If you focus the light correctly they’re not bad.
The problem is folks put new LED bulbs in old fixtures designed for non-led bulbs. These scatter light everywhere and annoy people. Plus they have to be even brighter because the light isn’t focused where it needs to go.
Also, the newer massive trucks that are so high they blind anyone lower than them regardless of how properly it's configured.
Can we stop saying this? This might have been the case 10 years ago when conventional bulbs were the better established headlight standard but they're coming off the line like this these days. It has nothing to do with the housing and everything to do with the height they sit at, where they're aimed, and the brightness.
Yeah this, its brand new production cars with factory fitted light units drives me insane.
Also just cars being too high/big. My car gives no issues to others, but fuck me those bigger cars...
It's typically this and not the particular tech in the headlight. And when it's not "plug n play" (pnp) bulbs, it's bad aim because every factory aims them with an empty tank and owners are clueless headlights can be aimed. That A8 had pretty good lights for the time. Sure, the lights do tend to be more intense when you're in the beam on a hill, curve, etc), and the bluer color isn't great for human night vision, but that's a tradeoff for the increased speeds we travel at now.
The further development of matrix LED lights by the Germans is a great development, really only feasible with LEDs. They turn off individual segments to give a near-high beam experience but specifically without blinding other drivers.
But blaming it all on LEDs is like blaming gas engines for loud exhaust. There's supposed to be a system in place that makes it tolerable for everyone around.
I relate so hard. Honestly LED's are nothing compared to the fucking laser headlights that now exist in Volvo models and others. Yes, you read that right, actual lasers.
I've been on the receiving end and actually had to pull over for a minute just to survive (ie not crash due to complete blindness from being flasbanged). Laser headlights should be illegal yesterday. The permanent damage from exposure again and again over time is going to cause long-term and slowly emerging vision problems theoughout the population. Seriously.
i'm still amazed how these fucking lights got through regulation in germany. 'everything' is regulated here. but these blinding pieces of shit got through. i know the answer: money. as in cars, the crown jewel of the german economy. i hate them sooooooo much.
I actually think regulation is how we got them, but not in a known bad way. Originally car headlights had little to no standards, but eventually people realized they’re important to safety and so testing started happening to ensure that headlights met a minimum safety rating. The problem is that the testing was done from the drivers seat, and based on light projection in front of the vehicle rather than taking into account other humans looking toward it. I’ve been a big proponent of LED lights that dim when stopped or slowing, and even halogen/ultra dim lights for city driving, and keeping LEDs for brights. LEDs have really made a lot of brights basically useless, but the brightness, and harshness of color temperature is absolutely detrimental to other drivers.
true, if you're in the driver seat these lights are awesome. I worked as a driver for a few years. Mostly in old shitboxes but sometimes i had the chance drive these modern marvels of technology. no doubt its way better for your eyes and concentration if you are in the driver seat. but for anybody else its just soooo bad. even if you steer a vehicle with fancy LEDs the other car with LEDs will blind you. but as a pedestrian, on a bicycle or in a shitbox they just straight up fuck up your cornea.
Wait, Germany bans good-quality bike lights, but allows unregulated lights on fucking cars‽‽
stop! badly adjusted way too bright bike lights are the most hated things in my life. i have nothing left but spite for them. i'm activily holding myself back right now. i could sputter nonsensical insults for hours because of them. One time i started to carry a stupid bright flash light with myself just to blind them fuckers back. since then i grown up. but awfafhasifhaoshfoahgoiahsdoigasddfafas asfdda fuck
German law literally restricts bike light brightness to a point of being impractical in the dark. It bans blinking lights despite research showing blinking lights increase visibility of cyclists. It requires cut-offs that make it so you literally can't see what's ahead of you until it's too late to react to it, if you're riding at speed.
If you're only ever riding at a slow 20 km/h on relatively well-lit city streets, it might be fine. But that's just not reality.
You're required to have a rear light, but it must be mounted between 25 and 60 cm above the ground...so you can forget about a light mounted on your helmet or backpack...or even at the most natural place for a light...at the top of your seatpost. It's fucking nonsensical. And to learn that despite all this bullshit making cyclists less safe, car lights are unrestricted? Oh boy, am I incensed right now.
tbh i dont care what theoretically is written in law. what i care about are the fuckers who light up the 200m infront of them with their led lights and with that burn up my corneas. everyday multiple times. dont get me wrong, led lights are awesome. i use them myself. but there are too much assholes who only think about them self. even if with 30km/h you certainly dont need the visibility of cars full bright.
am i overreacting? maybe. idk. but these fuckheads drive me mad everyday.
I feel like there is no such thing as low beams anymore. Low beams used to be less bright, now they're just as fucking bright and aimed SLIGHTLY down. God forbid the road isn't exactly flat or you have a slightly different height vehicle.
I love my rear view mirror being able to auto dim, not sure if that feature is in most cars but it's saved my eyes a number of times now.
Yep, I'm driving an '08 with this feature and it's key. Too bad the side mirrors don't do the same
Dodge RAM enters the chat.
crashes into minivan and driver stumbles out drunkenly
Its a lot of the lighting going up on buildings next to roadways that are starting to get under my skin. If you're going to use a 300000000000 lumen LED, can you at least not point it directly at an oncoming lane of traffic? Thanks.
Likewise some emergency vehicles have made it difficult to get around an accident safely since you can't see shit.
I like LEDs. The only issue is building the optic so it doesn't glare in people's faces
I like flashlights and I own...probably almost 100 at this point
In Canada we have mandatory DRL (Daytime Running Lights) and often, cars use high beam with a low voltage or PWM. When people replace their standard bulbs with LED bulb, it means during the day you are flashed by high beam in your eyes, even in full summer at noon you can be completely blinded by cars coming towards you, it's fucking annoying!
Its not the headlights, it's fuckera messing with their car or bribing the inspector to not fail them on broken auto adjust systems, or (for a while) people putting shitty aliexpres lights in halogen projectors
It is the headlights, the UK has the MOT which is very harsh in testing and you cant just bribe your way through it (massive legal penalties for the garage performing the check). And if these lights are that bad while maladjusted then they're still a issue, malajusted bulb headlights are just slightly annoying not totally blinding.
I remember reading about how cars in other countries like China, and Europe have LED headlights that will detect where other cars windshields are and turn the LEDs that would shine in that direction off re-actively. But that it was illegal in the US for some reason.
My 10 year old car has that. Just adaptive headlights.
USA legalised them only recently - that's why ("expensive") European cars in Murikan movies always had the shitty incandescent headlights that in most markets weren't even available.
Yes, you are correct. It's because of the slow acceptance of new technologies by the NHSTA.
Most EVs, and especially Teslas, are prime offenders. It’s like the focused them specifically to blind oncoming drivers. Which would be selfishly on-brand for Tesla.
Yeah when one of those fuckers is driving behind me, I'll just decelerate a mph every couple of seconds. Doesn't usually take more than about 5 until they get annoyed enough to actually pass.
HID headlights were just as bad, and those go back to the 90's.
