I’ve also noticed more and more people using their “automatic” high beams. On divided 4 lanes they often have them on for on coming traffic, not as bad as a two lane but still can be bright. They will also stay on as they are coming to pass you or you after passing them.
I’ve noticed a deterioration in what I’d call “high beam etiquette”, and had never thought it might be due to automatic high beams, but you might be onto something here. The reason I had never thought it might be the automatics is that every one I’ve ever owned has erred so far toward always turning them off, that I’ve had to disable the system on every car that has ever had it, as it often won’t let me turn them on when I want or need them. But maybe that varies by brand.
Over the last decade or so, I’ve noticed an increase in people leaving them on when following me. My current pickup has a bed light that can be switched on while driving, so that’s usually my first means of signaling them, but that usually doesn’t get the job done. Sometimes I’ll pull over, let them pass, and then follow their ass with my highbeams on for awhile… hoping it gets the message through loud and clear.
Even oncoming cars are leaving theirs on more and more. I’ll flash you once and give you about 2 seconds to respond. If not, I turn mine on and leave them on. My truck sits fairly high, and has HIDs, so the experience for nearly any oncoming driver is going to be far worse than what I’m experiencing.
These may be a-hole responses, and I’m probably naive in hoping that I can retrain others around me to think more about leaving their high beams on the next time, but it feels better than just lamely driving into oncoming highbeams with no response.
