Driving in America Is Headlight Hell

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/06/car-headlights-too-bright-adaptive-beams/687488/

by ggm • 1 month ago

5 1 1 month ago

anenefan• 1 month ago

Same BS in Australia. Yes the leds can be brighter and bluer than regular lights, but folks in my locale would often opt for higher intensity regular bulb options back in the pre led days.

What has changed is the loss of driving etiquette at night.

Back in the late 70s, 80s out in half way rural areas it seemed near every vehicle was fitted with a bull-bar and a small percentage with windscreen protectors [strong thin steel mesh in a frame in front of the windscreen]. More often a bull-bar sported a couple banks of spot lights. So back then it was important at night and a necessary courtesy to use dim lights immediately, either for oncoming traffic or on catching up with a vehicle in view even if it was near on the horizon.

These days the blighters don't bother to properly adjust the position of low beam. Some don't dim for oncoming traffic until it's x distance away. The worse offenders by far that I encounter at night are the sods who don't dim until they are on your tail plate. More often, when the situation is safe to do so with no incoming traffic, I have found myself turning off the car's lights to show them their lights are so bright I don't need any lights ...

Driving in America Is Headlight Hell

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