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

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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?

source

Comments

Sort:hotnew top

freebee@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
It’s not just cars. Also super blinding lights on bicycles, aimed too high. And the worst of all: straight at your face aiming super blinding lights from fricking joggers on park roads that have public lighting!!

source
- XeroxCool@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  The majority of bike lights throw a circle/oval/flood pattern which means they have to be aimed high to be usable. It’s just a flashlight at that point. It’s easy to make a decent beam pattern but neither the manufacturers nor the buyers give a shit.
  
  source
  - toddestan@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    I point mine down so it illuminates the road in front of me, and slightly in the direction facing away from oncoming traffic. I also use the dimmest setting, and don’t have it in blink mode unless it’s foggy out.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - freebee@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    It’s on roads and paths with public lighting mostly! The bicycle front light is not for you to see things, it’s for you to be seen by others. Aimed downwards in front of your bicycle is were it should be… Not up into other people’s faces!
    
    source
- slevinkelevra@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Nah SUV lights that automatically lower their lights waaaay to late are definitely the worst. Especially when they use their high beams in a 30 km/h zone like the one I live in. All just because idiot drivers couldn’t give a fuck and let their car do everything for them automatically.
  
  source
- kilgore_trout@feddit.it ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  The park is not an island. The rider risks his life elsewhere, and it’s a hassle to keep turning the headlight on and off every fave miutes.
  
  source
  - AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Just like with a car, a cyclist ought to be able to aim their headlight to not blind others
    
    source
- JamesTBagg@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  The bicycles with nor just the headlights, but the flashing white lights to dazzle your vision. Genius. “Let me be seen by blinding you.” Right up there with motorcycles riding with their highbeam on. People cannot see you if you blind them.
  
  source
Dionysus@leminal.space ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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

source
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Given that we accepted the switch from being “personnel” to being “human resources”, headlights seem like a fairly small detail.

source
betanumerus@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
[deleted]
source
- ExperimentalGuy@programming.dev ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  The government is using Lemmy???
  
  source
Steve@communick.news ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.

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

source
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Nothing better than having to cover my eyes at night because my retinas are being fucking burned out of my head.

source
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
I haven’t accepted it. Speak for yourself

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

source
BlackLaZoR@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.

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

source
SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Don’t people who set the rules also drive? “Wow, I can’t see a damn thing. Maybe headlights are too bright?”

source
- GuyIncognito@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  No, they get driven. The important people are driven around and everyone else can eat shit
  
  source
HugeNerd@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
And bikes. The cyclists who in broad summer cloudless noon daylight still find the need to strap a quasar to their handlebars baffles me. I feel like buying the brightest array of LEDs and walking around with a backpack filled with batteries and just clobbering these fucking idiots right in the retinas.

source
- toddestan@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  A number of e-bikes now come with built-in lights that are just on all the time, hence the reason why bikes that are all lit up in the middle of the day are starting to become common.
  
  A lot of these lights have little or no adjustments either.
  
  source
- Treczoks@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Worse: bikers with a glaring headlamp.
  
  source
  - HugeNerd@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Sometimes it’s a piercingly bright red taillight. It’s noon in summer you fucknozzle, WE SEE YOU. We don’t need to see you three time zones over. I wish I was physically capable of exerting great violence upon people because that’s where we are as a society.
    
    The mindset of these people aggravates me, they’re in the same category as door hoggers: people who smack themselves in the way of bus, metro, or elevator exits… let people off first!
    
    source
baller_w@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.

source
Sam_Bass@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
capitalidm ;)

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

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

source
kaotic@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Look up Audi’s Matrix projection headlights. I really want to see more cars incorporating this technology.

source
mrodri89@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
See the thing is cars scare me and I don’t drive. Luckily my husband drives.

source
Eddbopkins@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.

source
Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Regulation.

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

source
courval@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Because lobbying and “market gods” worship and because “driving is for peasants”

source
Mac@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Here you are lol

source
- ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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
  
  source
Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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…

source
- trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.
  
  source
  - Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    
    That is not an example of modern car light
    
    So, you wouldn’t call modern then?
    Or not a car light?
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
altphoto@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Bright lights are fine, just point them down. Although, you might have noticed that when you’re going downhill or uphill the lights are more blinding.

I’ve proposed a polarization system where you would be able to see thing illuminated but not the bright lights that illuminate. There are many ways to make this work.

source
- Krudler@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Tell us your idea.
  
  FYI you’re going to get absolutely shredded by technical responses about how light works.
  
  source
  - altphoto@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    So the basic premise is that LEDs on their own can make polarized light. So let’s say for example that we make all car manufacturers produce cars that have their LEDs horizontally polarized. So they shoot light that is horizontally polarized. Then we force them to make their windshields be vertically polarized. That way, no matter how much luminous power comes out of everyone’s car you won’t be able to see it. It should probably be the other way around with lights making vertical and windshields blocking horizontally.
    
    Ok but now, how do you actually see things? Well light is funny. When you hit objects with light polarized in one direction you’ll get scattered light back which will contain some light that is correctly polarized to pass thru the windshield.
    
    For this to work, you just need to standardized the polarization direction.
    
    You could even wear polarized glasses if you’re a pedestrian. The house at the end of the Culdesac can have their windows polarized too and so they wouldn’t be blinded by every car coming thru.
    
    source
cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.

source
- DistrictSIX@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.
  
  source
  - anon_8675309@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.
    
    source
  - cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
unitedwithme@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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

source
- zewm@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ 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.
  
  source
  - bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Automated lights last about 2 years before the fucking sensors break and cost thousands to fix. Give me back my stomp switch 😁
    
    source
  - unitedwithme@lemmy.today ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Smh, more automated shit to break and be less for people to pay attention to and control…
    
    source
  - Mac@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    And your oncoming side is even aimed a few degrees even lower to prevent blinding incoming traffic
    
    source