General Question

janbb's avatar

Do drivers at night not dim their brights much anymore?

Asked by janbb (63208points) 4 weeks ago

I drove about 20 miles last night on back roads and highways. The glare from ongoing lights was terrible. I only noticed one or two cars dimming their lights from bright. Has something changed in the technology? I do think the newer halogen lights are even brighter than former ones. For the record, I almost always just keep my headlights on low beam. And for the record, I did have cataract surgery so it’s not my eyes.

What’s up with this or am I wrong in some way? Is this just a regional failing?

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10 Answers

Blackwater_Park's avatar

It’s the new LED lights coupled with most people driving SUVs and crossovers

jca2's avatar

Lights now are automatically going from low to high beams, and so I think most drivers (or many drivers) don’t think about taking the lights off high beam, as it’s not something that they do manually.

I used to flash my brights at other cars as a reminder, but I no longer do. I just stare straight ahead and try to look past the brights.

Forever_Free's avatar

The new technology headlights make it appear that the high beams are on.
I put some new DOT approved KC’s in my Jeep and get flashed at all the time. I think they are floored when i flash the highs back.

smudges's avatar

…and remember when you used to flash your lights to let someone know there’s a speed trap coming up for them? or an accident? or a herd of cows in the road? Those were the days. Sometimes I just hate technology. 8/

SQUEEKY2's avatar

I have been complaining about that for years, I got so mad after awhile I wouldn’t dim my lights until oncoming dimmed theirs then I would instantly dim mine, one lady asked me if oncoming high beams bothered us truck drivers because we are so high up.

Bill1939's avatar

Even on low beam, the blue LED lights are blinding. I wear blue-blocking glasses at night over my regular glasses. Not only does this decrease the intensity of blue lights, but it also enhances red light stoplight signals.

JLeslie's avatar

I agree with others, the newer headlights that are very white and blue are blinding. Plus, so many SUV’s and trucks so the lights might be higher and more in your face.

Also, I agree that many newer cars usually have a sensor to automatically switch high beams to low when there is an oncoming car.

If you don’t have your cataracts anymore you have nothing dulling the light. Cataracts protect you from bright light. Cataracts can cause glare in your vision, but they also are a layer letting less light in.

MrGrimm888's avatar

If you mean “people in traffic,” there are a shit-ton of crazy and violent people on the roads these days. People who are civil, and don’t drive like they are in a video game, are rare anymore.

LifeQuestioner's avatar

It’s been bad for years. A few years before covid I had an evening job and driving home every night was a nightmare! I took the most rural route I could to avoid traffic but you always had that one person coming up behind you and tailgating you, and of course it was a big pickup truck or SUV and they would have their high beams on. Sometimes the lights were so bright that I could actually see them shining in front of my car by them coming through the window!

MrGrimm888's avatar

^I know “down south,” it’s practically a given that one dim their lights, for oncoming traffic.
While some lights are just brighter now, and SUVs and trucks are bigger/taller so the lights hit your eyes in lower cars.

But SOME people, are just a menace to society. (A phrase I don’t throw around lightly.)

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