Shouldn’t all headlights be okay as long as your headlight angle is calibrated right? That’s like the first thing they teach in driving school
Yeah, it’s not. No one levels those properly and projectors should be used with LEDs, not reflectors. Also, tye temperature of the light (blue light is harsh and males it harder to see without high beams), the little LED strip lights that replaced headlights on a bunch of models now don’t help either.
Lul the what? Strip lights for low beam? Not just for daytime running lights (drl)? That sounds … terrible.
There was a recall on, I think, Chevy headlights. The LEDs were too bright, unfortunately recalls are at the will of the owner.
Even if the lights are leveled correctly, part of the problem is how directional LEDs are. On a flat surface you’re fine. If you’re cresting a hill so your vehicle is level and there’s someone coming up the hill towards you, your headlights are shining directly in their eyes. As soon as you start descending the hill your headlights are now pointing in the right direction relative to oncoming traffic again. Adjust the headlights down and you just change the angle that this happens at. Adjust the headlights down so it only happens on particularly steep hills, and your headlights are basically useless because they’re not illuminating enough of the road in front of you.
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In places where you need to have emissions checked they should simultaneously check headlight alignment and brightness and enforce standards for these.
We do in Germany, every two years. It’s not helping and I don’t know why. Maybe people are aligning their headlights correctly just for the test. Or the test is garbage. Next time my car is due, I’ll ask the guy.
I prefer the much more fun “break LED headlights with a hammer” but your solution is less likely to land me in jail I guess.
Well you could work at the inspection center and do that if they fail to pass muster (for safety).
LED headlights are not the problem. LEDs in reflector housings and/or idiots driving with their brights on is the problem.
Either way the problem is idiot car owners, not technology.
For the most part, I agree. LEDs are not the problem. The problem is either moronic drivers, or poor implementation of LED lights. As a driver of a very low car, the vast majority of my complaints about bright lights boils down to lifted trucks with ridiculous light bars, LEDs bulbs in halogen housings, or dufoids driving with their highbeams on. It doesn’t matter if the highbeams are halogen or LED, they’re both blinding.
That being said, there are cars with LED headlights that are blinding from the factory:
- 2023+ Subaru Outback.
- Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator (compounded by having a factory or aftermarket lift)
- Hyundai Palisade
Then there are the cars that are designed by morons that have all instruments in the center console. That makes it harder for drivers to see when their LED highbeams are on:
- Toyota Prius
- Tesla Model 3/Y
But there are plenty of cars with LED headlights that I don’t have any issues with. In my experience, Mercedes and Audi seem to do a particularly good job of having bright lights for the driver without blinding anyone else.
And there are plenty of other cars with halogen headlights that are blinding from the factory too:
- Ford F-Series trucks with quad halogen headlamps
- Dodge trucks
- Chevy Cruze (or some other small to midsize American sedan, I can’t tell)
The luddites who want to strap jam jars with glowworms in them to the front of new cars are being ridiculous. Properly aimed LEDs are so much safer.
When I got my new car with LED headlights, I couldn’t believe how much more I could see. I could see fae down the road. Retroreflectors on lane markings far beyond the reach of my beams are visible. Pedestrians running across the street against the light wearing all black (true story) are visible! Despite clear lenses, new bulbs, and being correctly aimed, the halogen lights in my old Civic barely reached 100 feet down the road. My other halogen bulbed vehicle is better, but it’s still a far cry from what I’m used to now.
The luddites who want to strap jam jars with glowworms in them to the front of new cars are being ridiculous.
Lmao. Well said.
TIL not all developed nations do this
I always wondered if it’s really the technique of the light or just lazy Standards
Part of it is how large trucks and SUVs are. The standard is that they have to point down a certain angle, but when you are that tall that is not enough.
They do that here. Except too bright isn’t seen as a fault.
Some people here in CR use bikes with these. The only difference is that the lights flash constantly
What is CR? (i bet 1000€ that you are american)
Costa Rica
My guess is Costa Rica. If correct, I guess you are technically correct too.
I hate it when someone with these lights is in the passing lane behind you, and their lights reflect off your side mirror directly into your eyes. The worst is when they’re only going like 102% your speed, so they linger there unless you adjust your own speed to change their placement relative to you.
Or when you are both at a stop light facing each other in your respective left turn lanes. Not only are their insanely bright LEDs directly facing you but you are also both at a slight incline, exacerbating the angle of brightness. And you have no choice but to look ahead because you need to watch for oncoming cars/pedestrians crossing, to know when it’s safe for you to make your left turn.
Bring back standardised headlight, and a maximum height allowance on vehicle’s headlights so that they’re not right in a sedan’s driver’s rearview mirror when a pickup is tailgating.
Or better, reduce the number of cars, especially SUVs. Improve public transport infrastructure.
That requires way too much effort and money from elected officials.
Yeah but that won’t solve the problem, just reduce it. It’s annoying in cities and everything but in my experience the problem is worst in country roads with that one asshole in a pickup. Both a place and vehicle not easily lending itself to public transit options.
Or, best, both, bexause cars aren’t going to just stop existing
IT CAN BETWO-THINGS.
keming is my passion
Can’t you just install couple of headlights facing backwards (asslights?) for such occasions?
That’s why we have a rear fog light.
Just joking, just drive slower until the asshole overtakes.
maximum height allowance on vehicle’s headlights so that they’re not right in a sedan’s driver’s rearview mirror when a pickup is tailgating
That’s actually already legally mandated at least in states that require state inspections. Headlight angle is supposed to be one of the things you have to check in order to pass inspection.
In practice, mostly nobody checks it and it doesn’t matter. But it should.
Not just the angle tho, the height of the headlights themselves! Even if aligned properly if the headlights are 5’ off the ground and my back window is 3.5’ when they tailgate it illuminate the inside of my car !
I saw a graphic of how big the “blind spot” is in front of modern trucks and it was bigger than most giant construction equipment.
And that’s for an average height driver.
Most of the huge truck guys also happen to be well under the average height, so entire reasonable size cars disappear in front of them when they tailgate. They might see the roof, but they won’t see brake lights or taillights.
It’s flat out not safe for other people. Which is why we have people driving giant SUVs instead of minivans now. Which just makes it worse for everyone else.
I always adjust my rearview to shine the light right back at the driver.
