Why have we as a society just accepted the increasingly blinding bright lights of cars?

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨TheReanuKeeves@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

I know I’m not the only one who feels like I’m getting visually assaulted everytime I drive at night. It was bad 10 years ago but now, it seems like headlight manufacturers have a deal with insurance companies and optometrists to make the lights as bright as possible. Is this ever going to stop or is there some kind of race in the headlight industry to see who can reproduce the power of the sun first?

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wesker@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
I’m sorry you can’t see, but I can see great.

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- Kolanaki@pawb.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  What if another lifted F250 with bright white Xenon headlights is coming in the other direction?
  
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  - TheReanuKeeves@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Highlander rules. The winner takes the losers headlights and adds them onto their monster truck.
    
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  - wesker@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    We stop, get out, and kiss,
    
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  - seathru@quokk.au ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    It’s a game a chicken to see who looks up from their phone.
    
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  - unitedwithme@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Hell I’d take Xenon lights over LED. Xenon have a more defined line at the edge of the beam whereas LED is more dispersed or scattered, so it’s more blinding.
    
    Wouldn’t be so bad but some idiots can’t figure out how to aim their newly lifted truck’s lights downward and instead install a bunch of LED light bars to light up half the neighborhood!
    
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- unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  I feel concerned about your shitty vision. You could pay me to fix that.
  
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betanumerus@lemmy.ca ⁨22⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
There was a government survey on this just a few weeks ago. Conveniently posted here so I filled it out. Did you?

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- ExperimentalGuy@programming.dev ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  The government is using Lemmy???
  
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  - betanumerus@lemmy.ca ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Probably not an official government use. Probably just someone who came across the survey (government employee or not) and decided to help out with Lemmy.
    
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A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Here’s my take:

There used to be a time when headlights really did not penetrate the night as much as they could, esp. with increasing speeds.

Making them brighter was reasonable. So they invented Halogen lights. But at some point the whole thing ran away I suppose, making them even brighter became a selling point.

Add to that the SUV effect: “most importantly, me and my loved ones are safe in this rolling fortress”, you can see how we got here.

I used to drive a very, very old car. Now there’s a law in Germany that allows older cars to keep on running the way they used to even if the same aspects would be illegal in a newer car. This car did not even have Halogen lights. I had trouble seeing, every time another car passed me on the road. The difference in brightness was - well, blinding. It was legit dangerous.

I believe the brightness of Halogen lights is totally sufficient.

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- Fondots@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  I sometimes borrow my dad’s truck, a '93 ranger, when my car is in the shop or I need to move something big
  
  And the headlights on that thing are terrible, after driving around in more modern vehicles it feels like they barely light up the road in front of you. It’s actually almost a little scary to drive at night sometimes.
  
  It does have halogen bulbs, not significantly different from the ones in my own car, but the way the reflectors and such are designed around those bulbs is clearly very different,.
  
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  - Soggy@lemmy.world ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Counterpoint: I drive a 98 chevy and I can see fine at night because my eyes are good unless someone is in the oncoming lane and their headlight spill washes out my vision. People that can’t see adequately with old-style headlights simply should be legally restricted from night driving. (The same way vision-impaired people are restricted from all driving)
    
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unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
There’s been a ton of coverage on this, not sure that it matters. The physics of car fired harpoons to attack other cars is eluding me, while I develop many patents on the matter

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BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world ⁨21⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Geometry of lights is strictly controlled. It shouldn’t be an issue (At least it isn’t that much of an issue in EU). It’s possible you have an eye accommodation issue too.

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rem26_art@fedia.io ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
walking at night is kinda hard now because your eyes will adjust to the dark and then suddenly the brightest car ever drives by and then you just cant see

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Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Conservative governments have spent 3 generations, the world over, convincing everyone that deregulation is always a good thing.

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Sam_Bass@lemmy.world ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
capitalidm ;)

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anon_8675309@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Because we decided we hated to have our vehicles inspected. If we still did that these people would get violations.

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Dionysus@leminal.space ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
The adaptive headlights are perfectly capable of blocking out the blinding cold white light modern headlights have, they just don’t use it in the US, and it’s only partially in use in the EU.

It’s absurd that they don’t mandate it in LED and Laser headlights for both high and low beams

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jeeva@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
There’s been a few campaigns against this sort of thing: theringer.com/…/headlight-brightness-cars-acciden…

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Steve@communick.news ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
As someone with an astigmatism, I genuinely don’t see the difference. All lights have annoying glare. You learn to deal with it, and see around them.

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Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Here in vietnam, probably half of cars and bikes have yellow headlights that don’t mess with your night vision, then white brights.

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Eddbopkins@lemmy.world ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
For me it’s the white lights, they are to bright, but they work extremely well and I’m glad I have them. But I hate that other people have them.

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baller_w@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
There’s another way. Adaptive headlights can fix this: youtube.com/shorts/AgxVuXC0T44

You’re not wrong though. Even crappy headlights on taller vehicles seem much brighter to observers. My buddy’s 2005 RAM is proof. When we’re in it, I’d have better luck seeing with a flashlight, but when he’s driving behind my car, it’s like someone’s shining the bat signal into my rear window.

Also, don’t get me started on people who replace their bulbs with HID or LED bulbs but don’t spend the money on projector headlights. It’s infuriating.

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Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe ⁨22⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Regulation.

It’s very slow to change, and takes a lot of effort to make it happen.

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courval@lemmy.world ⁨23⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Because lobbying and “market gods” worship and because “driving is for peasants”

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bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
EXACTYLLYY makes me so pissed. I’d like to smash every cadillac escalade headlight.

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unmagical@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Politicians are a million years old and don’t drive themselves.

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Mac@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Here you are lol

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- ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  Image
  
  Well that’s unfortunate. Also it’s a bit dumb having to buy more stuff to keep track of in response to cars dick waving over how quickly their low beams can kill a vampire
  
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Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

feels like I’m getting visually assaulted everytime I drive at night.

That is only a problem in these shitty countries where they have neither any rules nor TÜV (and therefore technology remains in the last century)

Example of a modern car light:

audi-technology-portal.de/…/matrix-laser-technolo…

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- trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  That is not an example of modern car light, but Audis plans for a future car light that is not on the market yet.
  
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  - Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    
    That is not an example of modern car light
    
    So, you wouldn’t call modern then?
    Or not a car light?
    
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cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Because it’s the sole responsibility of the owner to repair the car (and sometimes passengers) when it hits a wild animal, and brighter bulbs are an inexpensive preventative measure. And you really can’t replace people.

Other people complain about the bright lights, but they get real quiet when you say you hit a deer and now you have to pay hundreds you can’t afford to fix your car.

It’s the same with ad blockers. People say they cost websites money, but as soon as you get ransomware they say that’s on you, you should have used an ad blocker.

It’s a catch 22. Those who are proactive are painted as the problem by those who won’t help those who aren’t and wind up owing or paying more.

That’s what we gotta figure out. Otherwise we’ll all just keep talking past each other.

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- DistrictSIX@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  So basically what someone wrote above: “what’s important is that me and my family and property are safe”. Fantastic way to live in a society with other people.
  
  Other people complain about the bright lights, but they get real quiet when you say you hit a deer and now you have to pay hundreds you can’t afford to fix your car.
  
  What are you saying? Why would other people get quiet about what’s bothering them because you have to repair your car? Why is that everybody else’s problem? You are aware that you could slow down at night to avoid hitting wildlife, right? Blinding other innocent people at night is not “being proactive”, and it’s in no way morally comparable to ad blockers. The people being subjected to this aren’t trying to harvest your data to make money on you.
  
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  - anon_8675309@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    This is why we’re in such a mess now. People have been trained that society sucks and it’s every man for themselves now.
    
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  - cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    So that’s what I’m saying. People are talking past each other, no one is accomplishing anything.
    
    And yes, the lives of my partner and kids is worth more than your inconvenience. I’m sure your partner and kids are worth more than my inconvenience. That’s just how people are. Maybe you don’t have kids, maybe you have elderly parents you care for. Maybe you’re a lone wolf and you don’t have anybody, but surely you recognise that there are other people with people they love and value over the convenience of others, so the point stands.
    
    I don’t like bright lights either. But I’m also not donating to some stranger’s GoFundMe because he hit a deer being a nice guy who put your convenience over his safety, and now he’s got a broken leg, smashed fender, thousands in hospital bills, and hundreds in auto repair bills. I’m a nice guy, but I got needs and I also got wants. Does that make me an arsehole? If so, then so be it. The question is, are you donating? You said “why is that everybody else’s problem” implying it isn’t yours. So you aren’t, either. You put the blame on the guy for not driving slower. You’re saying his safety is his problem. Okay, fine. Now you don’t get to judge how he fixes that problem.
    
    But don’t get me wrong. It’s the Internet, you can say what you want. But talk is cheap. Or as we said in the 1980s, “money talks and bullshit walks.” All we’re doing is walking in circles. I’m not going to convince you and you’re not going to convince me. Therefore, the problem will not get solved, at least not between us. The silver lining there is that it is statistically unlikely that we will ever meet face to face, or on the road.
    
    It is interesting, however, that you take the opposite position with ad blocking. True, they are not exactly the same thing, but it is a similar situation. And, like headlights, or slowing down, there are multiple solutions. But you passionately defend both sides of a similar argument when the subject changes. That should at least inform you that you are capable of reason, and that you can see that there are valid arguments on both sides. So, if nothing else, maybe you can at least appreciate that we will solve nothing by talking past each other. We’re tilting at windmills.
    
    There was one moderately useful comment when I made mine: someone mentioned adaptive headlights. What they failed to mention, likely because it would undermine their point, is the cost of adaptive headlights. Ars Technica recently (week or two ago, I’m not gonna go dig for it) had an article about adaptive headlights. They sound great. They sound like they are the solution. In short, you get extremely bright light when you need it. When you have oncoming traffic, you still get stupidly bright light, but a smart array of LEDs makes sure none are pointing at the oncoming driver. Everything around them is lit up like high noon, but the other driver isn’t inconvenienced. That sounds awesome, but it’s also prohibitively expensive. The good thing is, cars will have this standard in a decade or so. Just like things like power windows and locks, power steering, and automatic transmissions became standard, so too will this. Then people will look back and call us savages.
    
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unitedwithme@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
This probably sounds stupid, but I have a simple solution.

Headlights are aimed straight out in front of the driver-which unfortunately is also the oncoming driver’s line of sight. Why not cross their aim of lights so driver aims towards passenger and vice versa.

This takes the drivers light which is directly blinding and aims away, then the passenger light is also slightly aimed more away. Still illuminates the whole front of the road and car, maybe better peripheral even. The only negative is right as they pass each other, the passenger light his the oncoming car, BUT should be way shorter exposure and more indirect so less blinding…

Idk, just my $.02

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- zewm@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  AFAIK headlights are supposed to be calibrated and low beams should point downward towards the road.
  
  The problem is people with uncalibrated lights as well as those driving with high beams.
  
  The last thing is that newer cars have sensors. When there are no lights facing you they put high beams automatically and then they lower them when sensing a car ahead. Sometimes the software fucks up and leaves the high beams.
  
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  - bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Automated lights last about 2 years before the fucking sensors break and cost thousands to fix. Give me back my stomp switch 😁
    
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  - unitedwithme@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    Smh, more automated shit to break and be less for people to pay attention to and control…
    
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  - Mac@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    And your oncoming side is even aimed a few degrees even lower to prevent blinding incoming traffic
    
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