Are car lights getting too bright ?

[Deschodt]

I've been commuting very early, and I'm noticing that modern cars with the latest generation LEDs+whatever headlights they use these days are quite a pain in the....eye....in early AM or night conditions. To the point that you have to look away behind the brakes of a last gen prius, or facing oncoming lights of an Audi (for a recent example, just today). Those things are downright retina scorching next to a common light bulb. Is there a mandated limit to their output? I've noticed it's not all brands, LEDs are brighter than bulbs but some like mentioned above take it up several notches, it seems... I understand the headlights self level too, but in hill+oncoming traffic situations it's like getting a laser shot in your eyes ;-(

[McLovin]

Yes. It's like there is some mindless arms race to see who can can be the most blinding and obnoxious with the cheap LEDs.

[Grog]

Yep, It's not the OEM lights, it's the idiots buying the after market off road only 100,000K gigawatt lights. GGrrrrr..

[Flieger]

Yes, and the recent stupid trend of buying only tall vehicles has made things even worse. Trucks either are going around with high-beams on or else they are super bright since they are right at eye level.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Flieger

Yes, and the recent stupid trend of buying only tall vehicles has made things even worse. Trucks either are going around with high-beams on or else they are super bright since they are right at eye level.

This ^^^

Since going from an SUV to my little Volvo V60, trucks with LED's behind me are getting damned irritating. I've had to turn my review mirror aways several times now.

[widebody911]

The brightness of the headlights is inversely proportional to that of the driver.

[ckelly78z]

The bright headlights don't bother me too much when I am in my tall F-250 4x4 because my eye level is a good foot or two higher than my Porsche 944. I am actually tinting the rear windows of my 944 for all the idiots who follow me with bright lights blazing (can't see my cargo area either when tinted). I really like the Halo headlights on my wifes BMW 325ci and they aren't too bright when coming at you.

There are some new headlights that show bright blue (usually on a ricer) that people seem to run with intense brights flipped on, and either don't know, or don't care that oncoming traffic is diverting our eyes. I actually saw a pickup truck that had his bright lights on and not one, but two sets of lower running lights driving through town.....If I were a cop !

[BeyGon]

My wife just got a 2015 Golf with BiXenon lights, they are great.

[dave 911]

Yes, for sure. I can drive around all night in our 95 Camry on high beams these days and never ever get flashed. And I just cleaned the lenses recently so it's not that they are excessively dim....

Now the 62 6 V beetle...even on high beams I still see only 6' of the road in front of the bumper

And what REALLY getting brighter are emergency vehicle flashers. Geez some of those are downright blinding at night.

[peppy]

I thought it was because I was getting old.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by peppy

I thought it was because I was getting old.

That certainly is part of it.

[GH85Carrera]

One of the best improvements I made to my cars is an automatic dimming rear view mirror. I loved it so much on the El Camino I put one of the 911.

And yes the lights are getting crazy bright. And the really stupid thing is 60% of the cars drive around with their fog lights on when there is zero fog.

[BE911SC]

Thank you! Yes, it does seem like an "arms race" to have brighter lights that piss-off other drivers. And as Craig T said above, many in the pickup and SUV crowd know their lights are higher up and they love to drive with their fog lights on too. Try giving them a quick flash of high-beams and see how quickly they go full-bright in response. They almost dare you to give them a courtesy flash so they can fry your retinas.

[gtc]

I've noticed that newer Toyotas in particular seem to have a pretty crappy beam pattern with no discernible cut off.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The drivers sure as heck aren't!

[bell]

I've been *****ing about the super bright led taillights for years.....caddy is the worse offender.....
literally see red dots for a minute after.....
in Florida tourists either drive with high beams on our no lights at all....

[Deschodt]

Seems to me the brightness level is appropriate (and great) for daylight. But at night in close proximity it's blinding. There should be some automatic adjustment....
And you are correct, height has something to do with it - the prius that always gets me has high tail lights... sedans are OK....

The other irony is cost... I once had one LED die on a cluster on my daily driver (I'm probably as guilty of blinding people with my brake lights - Audi S4 - but at least my car is low), and it's not fixable - they replace the entire $$$ unit ! Price a whole cluster out of warranty sometime, and weep ;-(

As opposed to a $1.50 bulb.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

And the really stupid thing is 60% of the cars drive around with their fog lights on when there is zero fog.

This really grinds my gears. I turn my mirrors away a lot, sit pretty low in a Miata

[intakexhaust]

complaint-
Over bright tail / brake lamps. Definitely obscuring bright headlamps and of all sorts. Fine to have if one needs them, but why are dealers or mfg. setting them up to blind oncoming traffic? What kind of safety is that?

Another- Years ago it was illegal to run driving lights within 12" of each other, such as on the early Shelby Mustangs. I'm noticing more of this on some late model vehicles used -on road-, so I'm guessing its now legal?

And finally-
WHATS UP WITH ALL YOU CADILLAC OWNERS AND NEVER USING TURN SIGNALS? It's standard equipment, in case you hadn't realized.

[911SauCy]

Yes they are.

To Flieger and Craig T's points...when driving the wife's Highlander with low beams on, I regularly get a flash from on-comers, thinking I'm beaming them. Some people get a little silly with multiple flashes...then I'm forced to show them the light...

Mostly in the 5-series I'm repositioning my mirrors because of quacks like me driving the Highlander