Brighter headlights today

[CloniesForLife]

A couple problems.

1. LED lights. Especially aftermarket ones where people go crazy getting really bright ones
2. Lifted trucks. When all these truck drivers are lifting trucks they aren't recalibrating where the headlights are aimed which you need to do.

A lot of truck guys like to upgrade their headlights and lift their trucks so combine 1 and 2 and it can be really bad

 

[CloneFanInKC]

Saw the CBS eye opener this morning and last moments of it was from John Oliver's show where the focus was on that headlights are brighter.

I hadn't looked into this but I hate driving at night because many headlights are so bright. At times I nearly feel blinded and I say to myself these have to be on bright because if this is how bright they are on regular mode I would hate to see them on bright mode.

Glad to see that I'm not going crazy.

I agree, driving at night has become an unexpected challenge for me in the last few years.

On a side note, my lights are a little brighter today after a wonderful evening with my wife. Great homemade meal and the kids were in bed early. This time of year can be stressful, we really appreciate the time we get together now due to “life being so busy.”

 

[CYdTracked]

I get flashed all the time when driving like the oncoming driver thinks I have my high beams on. I just flash my high beams back to show that I don't have them on. I have 2 SUVs, the older one is a 2015 and still has the older style headlights but still get people that flash me and my other is a 2023 that has the LEDs and I definitely get flashed more when driving that one. Must be because they are mounted higher I guess, I can tell a big difference between the 2 as the newer one with the LED seems to cast a much further and more crisp swath of light ahead than the older one does.

Same people that are flashing the brights at me are probably the same ones that are driving cars without automatic headlights that don't turn them on when the fog is so thick I can barely see them coming. That's more annoying to me than thinking the headlights are too bright is not having them on during weather conditions that they should be on so people can see where you are on the road.

 

[Bob f]

A couple problems.

1. LED lights. Especially aftermarket ones where people go crazy getting really bright ones
2. Lifted trucks. When all these truck drivers are lifting trucks they aren't recalibrating where the headlights are aimed which you need to do.

A lot of truck guys like to upgrade their headlights and lift their trucks so combine 1 and 2 and it can be really bad

Don't forget the led light bar on top of the cab or across the grill

 

[VeloClone]

I get flashed all the time when driving like the oncoming driver thinks I have my high beams on. I just flash my high beams back to show that I don't have them on. I have 2 SUVs, the older one is a 2015 and still has the older style headlights but still get people that flash me and my other is a 2023 that has the LEDs and I definitely get flashed more when driving that one. Must be because they are mounted higher I guess, I can tell a big difference between the 2 as the newer one with the LED seems to cast a much further and more crisp swath of light ahead than the older one does.

Same people that are flashing the brights at me are probably the same ones that are driving cars without automatic headlights that don't turn them on when the fog is so thick I can barely see them coming. That's more annoying to me than thinking the headlights are too bright is not having them on during weather conditions that they should be on so people can see where you are on the road.

If you are "getting flashed all of the time" that should be a clue to check the aim of your headlights. It isn't that hard, you can do it yourself to make sure you don't have a problem.

 

[FallOf81]

I have those too and mine need to be extra big because I have eyeglasses but even those don't really help me.

Going to DM tonight so I-35 is going to be awful as I will have to deal with them driving to and home from tonight.

I "see" there's a brand called URUMQI. Amazon running a deal although they really aren't that expensive. Company website has a Night Vision tab and specifics for pairs that fit over prescription glasses. Holy cow the options! Certainly aren't going to get laid wearing them, but hopefully the night driving and turning ones head and squinting are over.

 

[cycloner29]

Glare in general at night is horrible, especially on wet roads. I even turn down the dash and touchscreen on my Equinox. I went to wearing the night driving glasses that look yellow. Have to say it really helps. I now your not supposed flash your bright lights at people, but it's hard to differentiate between low and high beams on SUVs these days. Pickups, like someone mentioned earlier, seem have as many lights as Clark Griswold's family truckster.

 

[CYdTracked]

If you are "getting flashed all of the time" that should be a clue to check the aim of your headlights. It isn't that hard, you can do it yourself to make sure you don't have a problem.

These are vehicles I purchased new from the dealer so I doubt they need adjusting. And as for "all the time" that may be a bit of a reach but maybe once or twice a night sometimes is not uncommon. It's not like every other car or so flashes me.

 

[dmclone]

I never get flashed but if I did, I would do a little research on how to get them lowered. I don't believe it's a real hard process on most vehicles.

 

[dmclone]

These are vehicles I purchased new from the dealer so I doubt they need adjusting. And as for "all the time" that may be a bit of a reach but maybe once or twice a night sometimes is not uncommon. It's not like every other car or so flashes me.

Once or twice a night is a ton of times. A large percentage of the population will never flash so if it's that often, somethings wrong.

 

[Clonefan94]

People with trucks that leave their fog lights on all the time are the worst. Those things point right at the driver of shorter cars. They need a FMV rule that fog lights must be manually turned on every time and not just a switch that people can leave on.

I know I do this a lot, so I will apologize now. It happens because every time I take the truck in for service, the dealer changes the light settings I have. I'm sure it's a requirement for them to make sure everything is working, but since I have auto-lights, I forget to check to see where they left it, unless they don't come on at night. Hell, the other night I was driving and noticed my high beams kept flicking on and off. Well, they had left it the auto-high beams and also left the fog lights on. They've even changed the angle of the headlights on me before, all though I don't know what setting would be best for that for oncoming drivers. I assume the lower the better?

 

[Frog]

Yeah, the LED's are indeed brighter. I also drive a truck and although the headlights light the road more than my older trucks, I get several people bumping their brights at me which also affect my driving. I don't have that issue in our SUV.

A solution would be adding more adjustments. Instead of high and low how about making low, medium which is the low now, and then brights. Like most people I rarely use my brights although used last night to break through the dirt. My truck is light tan top to bottom/front to back thanks to the gravel roads.

 

[AgronAlum]

I drive a sedan and I don't think I'll be able to do it again. I come home with a headache basically every single night this time of the year.

PSA:

If you drive a truck with an aftermarket light bar, **** you. Your headlights are bad enough. Stop running them on the highways or especially in town.

Also, if you mother ******* can afford a $5000+ lift and wheel package, you can afford ******* nut driver to adjust your headlights. People don't think you're cool. They think you're ******* annoying.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Driving at night is absolutely brutal for me.

 

[Pope]

People with trucks that leave their fog lights on all the time are the worst. Those things point right at the driver of shorter cars. They need a FMV rule that fog lights must be manually turned on every time and not just a switch that people can leave on.

Amen. I get so angry sometimes when I encounter these trucks at night that I just turn my high beams on so they can experience what it feels like on my end.

Man, I'm turning into a grumpy old fart.

 

[Isualum13]

The auto high beams are great in New vehicles. But it took a hot minute for manufacturers to get them right. The first couple vehicles my dad had that had the feature, it was pretty worthless. It would see the wind turbine red lights flashing at night and constantly flip the brights on and off thinking they were tail lights, so he just disabled it in the settings.

Now I got so used to them in my new vehicle that when I drive a car without them, which is rare, I often forget to dim my brights.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Count me in as another that thinks some headlights are too bright.

 

[Drew0311]

Mine are LED and I constantly have people flash their lights at me thinking I have my bright lights on. I can generally tell if someone has their brights on or if it's just LED.

 

[Bocy]

When I was in high school, I had a Math teacher that just never drove at night. I always thought that was kind of weird at the time. But...flash forward 20 or so years, and now I get it. I absolutely hate driving at night, as something is just.. off.. with my vision when it comes to driving in the dark.

I don't have bright/LED lights on my truck, although maybe they'd help my specific issues, and am considering an upgrade for the very rare times (literally like ~ 2-3 times a year) I need to drive when it's not light out.

As others have noted though, there are situations where they can cause issues or more harm than good.

 

[twojman]

Others have mentioned it but there are times I flash my brights at people because I feel they have their high beams on. My wife and I each have issues when these bright lights are coming at us on the road. I suppose they are great for the driver but not so much for the others on the road.

 

[MeowingCows]

So, the US is completely behind in this tech space. Headlights on new vehicles need to be closer to the ground, and either pointed further downward, or have some other mechanism that focuses even more light straight forward and less to the sides and edges.

And yes, people who modify their vehicles need to properly adjust their headlights afterward. Or, the people who upgrade their headlights, need to also upgrade the housings around them so they properly focus the new lights.

My personal favorite are those who jack up their lights/light angles to blind everyone out the front, then also black out their rear taillight lenses so nobody can see those past 8 feet away.