Are we OK with how bright headlights are getting?

[BravoXray]

The worst offenders I see are the Jeep drivers that run off-road lights. They really piss me off.

 

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My wife just swapped her (incandescent) bulbs out on her '18 Toyota Highlander.
She's planning on getting LEDs someday but hasn't yet.
Our '09 Mazda 3 driver's side headlamp requires a screwdriver to move the air box out of the way to get to the bulb, but it could be worse.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I don't recall the year, but a coworker had an Oldsmobile that you had to remove the right front fender to change the headlight! The left side, you just needed a screwdriver.

Who designs this stuff??

 

[ruffdog]

The neighbor had his wife's Chrysler's front end half tore apart to replace a headlight bulb. He called me over and I showed him how to do it in about a minute without taking everything apart. Sometimes you just need to look at it a bit differently.

 

[Cub 7275]

Sticking with just the issue of unmodified manufacturers' headlights, yes they are way too bright. I can't find the better article I read a few months back, so these will have to do.

Report: How Headlight Glare Became Such a Big Problem

If you’ve been driving for a while, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that headlamps have gotten so ludicrously bright that they’ve become a safety issue. Consumer complaints about on-road blindings continue to climb and, in the absence of any true regulatory response, a grassroots push back has begun...

www.thetruthaboutcars.com

Quote in blue from here: Asleep at the Wheel in the Headlight Brightness Wars

On a recent episode of the Carmudgeon Show podcast, auto journalist Jason Cammisa described a phenomenon occurring with some LED headlights in which there are observable minor spots of dimness among an otherwise bright field of light. “With complex arrays of LEDs and of optics,” he said, “car companies realized they can engineer in a dark spot where it’s being measured, but the rest of the field is vastly over-illuminated. And I’ve had now two car companies’ engineers, when I played stupid and said, ‘What’s the dark spot?’ … And the lighting engineers are all ******* proud of themselves: ‘That’s where they measure the ******* thing!’ And I’m like, ‘You assholes, you’re the reason that every ******* new car is blinding the **** out of everyone.’”

Bottom line is the manufacturers are intentionally skirting the regs to wow buyers with stupid bright headlights. People only care what is best for themselves and see the mini suns burning opposing drivers retinas as a positive reason to buy a vehicle. Luxury vehicles were the worst, but now its trickling down to all vehicles. IHHS should be fined for pushing these abominations and NHTSA should be ashamed for dropping the ball on updating the regulations on headlights. The answer is not adaptive headlights with their several thousand dollar price tag. At least it looks like laser headlights aren't going anywhere.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

I drive a lot, a real lot, in 50+ different rental vehicles a year, cars, trucks, SUVs, major cities, mountains, prairie and in the artic so this is something that really resonates with me.

There was always the jacked up 4x4s that were bad and then the F150s seemed to be one of the first with the really bright in your mirror lights when they were behind you at a light. That expended to other trucks and now as mentioned it's a whole new level of stupidity where manufacturers are clearly using loopholes to far exceed the intention of the rules. I live in a rural area and regularly pass a few Teslas, no idea what model but they seem to be the worst offenders, every little bump is a blinding flash.

I also think the advent of digital dashes and touchscreens has made stupid bright headlights not just a selling feature but a necessity since there is so much light inside the vehicle. The lowest setting for the dash lights on any of these cars is far, far brighter than the highest setting of most pre-digital dashes which I find a huge issue driving through the mountains in the rain at night, even with no other cars around. Automatic high beams compound the problem, they often stay on far too long or come on when they shouldn't. My Model A headlights don't even trigger them so nearly every car with then drives right past with highbeams on. Makes it tough to see for quite a while after that.

The other really big issue previously mentioned is all the LED "upgrades" the market has been flooded with. Very, very few meet any kind of motor vehicle design standards, it's nearly impossible to get the amount of light produced by an incandescent filament from a single point source LED so they use rows and rows of LED chips resulting in a completely unfocussed wall of light scattered everywhere. This gives the impression of great lighting to the person behind the light but a wall of blinding light for the oncoming driver. To meet standards, bulbs need to be precisely focused. 9003 bulbs appear identical to the old H4s however the H4 was not manufactured with the same tolerance for the filament position and didn't meet the testing standard but all that is out the window if you use uncertified LED replacements with rows of LEDs. Not hard to see this by just flipping between low and high beam and comparing where the light goes. Low beam is supposed to be aimed low and cut off at the top, "high" beam refers to the beam projection being higher. I remember some early 9003s were recalled because they didn't meet the new filament tolerance and I got several failed bulbs replaced for free at the time.

grumble grumble grumble... get off of my lawn.

 

[redman135]

My complaint about the new led headlights is they are HIGHLY DIRECTIONAL. That is if you are directly in front of them you don't get dazzled BUT if there is a rise or dip or on a curve you are dazzled , as they are EFFECTIVELY on high beam.

See Cub7275 (post 55) on why we are being dazzled. This is news to me. Some idiots failed to think things through. HOW did the LIABILITY lawyers miss this one???

 

[Hay Dude]

I can’t stand those F-360 headlights. They are really bright.

 

[Jstpssng]

I can’t stand those F-360 headlights. They are really bright.

Stir that pot!!!

 

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I can’t stand those F-360 headlights. They are really bright.

They make my eyes spin in circles