I came back from the mall, they had one of those little trains for kids. The locomotive had two incredibly bright 6000K (blue-white) headlights. What for? You're in a mall. It's lit. You're going 2 km/h. It's just cheap one size fits all Aliexpress junk. Not a single thought went into the selection of these abominations.
The hell of it is, its even stock vehicles now. So many new models have these crazy bright headlights. I know it can be done right, so how about we start having the safety bodies dealing with this bullshit at the manufacturer level?
I personally think headlight brightness peaked just before LED became mainstream. Through the mid teens companies were installing projector headlights. I had a 2014 Corolla with projector headlights so bright that I got non-stop flashes from opposing drivers.
Newer LED headlights are often matrix headlights. See the entire road like you've got high beams on, except the oncoming car's area is dark. Best of both worlds if implemented well enough. You can still turn off the high beams so that if the system stops malfunctioning, you have something equivalent to normal LED low beams.
Found the euro …. Is that even approved in the US yet?
My car has standard bulbs but with lenses that pivot to achieve the same effect, but I'm dreading the day that one of the servos breaks and my car starts looking like Forest Whitaker
If all LED headlamps followed a new polarization standard, things could be very cool. As an example, let's say the headlights could only shine horizontally polarized light and the windshields could only pass vertically polarized light. That means that one could see every thing very clearly because you wouldn't be blinded by the cars coming on the opposite side. Your light would illuminate everything in from of you, which would then reflect non polarized light back at you plus all other light reflections from other sources like street lamps. Houses could be fitted with the same filter film as older cars. Similarly, people could wear polarized glasses and get the same benefit.
In North America we can't even get signal lights to not look different than break lights. I hope Europe has better luck.
Edit: that sounds like an awesome idea
There's a load of cars with headlights that are overly bright, but there is an even bigger epidemic of idiots driving around with high beams on as part of regular course.
In the city there is no need for those, ever. Let alone always being on.
it's hard to tell the two apart these days because many cars have regular headlights that are as bright as normal high beams. there have been a few times i've been mad at someone behind me with their high beams on, and then they flash their actual high beams because they're mad at me for not also speeding while blind
god, driving at night used to be so fun, now it's ruined
I don't disagree. There are plenty of led upgrade kits that are way too bright regularly and also probably misaligned causing them to be double bad. Brighter than normal and aimed directly into your eyes.
I'm with you though, driving at night used to be a lot different and more enjoyable than it is today with all these extremely bright lights pointed at your eyes.
My problem is that I drive a low car (Ford fiesta) and most other cars are taller, this makes them way more blinding.
Our problem is not that we drive small cars (I drive a Focus). It's that newer vehicles are enormous, usually for no reason.
Nearly every time I get on the highway, I'm tailgated by someone in some newer massive SUV where the headlights are at the same height as my rear view mirror. I don't understand why those vehicles are allowed to operate on the same roads as me. They aren't safe. By default, stock, out of the factory, they blind the other drivers in reasonable cars. I can't imagine what getting into a wreck with one would do to my car (and me in it).
Oh, it's bullshit. It's a bunch of cockfucking bullshit.
You're sitting, waiting for the bus, trying to look down the street to see if you notice the bus coming. What do you see instead? White. Just an all encompassing blinding white light which just consumes all reality and everything you're experiencing right now.
NOW how am I supposed to know if I should be getting my bus pass out? Also, 50% chance my retinas were just singed to a crisp.
I agree, fuck those headlights, but I don't understand the point of a community for it.
Somewhere for me to go and make myself annoyed?
Welcome to the Internet
Have a look around
Anything that brain of yours can think of can be found
A quick question for Americans: here in the UK, cars have to pass an annual inspection once they reach three years old. It's called an MOT test and it's primarily concerned with making sure the car is safe - they check for rust, seatbelt tension, brake wear, and, yes, they make sure all the lights are not just working but also aligned properly. Do you not have an equivalent?
I think some states have laws similar to this but in a lot of the country you can basically drive your car until it falls apart unless a cop specifically stops and tickets you for something egregious.
It’s by state. I’ve always lived in states with relatively strict inspections, at least compared to other states, but I’ve never heard of them checking lights or window tint. They’re supposed to
I suppose it’s good that they focus on more urgent things like brakes, emissions, that there be lights, tire treads, and windshield chips/cracks, but I wish they’d do everything
Actually it’s mildly annoying that I have to pay the same for inspections that include the emissions check, with my EV
Some states have something similar, but it's more for emissions I think. Michigan doesn't seem to care AT ALL.
I still get mad about this aftermarket center high beam. way more blinding in person than the photo, also makes it impossible to see the plates
As a cyclist, please.
Can we vent about loud motorcycles too?
No. Loud = safe for motorcyclists. Its the only way they can be noticed inside sound proof cars by people on their phones.
I dont ride anymore because bad drivers killed every motorcyclist i used to ride with.
As a fellow motorcyclist I hate this myth. https://www.spauldinginjurylaw.com/blogs/5758/loud-pipes-saves-lives-myth
I only know that for me, driving with windows up, radio quiet, I don’t hear most loud pipes until too late. It’s probably not a good idea to startle drivers just as you’re passing them
As someone who didnt have an excessively loud bike. .. I've almost been killed so many times by people who didnt see or hear me and who switched lanes or pulled out in front of me.
Loud pipes do save lives and no amount of bullshit research about one particular scenario that doesnt factor in everything else will change that.
If you think you cant hear loud pipes if you are in front of or beside a motercycle then your an idiot who probably doesnt even ride.
No amount of anything will prevent headons .
But i dont ride anymore and if you do and you want to cruise quietly then you do you.
This lawyer doesn’t post the actual study referenced anywhere in that blog. After looking for the study, it seems to be referencing a quite limited series of tests in a YouTube video made by the Association for the Development of Motorcycling in Romania.
The most annoying thing about bright LED headlights is that LEDs don't have to be bright. Yet because so many are, people view LED headlights as the problem. You can get varying brightness LED bulbs for your home, why not your car?
I'mma get some downvotes for this. But is this community also for the headlights of bicycles who like to shine into the face of other road users instead of illuminating the road?
Totally, I'm commuting by bike almost every work day of the year and it's infuriating how many cyclists have their headlights misaligned.
Ooh a place for the cult of the Honda Fit to congregate
I recently had a high beam tailgating me. I moved my side and rearview mirrors to reflect it back and he passed me on a double yellow line with him in front of me I just turned on my own high beams. He turned off soon after but I hope it made his day a little more frustrating ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I recently rented a car from SIXT, a BMW SUV - it was one of their rideshare cars, it was nearest to me, just so you know it was not my choice.
It auto-aligned lights to just slightly blind everyone in front of me. It also had tinted rear windows, wonder why. As a cherry on top, the navigation software made it impossible to anticipate off-ramps, so it had you switch multiple lanes at the last moment.
I think I understand a bit more about why BMW drivers suck.
!fuckyourheadlights@lemmy.world
Also, you might want to use https://lemmy-federate.com/ to make sure it federated everywhere
Not just cars, goofy cyclists too. Broad daylight, high noon on a cloudless summer day, somehow, cyclists need piercingly blinding bright little lamps on their handlebars. Or their helmets. Or their armbands. Or all at the same time. Cheap electronics from China make this possible. Backpacks. I couldn't believe what I was seeing the other day, a guy dressed like a manga-ninja, all black with a face mask, and a backpack covered in LEDs.
Honestly, riding a bike in the middle of traffic is so dangerous that I understand the desire for being visible
If you need extra lights in summer, in daytime, on a cloudless noon, you shouldn't be riding a vehicle. What gives you the right to blind and annoy oncoming pedestrians and drivers because of your misguided paranoia?
And typically, from my observations, the people crowing about biking being dangerous and they need safety ... wear earbuds. Sure, seal off one of your senses and then complain about safety. We biked for decades without piercingly blinding Cree LEDs taped on our bodies 24/7.
Yeah but a single blinding light doesn’t make for good visibility. They’re supposed be much more visible with multiple lights
That's so oddly specific but I love it
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