's not just you. It's been getting worse over the last 10 years.

I don’t quite get why car makers think the super bright lights are a good idea. They blind other drivers. I haven’t ever heard an explanation regarding the need for such extreme brightness.

[GreenWave]

8. Why can't we aim our mirrors to reflect back at them?

Lots of Trumper trucks follow too close with the beamers

[2naSalit]

38. I do.

Do it whenever someone gets too close or won't dim their brights. They either back off or pass.

[SheltieLover]

9. Prob those fking HIDs.

I hate them! Goves me instant migraine!

[PlutosHeart]

10. I hate the new ones.

My eyes are light sensitive anyways and these new ones hurt my eyes.

[NBachers]

11. The elevation of the pickup trucks and SUV's put their headlights right at eye level- a direct beam.

[Rhiannon12866]

31. I think that's it. I read that most vehicles have headlights that are not as bright as they should be

But if I'm followed home at night by a pickup, at lot of them around here, they usually blind me.

[Haggard Celine]

12. I've had a lot of near misses because of the lights.

I almost ran off the road the other night. Something should be done about it, but I guess we'll just have to add this to the pile of shit that we need to do.

[werdna]

15. Pick-'em up trucks are the worst

They to come with dual high beams hard wired on.And most other vehicles have bright fog lights below. I am constantly flashing my high beams.

[rubbersole]

23. PU trucks are the absolute worst.

Not only does a penguin die every time they start the engine, a lot of truck owners drive very aggressively. tfg flags not withstanding.

[usaf-vet]

43. YES! YES! and YES!!!

[grantcart]

44. +1

[Pobeka]

16. No not just you. I believe there are law regulating such things.

Might be time to research that and see if auto manufacturers are in violation of regulations? ...

[Jacoby365]

17. It's not just the headlights.

Some of the new brake lights are unbearably bright, in my opinion, nearly blinding me at stoplights.

[elleng]

19. Darn, just getting prescription glasses just for driving esp @ night.

[Lunabell]

20. And there are some that are blue.

From behind, it makes me think a cop is flashing their lights and I'm going to get a ticket.

[Haggard Celine]

21. I've had a lot of near misses because of the lights.

I almost ran off the road the other night. Something should be done about it, but I guess we'll just have to add this to the pile of shit that we need to do.

[elleng]

22. Depending on the lighting system of the vehicle, headlights are limited

to about 20,000 to 75,000 candela, according to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108. Candela is a modern unit of light measurement, and one candlepower equates to about one candela.Dec 20, 2018

Brighter headlights cause problems: here's how it got that way

https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2018/12/20/brighter-headlights-cause-problems-heres-how-got-way/2356307002/#:~:text=Depending%20on%20the%20lighting%20system,equates%20to%20about%20one%20candela.

[teach1st]

29. Great article! Thanks for posting, elleng!

[FloridaBlues]

24. Yes very bright esp the newer trucks and cars. I have the night glasses I wear sometimes at night

They help keep down the glare.

[patphil]

26. Yes, I have clip-ons for my glasses that are designed to reduce glare for night driving.

They work pretty well.

[badhair77]

25. Headlight brightness definitely bothers my eyes.

At times I can barely see. I’m experimenting with some green glasses and mirrored lenses to deal with it. I’ve really decreased my nighttime driving.

[happybird]

27. They're horrible

I’ve seen a few very recently that are a single, extra light, positioned in the center but lower than the regular headlights. They are super crazy bright. And awful.

The biggest trouble I have (besides being annoyed by big trucks behind me) is when the road is wet. Gawd help me if there are no lines on the road, it’s wet, and someone with bright lights is coming towards me.

[liberalmuse]

28. I thought there was something wrong with my eyes.

And was thinking the exact same thing while driving home from dinner tonight. The headlights are blinding. Also when I walk the dogs at night sometimes someone will park on the street and keep their headlights on and I can't see where we're walking. To avoid falling in a ditch with my dogs I have to cross the street.

[bamagal62]

49. I thought something was wrong with

Mine as well. I guess it’s just these new awful
Headlights!

[bucolic_frolic]

30. Sometimes I have worn prescription sunglasses in nighttime traffic

[moniss]

32. It's not just you and

a little more info about this is that any laws, such as they are, are basically ignored by the cops when it comes to enforcement. One of the problems is headlight aim as others have mentioned with the higher vehicles. But a little talked about problem is people installing aftermarket headlights that are intended only for off-roading. Some of those manufacturers have lights that will basically blind oncoming traffic. Some carry a warning on the package that they are only legal for off-road use only. But they ignore that just like the guy who decides his truck he drives to work has to have big tall tires and a big raised suspension despite it being illegal. We've all seen these folks that almost have to drop a ladder to get in and out of their truck.

Headlight aim used to be specified in many areas as to how far ahead of the vehicle the main area of light should be. Also side to side. But they all ignore that now as though they are the only ones on the road and the oncoming traffic be damned. Just imagine if these clowns did hit you with their brights. I've had people come up behind me with those super lights and the whole inside of my vehicle is lit up like it's daytime. Tremendous glare from the inside of the glass and rear view mirror.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

33. IT'S THE BLUE LIGHT in the new LED headlights - it acts brighter than

white or warmer (yellower) light. Regulations about lighting - not only headlights, but street lighting, home and business lighting etc. - need to be updated to reflect the new technology and the ones that emit too much blue light . They can manufacture LEDs which are on the warmer end of the spectrum, dont have all the blue.... but for whtever reason they are continuing to make these horrible ones that blind people.

[global1]

34. I Thought It Was Just Me....

I'm a senior citizen and I didn't want to complain and have people tell me - "oh you're just getting old".

I believe these newer headlights are DANGEROUS. People are going to get maimed and killed because these lights are blinding. One has to look away from on- coming traffic because of these lights. Then you have to deal with them in your rearview mirror. Equally blinding from behind - especially from the higher raised SUV's and pick-up trucks.

They need to either be toned down somehow through government regulations or outlawed.

I wonder if there have been any studies done on these headlights? How many accidents have already been caused by these lights. How many people have been hurt or killed already.

Does anyone know if there are any studies being conducted currently?

[hlthe2b]

35. I agree totally. They are obnoxious and a hazard IMO.

[rambler_american]

36. Yeah, but how else you gonna see

a flea on a raccoon's butt at a quarter mile in the dark?

[onecaliberal]

37. It's not just you. Feels like it's burning a hole in my eye.

[calimary]

39. Nope, not just you.

Judging from this thread, there are plenty of us experiencing something similar.

[unc70]

40. Could also be that you now need cataract surgery

Yes, the new headlights can be way too bright. But your perception could also be changing. Poor night vision, particularly when dealing with headlights, is the most common indicator that one is dealing with cataracts and might be needing surgery.

[ShazzieB]

50. I'll find out soon.

I know for a fact that cataracts are part of my problem, but I'm not sure how much. I'm scheduled to have have cataract surgery or January, so I'll find out after I have it done.

[Stuart G]

42. I thought I was the only one. The lights are too damn bright for dim lights. It is almost as if

everyone has their bright lights on all the time.

............ Thanks for putting this thread up. .............................................................

............I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE DAMN LIGHTS THAT APPEAR
.............TO BE BRIGHTER THAN THEY USED TO BE. .............

.............THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU AGAIN... i THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT THIS!!

.THIS IS AWFUL. i HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD THEIR BRIGHT LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME..
...AND I ALSO THOUGHT THAT......... I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT THOUGHT SO...

.........................................THANKS AGAIN............I AIN'T THE ONLY ONE!!!!.........

[Rebl2]

45. Well they have

said brighter head lights cause fewer wrecks, but these new ones are so bright you look away because it hurts your eyes and then you might cause a wreck. Crazy.

[NowsTheTime]

46. Why does this just feel like when there were concerns about internet privacy issues?

...or about when there were military concerns about letting the cat out of the bag on geo-location technology

.....companies will do what they want to in this day and age.......

hope I'm wrong...

[localroger]

48. It's physics

LED's are preferred because they are brighter and more efficient than incandescents as well as theoretically not having the limited life expectancy, but the emitting element of a halogen incandescent is very small which allows the lensing system to precisely control the resulting beam. LED elements are more spread out, and thus spread their light over a broader area of the road (and above the road) because a lens can't control them as tightly. LED's also look brighter to human eyes for the same candela output because of their spectral characteristics. So basically oncoming LED low beams look like high beams, and oncoming LED high beams look like a supernova in progress.

[Pluvious]

51. Good info, thanks Roger ! (nt)

[nuxvomica]

52. It's worse if you have lens implants

I had cataract surgery two years ago and went with the fancy multi-focus lens implants. They have concentric rings of different powers so that you can see clearly up-close and at a distance. The way it works is each ring sends a different image to the retina and the visual cortex picks the one that's sharpest as the one you "see". But when driving, bright headlights illuminate the different rings and it looks like the lights are bullseye targets.

I learned that LEDs don't just black out like regular incandescent bulbs but instead get dimmer over time. Having recently had a retina tear, I've been told to look for any loss in vision. Well, I noticed my bedroom, lit by a 75-watt-level LED, was getting darker and darker and worried I might be slowly losing my vision. So I replaced the bulb even though it was still "working" and suddenly everything is brighter. The dimming was worrisome to me (I call it "LED-lighting", like "gaslighting" ) and probably to a lot of people who aren't yet wise to the LED dimming and I wonder whether the LED headlights have the same problem and over time you won't be able to see clearly while driving at night.

[yellowdogintexas]

53. no. It is ridiculous! Especially when the oncoming car is an SUV or pickup truck

type which sits higher than the car you are driving.

I shudder to think what it must be like when the high beams are on