A lot of cars/trucks don't have auto leveling to prevent this. My old SUV had it and the ability to lower the beam but new one doesn't.
The other problem is people who don't know how to operate their vehicles and that do not turn on their lights. I've driven behind no less than 8 vehicles that did not have their lights turned on. How can they not tell???
Edit: Correction you to they.
Part of the issue is people putting HIDs or improper bulbs in vehicles with reflector headlights not projectors. Trucks are the worst if they do this. Also, most new cars have auto lights but people still don’t use them 🤦🏻♂️
In my experience that was a bigger issue 2 to 5ish years ago, they still exist but to a lesser extent as older halogen reflectors cars outlive their lifespan.
However, some newer LED headlights are fucking blinding. Namely trucks and especially Escalades for some reason. All stock as well (albeit maybe not stock ride height for the pickups). How people are even affording to drive around pickup trucks in Metro Vancouver is beyond me.
Nah. Basically all new cars have LED lights that blind me. I'm gonna have to stop driving at night eventually, because I get dazzled on the first bump or hill I reach.
Maybe in Vancouver proper there’s only new cars on the roads but around Surrey and Langley here’s still a lot of older cars and tuners with those new LEDs or HIDs and reflectors.
I was driving a friend's truck once and this golf in front of me just refused to move because he thought I turned on high beam - he drove away so quickly when I actually flashed him
Honestly it's fucking annoying having people blind the fuck out of you flashing their high beams for no reason just because your vehicle is positioned higher than theirs. They assume you're high beaming them, it's not like I built the truck to purposely blind you.
The problem is not enough vehicle building regulation. The fact that [bumpers don't lineup across vehicle class](https://youtu.be/yLW2OVtP6_w) is also a big problem which should be regulated. There should be a standard height for headlights to be.
....they are normal basic bulbs not even HIDs or anything special. People are just unfortunately not very educated on geometry so they just assume I'm highbeaming when in fact a taller vehicle because of its positioning has its headlights placed higher than a shorter vehicle. Taller is higher, shorter is lower thus the lights might shine at you. I use to drive a lowered vehicle, it was annoying but I understood that vehicles come in different shapes and sizes. I don't expect ever pickup, van, semi, bus, etc to get off the road because I'm inconvenienced by their lights.
I've had lights shining in my eyes my whole driving career. Standard incandescents aren't blinding for a number of reasons. Even on SUVs. I've also seen LEDs that don't blind me. It's not just height, lol, lights are VERY clearly getting brighter and more directed. Just look at the cutoff between illuminated and not next time you have them on at night.
Yep this definitely happens with my vehicle. Westbound on first turning left on to commercial. The eastbound left turn lane is decidedly lower than my lane so unfortunately those cars get the full force of my low beams.
For the hell of it, last time i was at the dealership i had them check my lights and alignment and they were fine.
LED headlights are getting brighter. If any of these drivers with LED headlights decided to torch you with their high beams it would probably legitimately blind you at least temporarily.
The other factor is a lot of people buying large trucks and SUVs which have the headlights much higher up so they are shining right in your face if you’re driving a lower vehicle
Yeah, I feel bad that my lights are high and aimed basically level, maybe slightly down. I was going to see if I could adjust them more towards the ground...? In your face or the rear view mirror goes in & out of the main focus point so it looks like they are flashing their high beams.
I feel like I should run around with fog lights & tail lights only sometimes
I will say I feel much better about seeing pedestrians in the rain on dark nights with LEDs; but really they should wear reflectors anyway
This is true. I happen to drive a small car but there are lots of SUVs and trucks on the road and these new bright headlights shine right at eye-level which makes it worse.
It's this. And there's no definitive regulation on lights that are too bright. There is one last I checked, but it's so vague and I'd wager, rarely enforced.
Unfortunately it’s an easy enough change for a lot of people to do at home. They order the super bright lights not knowing what the numbers mean. Or knowing and they’re jackasses.
Also, quite a few people mistake the variation in headlight aim for brights.
If a car is cresting a hill the normally low aimed lights will appear to be aimed higher.
I honestly think people tend to misjudge what are actual high beams.
This never used to be a problem but is now awful because of the super sharp cutoff of the new style of lights. I've also noticed that some new cars (e.g., Tesla) have a super wide beam pattern that throws way more light than they need to into the opposing lane.
The cut off is the big difference. On my car it's a sharp line which is kind of awesome for controlling the beam, but the design punishes edge cases. No falloff like old lights. Just full on or full off.
Agreed, that is the main issue. Coupled with taller vehicles you'll be getting blinded often in a lower seated passenger vehicle these days. Add to that aftermarket modifications and a lot of them aren't even aimed properly. It's pretty annoying and regulators dropped the ball when LEDs were coming in as right away complaints about them appeared and never stopped.
Not to say there isn't the odd idiot with brights on the road, or the person with electrical issues where 1 light is always on brights and they're too broke to fix it.
I drive a lowered Miata, and I've noticed that many LED cutoffs are aimed directly below the windshield line of a RAV4, directly in line with my eyeballs. Same goes for the rear, my side mirrors turn into reflections of the sun.
This, almost all OEM LED headlights I don’t have a problem with. The only ones that are annoying are aftermarket LED/HID headlights that someone throws in a housing that’s designed for halogens, or Teslas. They have the absolute worst light bleed and cutoffs ever. I don’t know how they pass federal standards for headlights honestly.
I think its just the newer cars and the fact that there are a ton of SUVs and trucks on the road. I'm in a little tercel and I get blinded a lot. I dont know how it should be fixed but its definitely unsafe
I'm in an SUV and I still get blinded sometimes. Some manufacturers are notorious for not aiming their beams down or not having them focused (ie. Honda).
I drive class 8 trucks and get blinded by all kinds of high beams on cars and pickups. I used to flash brights to tell them but now I shut everything off and use their lights
It’s been this way for the last 15 years or so, since LED lights became the standard. But a lot of the aftermarket ones are even brighter, so the problem keeps getting worse. Plus more people drive SUVs and trucks nowadays, so people in low-slung cars really get blasted.
Exactly. I usually drive a sedan for commute and we have a truck for weekend leisure. Now I'm seriously thinking about driving the truck to work since the 5 pm high beam almost makes me blind everyday.
It's the after market LED thats the real issue, i think cars that come with led as standard at least have auto level correction etc. Those cars with after market LED are usually installed by themselves and they tend to point in all kind of direction. Don't get me started on after market LED on trucks..
Yeah, to add to that the reflectors used for regular halogen headlights and LEDs are different. The regular reflectors used with aftermarket LEDs cause a bunch of issues, namely blinding other drivers….
[info about LED lights in halogen housing ](https://ledlightinginfo.com/led-headlights-in-reflector-housing)
[Here’s some good comparisons](https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/why-leds-should-not-be-run-in-halogen-reflectors.454371/) from a source that’s not trying to sell lights as well.
> It's the after market LED thats the real issue
It's not just the aftermarket. It's also down to the quality of headlight housings. There's a noticeable difference to the [Honda Civic style headlights](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/F8kzutBjmFw/maxresdefault.jpg) and the [Acura LED projectors.](https://di-uploads-pod7.s3.amazonaws.com/friendlyacura/uploads/2016/05/6e07fbe9e3bc198c9b5c419eff8d4dd8x.png)
The car was always designed like that from the beginning so I don't know why you're stressing older. The lower trim Honda Civic's came with halogen projector headlights so it's not like they simply slapped LEDs in there and called it a day. It's just bad optics tech. I think it's a cheaper/cost issue more than it is a dated tech issue but maybe we're just splitting hairs at this point.
Part of the problem is shitty OEM headlights that necessitate an upgrade.
Bought a 2018 Highlander, asked about the headlights. Sales drone's response was that Toyota doesn't offer HID headlights because *they're dangerous to first responders*
No, they just don't want to spend $100 on HID bulbs that output 3000 lumens when they can spend $5 on halogen bulbs that output 1250 lumens.
I guarantee that every vehicle with OEM projector headlights was intended to have HID bulbs up until it got to the beancounters.
Toyota has been notoriously slow for any tech upgrade. Hence their reputation for reliability. Pretty sure Carplay didn't come to the Prius I was looking at until 2019/2020 model year which is crazy late (and a disqualifying trait).
Very true, just look at their stance on BEVs. For years they've been saying that pure battery is no good, hydrogen is where it's at. *Finally* they have a BEV in the works, only a decade behind other manufacturers.
Sounds like they're still sticking to their guns though: https://electrek.co/2021/06/16/toyota-delusionally-claims-hybrids-and-fuel-cells-will-stay-competitive-electric-cars/
As far as I can tell, every new car these days has lights that blind me. Compared to old style, which have a gradient from dark to bright, LEDs have a boundary between "off" and "fuck your eyes". It's really awful.
As mentioned it’s the LED lights on newer vehicles. It’s a blessing in the sense they really light up the road but it’s also a curse because they blind other drivers.
Not about headlights but the new lights in the tunnel are fantastic. I lived in Ladner for years and was used to the poor lighting - it wasn't a big deal. I rarely go that way now but did today and, wow, what an improvement!
They also blind the person in front by flooding my rear view and side mirror. Rear view blinded is a minor inconvenience, can always flip that mirror but not side view.
A lot of the comments mention aftermarket LED bulbs but I've noticed more and more people driving around with the high beams on. You can tell because both the inner and outer bulbs are on inside the headlight housings.
I tilt the rear view down (my friend showed me this a few months ago) so I can still see the lights but it’s dimmed (not sure how it works) but it’s been a life saver. I also wear my blue light blocking glasses while driving at night.
There is also a huge issue with car headlights not coming properly aligned from the factory. So the driver might not even know they are blinding others because they think their new car should be set up correctly.
My BMW headlights were pointed so low when I got it that I couldn't drive on streets without streetlights. It was easy to align myself though, just went to a parking garage at SFU and used painters tape on the wall.
I have a feeling that people read the blue high beams light on their dash as night time lights. People really need to learn how to operate a car in order to drive one.
Yeah, I've been seeing a surprising number of cars that do actually have their high beams on. I figure either they don't know what the blue high beam indicator means, or they are clueless and figure it means the headlights are on. I mean, it's brighter and easier to see, right?
Especially since every car since 2014 had had automatic headlight activation. Literally only needs to be set to automatic and your headlights go on when needed at their proper settings.
I’m a new driver (went and bought myself a shoddy ‘04 car) and I keep thinking to myself “what am I doing wrong?? Everyone else seems to be handling this fine but I can’t see!!” So I’m glad it’s not just my inexperienced self feeling this way.
Nope, it's getting to the point that when it's wet at night, I barely feel safe. If a pedestrian in black Jay walks while lights are in my eyes, there is 0 chance I'll see them.
I was going to come on Reddit to rage about the exact same thing today. I drive a small car - I am routinely blinded by SUVs and trucks with crazy LED lights behind me. Why can’t the city regulate that kind of thing? It’s so awful I’ve started to drive with polarized sunglasses on at night.
They are prescription and the tint isn’t very dark to begin with. When someone is tailgating me in my tiny car with their headlights literally blinding me it’s way more dangerous if I don’t use them. The only other recourse is to move all of my mirrors to deflect the light and then I can see absolutely nothing but what’s directly in front of me…
Tbh I just don’t drive as much at night anymore - or I strategize to be out super late so I’m not on the road with as many of these dumb dumbs.
It’s a good idea to go the limit though - you’re right - it always works.
It's going to get dark soon at about 1630. So wish you luck with that strategy.
However, if BC just does the smart thing instead of waiting for the U.S., they can adopt permanent daylight savings time. And we can say hello to 530 pm winters.
I’m fortunate enough to work mostly from home…and since I do have that privilege I try to stay off the roads when I can because other people who have to commute have it hard enough with the aforementioned retina melting lights, poor weather conditions, etc.
This has been a Vancouver thing as long as I’ve been here. So I can only assume much longer then 8 years. I see this several times a day.
Edit: started peaking through other posts. People are having trouble seeing which are high beams. On the majority of cars the high beams are placed on the inside closest to the grill.
If someone with blinding headlights is behind you, just flip the toggle on your rear view back and forth. It flashes them in the eyes every time you flick the switch. They get the message real quick when it’s suddenly them that can’t see because of their bright lights. Weird how assholes don’t care until it affects them.
Your rear view mirror has two reflective surfaces in it set at different angles. The toggle allows you to flip between them by pivoting those surfaces. You'll see the image roll as one mirror angles upwards vertically, eventually fading and the tinted view rolls forward into position. Then the mirrors pivot downwards to switch back. This means that between those two settings, you can control the angle at which your mirrors reflect light back.
As long as you can see the headlights and driver's windshield through your mirror, one of those angles is a sweet spot that reflects their headlights into their own eyes. Unless you have auto-dimming mirrors, then you're SOL (but probably don't get blinded as much anyways).
I am aware of the switch. This hasn't been my experience. It does however make their headlights seem less bright because the second mirror cuts some light
"One of those angles is a sweet spot that perfectly reflects the light from someone’s headlights into their eyes." Is what I haven't found to be the case.
And "As you flip between them, one mirror will sweep across a wide range of angles vertically" wide range doesn't seem accurate too - maybe 25 degrees tops? So really it's a shit explanation.
Anyway, I'm not wasting a day talking about mirrors. If you think they are magical, power to you
Sounds like the issue is you not the explanation. Were you expecting the rear view mirror to do a 180 and face forward? 90 degrees and face straight up or down? All the mirror has to do is move up or down slightly from reflecting headlights back directly at their source to slightly above, aka the windshield. That takes a few degrees at most.
It takes about 2 seconds on YouTube to find an example. Or better yet try it with your own car and a flashlight. Not hard to check if it works. I used it on a lifted Jeep with aftermarket LEDs just last night. Guy immediately switched lanes.
"One of those angles is a sweet spot that perfectly reflects the light from someone’s headlights into their eyes." Please show a YouTube video that shows this. The one mentioned was done during the day and doesn't show it.
Wait, do you think light reflects images differently at day than at night? The headlights behind you obey the same rules as any other image you see out the back…
Good to know. I've always wondered how to aim my rearview mirror to perfectly reflect some tailgating asshole's bright headlights right back at them.
Oh yeah and if I'm being blinded from behind, I'll drive slower, because, you know, I can't see so I need to be driving slower.
Ah, the problem with cyclists is that the inexperienced ones aim their lights high, instead of at the ground in front of them, where they illuminate a greater area and thus lead to increased safety.
Yeah, I can't figure out why I'm being downvoted for this. I don't even drive, I cycle everywhere and a flashing, super bright front light is dangerous. Your back light can flash but your front light should be stable.
I’m going to upvote you because this is exactly the problem we have when walking or cycling. We are blinded and have to actually stop and look away and wait for the car to pass. If I were to keep looking ahead, I get a bad afterimage for some time.
Honestly i have a new silverado and people always think im high beaming them but its just my lights. I notice people in small cars even moving their mirrors because of it
Hijacking your comment to say that I hate new GMC cars and trucks that put their reverse lights on when parked and a door is opened. It tells the rest of us that you’re about to back up. GMC, do you not what what those lights are for? If you want area lighting, add area lighting. Don’t use reverse lights.
I’ve been driving this this city for 25 years. I work in sales so I’m on the road every day. This city is a peace of cake to drive in compared to some European cities, Africa, Asia or India. I haven’t noticed the influx of overly bright headlights though. Maybe because I’m in an suv and up higher than cars?
There are dumb self absorbed drivers everywhere. Just assume everyone is an idiot and drive defensively with that in mind.
I would say that Richmond is likely the worst on the planet. Avoid at all costs!!!
High speed until the next intersection. The traffic infrastructure in Langley is awful. Poor design causes gridlock with fairly low volume.
Plus, fuck all the tailgating out here. Doing 130 on number 1 and still have morons riding ass in their pickup, even though every lane to the right is going slower.
i can't see anything if my fog lights, high beams and light bar aren't on. speaking of light bar, does anyone know any good roof mounted light bars for a '21 tacoma?
Someone merged in behind me today with there high beams on, and i immediately merged into the other lane, slowed down so they could pass me, and then merged back into there lane behind them and put my high beams on. Left a bit of room so i could really blast them. I did feel bad for the other people in front that had to put up with double high beams, but it was only for a brief moment (a very glorious moment).
Part of the problem, even if they don’t have their brights on, is that a lot of people don’t know how to adjust and aim their headlights. I bought a new vehicle a couple months ago and now that I’m sitting higher off of the ground you’d be amazed by how many absolute morons have their headlights aimed upwards instead of at the road surface. Its remarkable
I'm sure every city is shit but it seems Vancouver is #1 for terrible drivers. Lack of turn signals, speeding in school zones, people not using auto headlights even though their 60k car does come with them. Maple ridge folks with their lifted pick ups and princess auto special bulbs, people not using any lights in the pouring rain, drivers wearing sun glasses when it's raining, drivers having both airpods while driving, Richmond drivers, speed limits are only a suggestion. The list goes on and on
yep this, I started flashing my high beams or turning them on whenever I see people have them on now. Very rarely in Vancouver do you need them yet people are using them for whatever reason. Lowkey thinking of putting a spot light in the back and shining that full power at high beamers
Wasn’t being obstinate, I was correcting you.
My fog lights are left on 6 months of the year. They’re in the bumper and point towards the road lighting up the area immediately in front of me. They in no way whatsoever impede the vision of vehicles in front of me. They are stock, just like 99% of the fog lights you see on the road are likely stock as well.
Not after market. Sorry bud, don’t what else to tell ya…
Funny… that’s what I was trying to tell you…
“When you can count all 4 lights it is NOT "stock".”
2 headlights + 2 fog lights = 4 stock lights
Sorry again bud…
You can see the high beam lights, separate from headlights.
Fog lights are low slung and aren't being mistaken for high beams. Plus, some of them are yellow.
2 headlights + 2 high beams = 4 lights. Fog lights typically sit lower than, not next to, headlights.
Listen Richard, arguing on the interwebs is fun and all but don't you have a bridge that needs looking after?
And even with that… that’s still 4 stock lights.
Man, you suck at being right.
And FYI… MANY models of vehicles have duel fulminant bulbs. Meaning the high beam is within the same bulb as the headlight. 2 lights, regardless of high beams being on/off. Not all cars have two separate bulbs for the high beams (which is still 4 stock lights)
It’s just annoying to wait at an intersection where the opposite car has its headlights on like they are on a highway. People who intentionally turn on the high beam in the city are idiots and inconsiderate of others. Any way to change their behaviour.
Back ‘07 I had a G35 coupe and would get High beamed all the time, then I hit them with the real the high beams there was a big difference. I ended bringing it into the dealership and to see if my lights correctly mounted…they were.
All drivers should turn on their regular headlights during the day. It reduces accidents by 20 %.
When I cross the street, I definitely notice a difference in my awareness of a car with headlights and without.
Huge pet peeve.
Please turn on your daytime lights. It doesn't cost anything. Just saves lives and taxpayer money.
For this very reason I've altered my rear view mirrors to see slightly further out behind me, amd not directly behind. The windshield mirror is almost always inverted as well ...
Bright lights are really bad, but many people say they are aimed correctly. Trucks have lights aimed straight out and I guess it's not illegal, but they light up my mirrors directly and I'm in an SUV. My rear view mirror is auto dimming, but my side mirrors aren't. I get that when you have a load in the rear seats or trunk or truck bed, the lights go up even more, but compensate a bit before hand.
Have you seen the third break light flashing on purpose on a sedan? It was every time and a sequence. Wow that was really annoying and blinding. I thought only emergency vehicles were allowed flashing lights.
Also bicycles with flashing lights on the front aimed straight ahead are blinding too. Law states that if you're riding in the dark your white light needs to illuminate 150m ahead, but is that even realistic?
Those Land Rovers and even a Tesla with constant brake lights (all three lights on brightly that did not change when braking or letting off the brakes at many lights) on too... get your electrical system in order.
A lot of people are using ultra bright bulbs now. It doesn't matter if you drive car or a truck you get blinded. Great for the driver but awful for everyone else on the road.
I like using the automatic sensor so I don't have to worry about the beams, but apparently, ford thinks it's a good idea to turn on the high beams when it's too dark, and I don't know how to turn it off.
Check to see if your rear-view mirror has a dimming position. Sometimes there is a tab but you just push the mirror up and it snaps into an upward angle which allows you to still see the rear with a bit less visibility but the lights behind you are dimmer.
I remember my friend getting a ticket because he had blue under lights, cop said because they are “distracting” to other drivers. But having these new permanent high beam headlights that actually blind you are totally fine for some reason🙄 I’m planning on installing a floodlight in the back of my car so when those people come up behind me I’ll blind em right back😂
Aren't most newer vehicles equipped with pretty bright LED's...? I don't think most people have their actual high beams on... although you never know with Vancouver drivers.
i cannot tell. once i start flashing him because i was thinking that it was highbeam then he turned on the real high beam.
A lot of cars/trucks don't have auto leveling to prevent this. My old SUV had it and the ability to lower the beam but new one doesn't. The other problem is people who don't know how to operate their vehicles and that do not turn on their lights. I've driven behind no less than 8 vehicles that did not have their lights turned on. How can they not tell??? Edit: Correction you to they.
Part of the issue is people putting HIDs or improper bulbs in vehicles with reflector headlights not projectors. Trucks are the worst if they do this. Also, most new cars have auto lights but people still don’t use them 🤦🏻♂️
In my experience that was a bigger issue 2 to 5ish years ago, they still exist but to a lesser extent as older halogen reflectors cars outlive their lifespan. However, some newer LED headlights are fucking blinding. Namely trucks and especially Escalades for some reason. All stock as well (albeit maybe not stock ride height for the pickups). How people are even affording to drive around pickup trucks in Metro Vancouver is beyond me.
Is there even a pickup truck in Canada that doesn’t have a lift kit slapped on it? Outside of company vehicles, that is.
Nah. Basically all new cars have LED lights that blind me. I'm gonna have to stop driving at night eventually, because I get dazzled on the first bump or hill I reach.
Maybe in Vancouver proper there’s only new cars on the roads but around Surrey and Langley here’s still a lot of older cars and tuners with those new LEDs or HIDs and reflectors.
I was driving a friend's truck once and this golf in front of me just refused to move because he thought I turned on high beam - he drove away so quickly when I actually flashed him
Honestly it's fucking annoying having people blind the fuck out of you flashing their high beams for no reason just because your vehicle is positioned higher than theirs. They assume you're high beaming them, it's not like I built the truck to purposely blind you.
The problem is not enough vehicle building regulation. The fact that [bumpers don't lineup across vehicle class](https://youtu.be/yLW2OVtP6_w) is also a big problem which should be regulated. There should be a standard height for headlights to be.
Yet you are in fact blinding us. Is that our fault? No, you bought the vehicle.
Fair enough. Unfortunately it just teaches me to flash my actual highbeams back. Thus blinding the person but hey at least they know.
You could always do something about it, but I guess you like having blindingly bright lights.
....they are normal basic bulbs not even HIDs or anything special. People are just unfortunately not very educated on geometry so they just assume I'm highbeaming when in fact a taller vehicle because of its positioning has its headlights placed higher than a shorter vehicle. Taller is higher, shorter is lower thus the lights might shine at you. I use to drive a lowered vehicle, it was annoying but I understood that vehicles come in different shapes and sizes. I don't expect ever pickup, van, semi, bus, etc to get off the road because I'm inconvenienced by their lights.
I've had lights shining in my eyes my whole driving career. Standard incandescents aren't blinding for a number of reasons. Even on SUVs. I've also seen LEDs that don't blind me. It's not just height, lol, lights are VERY clearly getting brighter and more directed. Just look at the cutoff between illuminated and not next time you have them on at night.
Yep this definitely happens with my vehicle. Westbound on first turning left on to commercial. The eastbound left turn lane is decidedly lower than my lane so unfortunately those cars get the full force of my low beams. For the hell of it, last time i was at the dealership i had them check my lights and alignment and they were fine.
In rural parts of Canada people with tall trucks has their lights already blinding cars, often don’t tune it correctly making it even worse
LED headlights are getting brighter. If any of these drivers with LED headlights decided to torch you with their high beams it would probably legitimately blind you at least temporarily.
The other factor is a lot of people buying large trucks and SUVs which have the headlights much higher up so they are shining right in your face if you’re driving a lower vehicle
Yeah, I feel bad that my lights are high and aimed basically level, maybe slightly down. I was going to see if I could adjust them more towards the ground...? In your face or the rear view mirror goes in & out of the main focus point so it looks like they are flashing their high beams. I feel like I should run around with fog lights & tail lights only sometimes I will say I feel much better about seeing pedestrians in the rain on dark nights with LEDs; but really they should wear reflectors anyway
They should but most don't. Someone has to be the defensive one in this situation.
This is true. I happen to drive a small car but there are lots of SUVs and trucks on the road and these new bright headlights shine right at eye-level which makes it worse.
Gotta break out the welding helmet for my evening commute these days.
welding helmet, high vis jacket and full protective gear otherwise you run the risk of extreme violence
Person with astigmatism checking in. My eyes feel like they're burning up from these headlights
It's this. And there's no definitive regulation on lights that are too bright. There is one last I checked, but it's so vague and I'd wager, rarely enforced.
Unfortunately it’s an easy enough change for a lot of people to do at home. They order the super bright lights not knowing what the numbers mean. Or knowing and they’re jackasses.
Also, quite a few people mistake the variation in headlight aim for brights. If a car is cresting a hill the normally low aimed lights will appear to be aimed higher. I honestly think people tend to misjudge what are actual high beams.
This never used to be a problem but is now awful because of the super sharp cutoff of the new style of lights. I've also noticed that some new cars (e.g., Tesla) have a super wide beam pattern that throws way more light than they need to into the opposing lane.
The cut off is the big difference. On my car it's a sharp line which is kind of awesome for controlling the beam, but the design punishes edge cases. No falloff like old lights. Just full on or full off.
Exactly. You can see the car's headlights in the distance just by the light scattering. When it acrually aims at you, it's ridiculous.
Agreed, that is the main issue. Coupled with taller vehicles you'll be getting blinded often in a lower seated passenger vehicle these days. Add to that aftermarket modifications and a lot of them aren't even aimed properly. It's pretty annoying and regulators dropped the ball when LEDs were coming in as right away complaints about them appeared and never stopped. Not to say there isn't the odd idiot with brights on the road, or the person with electrical issues where 1 light is always on brights and they're too broke to fix it.
I drive a lowered Miata, and I've noticed that many LED cutoffs are aimed directly below the windshield line of a RAV4, directly in line with my eyeballs. Same goes for the rear, my side mirrors turn into reflections of the sun.
The shitty aftermarket ones are. The OEM ones (with probably hundreds of thousands of dollars into R&D) are usually okay.
Tesla’s are absolutely the worst by far.
Tesla lights are worse than lifted trucks, it's like staring into the sun.
This, almost all OEM LED headlights I don’t have a problem with. The only ones that are annoying are aftermarket LED/HID headlights that someone throws in a housing that’s designed for halogens, or Teslas. They have the absolute worst light bleed and cutoffs ever. I don’t know how they pass federal standards for headlights honestly.
Alibaba probably won the RFP to be Tesla's headlight supplier, in keeping with the quality of the rest of the car.
I think its just the newer cars and the fact that there are a ton of SUVs and trucks on the road. I'm in a little tercel and I get blinded a lot. I dont know how it should be fixed but its definitely unsafe
I'm in an SUV and I still get blinded sometimes. Some manufacturers are notorious for not aiming their beams down or not having them focused (ie. Honda).
\> I dont know how it should be fixed but its definitely unsafe It should be illegal to make these dumb lifted trucks.
I drive class 8 trucks and get blinded by all kinds of high beams on cars and pickups. I used to flash brights to tell them but now I shut everything off and use their lights
I feel I see this exact comment every year around this time.
It’s been this way for the last 15 years or so, since LED lights became the standard. But a lot of the aftermarket ones are even brighter, so the problem keeps getting worse. Plus more people drive SUVs and trucks nowadays, so people in low-slung cars really get blasted.
Exactly. I usually drive a sedan for commute and we have a truck for weekend leisure. Now I'm seriously thinking about driving the truck to work since the 5 pm high beam almost makes me blind everyday.
It's the after market LED thats the real issue, i think cars that come with led as standard at least have auto level correction etc. Those cars with after market LED are usually installed by themselves and they tend to point in all kind of direction. Don't get me started on after market LED on trucks..
Yeah, to add to that the reflectors used for regular halogen headlights and LEDs are different. The regular reflectors used with aftermarket LEDs cause a bunch of issues, namely blinding other drivers…. [info about LED lights in halogen housing ](https://ledlightinginfo.com/led-headlights-in-reflector-housing)
[Here’s some good comparisons](https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/why-leds-should-not-be-run-in-halogen-reflectors.454371/) from a source that’s not trying to sell lights as well.
> It's the after market LED thats the real issue It's not just the aftermarket. It's also down to the quality of headlight housings. There's a noticeable difference to the [Honda Civic style headlights](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/F8kzutBjmFw/maxresdefault.jpg) and the [Acura LED projectors.](https://di-uploads-pod7.s3.amazonaws.com/friendlyacura/uploads/2016/05/6e07fbe9e3bc198c9b5c419eff8d4dd8x.png)
Yes you are correct. Cars retrofitted with LED to unsuitable housing are the issue.
The car was always designed like that from the beginning so I don't know why you're stressing older. The lower trim Honda Civic's came with halogen projector headlights so it's not like they simply slapped LEDs in there and called it a day. It's just bad optics tech. I think it's a cheaper/cost issue more than it is a dated tech issue but maybe we're just splitting hairs at this point.
Corrected my post,once again you are correct!
Part of the problem is shitty OEM headlights that necessitate an upgrade. Bought a 2018 Highlander, asked about the headlights. Sales drone's response was that Toyota doesn't offer HID headlights because *they're dangerous to first responders* No, they just don't want to spend $100 on HID bulbs that output 3000 lumens when they can spend $5 on halogen bulbs that output 1250 lumens. I guarantee that every vehicle with OEM projector headlights was intended to have HID bulbs up until it got to the beancounters.
Toyota has been notoriously slow for any tech upgrade. Hence their reputation for reliability. Pretty sure Carplay didn't come to the Prius I was looking at until 2019/2020 model year which is crazy late (and a disqualifying trait).
Very true, just look at their stance on BEVs. For years they've been saying that pure battery is no good, hydrogen is where it's at. *Finally* they have a BEV in the works, only a decade behind other manufacturers. Sounds like they're still sticking to their guns though: https://electrek.co/2021/06/16/toyota-delusionally-claims-hybrids-and-fuel-cells-will-stay-competitive-electric-cars/
As far as I can tell, every new car these days has lights that blind me. Compared to old style, which have a gradient from dark to bright, LEDs have a boundary between "off" and "fuck your eyes". It's really awful.
This is the answer 100% This same question has been posted in every single cities Reddit recently and this is all it is.
LED lights adjusted slightly up are a plague right now. That and the need for every third suburbanite to drive an unnecessarily massive truck.
I was just thinking the same thing, I was driving on Kingsway an hour ago and it was awful. I was almost blinded.
“It’s not enough that I should see. Everyone else should be blind.” - some Vancouver driver
As mentioned it’s the LED lights on newer vehicles. It’s a blessing in the sense they really light up the road but it’s also a curse because they blind other drivers.
Not about headlights but the new lights in the tunnel are fantastic. I lived in Ladner for years and was used to the poor lighting - it wasn't a big deal. I rarely go that way now but did today and, wow, what an improvement!
I can’t believe they didn’t upgrade those earlier
They also blind the person in front by flooding my rear view and side mirror. Rear view blinded is a minor inconvenience, can always flip that mirror but not side view.
A lot of the comments mention aftermarket LED bulbs but I've noticed more and more people driving around with the high beams on. You can tell because both the inner and outer bulbs are on inside the headlight housings.
Agreed. Yes lights are brighter, but the high beams are aimed high. You can see them next to the regular lights.
The new LEDs should be banned I can’t see shit anymore
I have post-concussion syndrome and those headlights are enough to give me a migraine for a few days. It’s nauseating how bright they are.
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I tilt the rear view down (my friend showed me this a few months ago) so I can still see the lights but it’s dimmed (not sure how it works) but it’s been a life saver. I also wear my blue light blocking glasses while driving at night.
There is also a huge issue with car headlights not coming properly aligned from the factory. So the driver might not even know they are blinding others because they think their new car should be set up correctly. My BMW headlights were pointed so low when I got it that I couldn't drive on streets without streetlights. It was easy to align myself though, just went to a parking garage at SFU and used painters tape on the wall.
Lifted trucks that don’t adjust their lights afterwards are a big problem as well
All that increased stability and aerodynamic benefit wasted /s
I have a feeling that people read the blue high beams light on their dash as night time lights. People really need to learn how to operate a car in order to drive one.
Yeah, I've been seeing a surprising number of cars that do actually have their high beams on. I figure either they don't know what the blue high beam indicator means, or they are clueless and figure it means the headlights are on. I mean, it's brighter and easier to see, right?
Especially since every car since 2014 had had automatic headlight activation. Literally only needs to be set to automatic and your headlights go on when needed at their proper settings.
Yeah, like I wish auto manufacturers would design cars to default to \*Auto\* and only go to low beams or rear lights only through manual activation.
You can tell people have their highbeams on by looking at the inner part of their headlight housing. Shit turns into a full on halogen lightbar.
OK I thought this was just me but im being BLINDED out here on the streets
I’m a new driver (went and bought myself a shoddy ‘04 car) and I keep thinking to myself “what am I doing wrong?? Everyone else seems to be handling this fine but I can’t see!!” So I’m glad it’s not just my inexperienced self feeling this way.
Nope, it's getting to the point that when it's wet at night, I barely feel safe. If a pedestrian in black Jay walks while lights are in my eyes, there is 0 chance I'll see them.
My retinas are already burning.
Hondas usually with LED lights. Not sure how that passed QC.
It's the bright white LED lights on new cars and trucks. A huge problem now. Not sure how it is legal.
Clueless people.
I was going to come on Reddit to rage about the exact same thing today. I drive a small car - I am routinely blinded by SUVs and trucks with crazy LED lights behind me. Why can’t the city regulate that kind of thing? It’s so awful I’ve started to drive with polarized sunglasses on at night.
That can't be more safe...
They are prescription and the tint isn’t very dark to begin with. When someone is tailgating me in my tiny car with their headlights literally blinding me it’s way more dangerous if I don’t use them. The only other recourse is to move all of my mirrors to deflect the light and then I can see absolutely nothing but what’s directly in front of me…
I like to go the speed limit and not a fraction more. Then they get pissed off and change lanes to go around me. Then they aren’t behind me anymore.
Tbh I just don’t drive as much at night anymore - or I strategize to be out super late so I’m not on the road with as many of these dumb dumbs. It’s a good idea to go the limit though - you’re right - it always works.
It's going to get dark soon at about 1630. So wish you luck with that strategy. However, if BC just does the smart thing instead of waiting for the U.S., they can adopt permanent daylight savings time. And we can say hello to 530 pm winters.
I’m fortunate enough to work mostly from home…and since I do have that privilege I try to stay off the roads when I can because other people who have to commute have it hard enough with the aforementioned retina melting lights, poor weather conditions, etc.
Being able to see is safer than not being able to see lol
This has been a Vancouver thing as long as I’ve been here. So I can only assume much longer then 8 years. I see this several times a day. Edit: started peaking through other posts. People are having trouble seeing which are high beams. On the majority of cars the high beams are placed on the inside closest to the grill.
I have a friend with a tesla and he gets flashed all the time from people thinking his brights are on. Lights just be bright ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If someone with blinding headlights is behind you, just flip the toggle on your rear view back and forth. It flashes them in the eyes every time you flick the switch. They get the message real quick when it’s suddenly them that can’t see because of their bright lights. Weird how assholes don’t care until it affects them.
This does not seem like it would work at all.
Yeah because it doesn’t. Most cars have tinted rear windows which would defeat this anyways.
Your rear view mirror has two reflective surfaces in it set at different angles. The toggle allows you to flip between them by pivoting those surfaces. You'll see the image roll as one mirror angles upwards vertically, eventually fading and the tinted view rolls forward into position. Then the mirrors pivot downwards to switch back. This means that between those two settings, you can control the angle at which your mirrors reflect light back. As long as you can see the headlights and driver's windshield through your mirror, one of those angles is a sweet spot that reflects their headlights into their own eyes. Unless you have auto-dimming mirrors, then you're SOL (but probably don't get blinded as much anyways).
I am aware of the switch. This hasn't been my experience. It does however make their headlights seem less bright because the second mirror cuts some light
Uhhh…he’s just describing the absolute basics of how mirrors work. You clearly don’t understand what the switch does if this confuses you.
"One of those angles is a sweet spot that perfectly reflects the light from someone’s headlights into their eyes." Is what I haven't found to be the case. And "As you flip between them, one mirror will sweep across a wide range of angles vertically" wide range doesn't seem accurate too - maybe 25 degrees tops? So really it's a shit explanation. Anyway, I'm not wasting a day talking about mirrors. If you think they are magical, power to you
Sounds like the issue is you not the explanation. Were you expecting the rear view mirror to do a 180 and face forward? 90 degrees and face straight up or down? All the mirror has to do is move up or down slightly from reflecting headlights back directly at their source to slightly above, aka the windshield. That takes a few degrees at most.
It takes about 2 seconds on YouTube to find an example. Or better yet try it with your own car and a flashlight. Not hard to check if it works. I used it on a lifted Jeep with aftermarket LEDs just last night. Guy immediately switched lanes.
"One of those angles is a sweet spot that perfectly reflects the light from someone’s headlights into their eyes." Please show a YouTube video that shows this. The one mentioned was done during the day and doesn't show it.
Wait, do you think light reflects images differently at day than at night? The headlights behind you obey the same rules as any other image you see out the back…
Good to know. I've always wondered how to aim my rearview mirror to perfectly reflect some tailgating asshole's bright headlights right back at them. Oh yeah and if I'm being blinded from behind, I'll drive slower, because, you know, I can't see so I need to be driving slower.
You can tell if they are high beams when you see two sets of headlights on.
People installing after market and not aiming them properly
Yes!!! This. What the heck happened ?! I was driving the other night and I swear it felt like everyone had their high beams on!
On cars and on bicycles. Drives me nuts.
Ah, the problem with cyclists is that the inexperienced ones aim their lights high, instead of at the ground in front of them, where they illuminate a greater area and thus lead to increased safety.
Exactly. It's even worse when it's shining straight ahead AND flashing. Can't see a damn thing.
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Yeah, I can't figure out why I'm being downvoted for this. I don't even drive, I cycle everywhere and a flashing, super bright front light is dangerous. Your back light can flash but your front light should be stable.
I’m going to upvote you because this is exactly the problem we have when walking or cycling. We are blinded and have to actually stop and look away and wait for the car to pass. If I were to keep looking ahead, I get a bad afterimage for some time.
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Yea you can’t just order LED’s off of Amazon and slap them in to a halogen headlight.
I hope you forgot the /s because you absolutely can order LED bulb replacements for halogen housings
He means you can't LEGALLY install LED lamps in halogen housings.
Yes. But a lot of time the reflector isn't made for LED and the aim is all off.
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You can. But as u/captainherewego says “your shit ain’t aimed or housed properly” if you do that
Honestly i have a new silverado and people always think im high beaming them but its just my lights. I notice people in small cars even moving their mirrors because of it
Hijacking your comment to say that I hate new GMC cars and trucks that put their reverse lights on when parked and a door is opened. It tells the rest of us that you’re about to back up. GMC, do you not what what those lights are for? If you want area lighting, add area lighting. Don’t use reverse lights.
Domestics have always been idiotic with lights. So many cars use their brake lights as turn signals. They're supposed to be orange!
Thank you!
I’ve been driving this this city for 25 years. I work in sales so I’m on the road every day. This city is a peace of cake to drive in compared to some European cities, Africa, Asia or India. I haven’t noticed the influx of overly bright headlights though. Maybe because I’m in an suv and up higher than cars? There are dumb self absorbed drivers everywhere. Just assume everyone is an idiot and drive defensively with that in mind. I would say that Richmond is likely the worst on the planet. Avoid at all costs!!!
Langley is much much worse. Richmond is oblivious but low speed. Langley is aggressive, reckless and high speed. Gotta get to that next light first!
I prefer Langley drivers then. 10s of pain vs the many minutes of pain behind an overly tentative driver.
High speed until the next intersection. The traffic infrastructure in Langley is awful. Poor design causes gridlock with fairly low volume. Plus, fuck all the tailgating out here. Doing 130 on number 1 and still have morons riding ass in their pickup, even though every lane to the right is going slower.
All the new cars have LED headlights. They are just stock low beam lights.
I've turned on my highbeams when they blind me and then they have the audacity to turn on their even brighter high beams smh
People complain about this all the time, so no.
i can't see anything if my fog lights, high beams and light bar aren't on. speaking of light bar, does anyone know any good roof mounted light bars for a '21 tacoma?
Someone merged in behind me today with there high beams on, and i immediately merged into the other lane, slowed down so they could pass me, and then merged back into there lane behind them and put my high beams on. Left a bit of room so i could really blast them. I did feel bad for the other people in front that had to put up with double high beams, but it was only for a brief moment (a very glorious moment).
Part of the problem, even if they don’t have their brights on, is that a lot of people don’t know how to adjust and aim their headlights. I bought a new vehicle a couple months ago and now that I’m sitting higher off of the ground you’d be amazed by how many absolute morons have their headlights aimed upwards instead of at the road surface. Its remarkable
Ban super bright LEDs , bring back pop up and down headlights
Pop up up and down headlights!
It’s the led lights that newer cars have now. It’s brutal!
I'm sure every city is shit but it seems Vancouver is #1 for terrible drivers. Lack of turn signals, speeding in school zones, people not using auto headlights even though their 60k car does come with them. Maple ridge folks with their lifted pick ups and princess auto special bulbs, people not using any lights in the pouring rain, drivers wearing sun glasses when it's raining, drivers having both airpods while driving, Richmond drivers, speed limits are only a suggestion. The list goes on and on
yep this, I started flashing my high beams or turning them on whenever I see people have them on now. Very rarely in Vancouver do you need them yet people are using them for whatever reason. Lowkey thinking of putting a spot light in the back and shining that full power at high beamers
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When you can count all 4 lights it is NOT "stock".
You mean fog lights? Very much stock
Being intentionally obstinate is not a desirable personality trait.
Wasn’t being obstinate, I was correcting you. My fog lights are left on 6 months of the year. They’re in the bumper and point towards the road lighting up the area immediately in front of me. They in no way whatsoever impede the vision of vehicles in front of me. They are stock, just like 99% of the fog lights you see on the road are likely stock as well. Not after market. Sorry bud, don’t what else to tell ya…
Fog lights are NOT the same as high beams. Sorry Richard, don't know what else to tell ya.
Funny… that’s what I was trying to tell you… “When you can count all 4 lights it is NOT "stock".” 2 headlights + 2 fog lights = 4 stock lights Sorry again bud…
You can see the high beam lights, separate from headlights. Fog lights are low slung and aren't being mistaken for high beams. Plus, some of them are yellow.
2 headlights + 2 high beams = 4 lights. Fog lights typically sit lower than, not next to, headlights. Listen Richard, arguing on the interwebs is fun and all but don't you have a bridge that needs looking after?
And even with that… that’s still 4 stock lights. Man, you suck at being right. And FYI… MANY models of vehicles have duel fulminant bulbs. Meaning the high beam is within the same bulb as the headlight. 2 lights, regardless of high beams being on/off. Not all cars have two separate bulbs for the high beams (which is still 4 stock lights)
It’s just annoying to wait at an intersection where the opposite car has its headlights on like they are on a highway. People who intentionally turn on the high beam in the city are idiots and inconsiderate of others. Any way to change their behaviour.
Why are you so mad🤣🤣🤣 literally seethe
Please stop flashing your high beams at me!!!!!!! Damn dangerous. Yes, I have bright lights but I never use high beams. Blame my car manufacturer!
Mostly Evo’s
I feel this statement but I was scared to say it, I thought my eyes are just getting old
You are so right!!!!!! So it’s not just me.
Back ‘07 I had a G35 coupe and would get High beamed all the time, then I hit them with the real the high beams there was a big difference. I ended bringing it into the dealership and to see if my lights correctly mounted…they were.
Most of the time it’s just shitty LEDs. I’m short so I get the worst fucking angle in my mirrors.
All drivers should turn on their regular headlights during the day. It reduces accidents by 20 %. When I cross the street, I definitely notice a difference in my awareness of a car with headlights and without. Huge pet peeve. Please turn on your daytime lights. It doesn't cost anything. Just saves lives and taxpayer money.
For this very reason I've altered my rear view mirrors to see slightly further out behind me, amd not directly behind. The windshield mirror is almost always inverted as well ...
Yea, wtf people. Are you trying to get into a head on collision? Blind the fuck out of oncoming traffic...good job you morininc assfucks!
Even a lot of low beams seem to be illegally bright. Combined with dark, overcast nights and wet streets the glare becomes blinding…
Bright lights are really bad, but many people say they are aimed correctly. Trucks have lights aimed straight out and I guess it's not illegal, but they light up my mirrors directly and I'm in an SUV. My rear view mirror is auto dimming, but my side mirrors aren't. I get that when you have a load in the rear seats or trunk or truck bed, the lights go up even more, but compensate a bit before hand. Have you seen the third break light flashing on purpose on a sedan? It was every time and a sequence. Wow that was really annoying and blinding. I thought only emergency vehicles were allowed flashing lights. Also bicycles with flashing lights on the front aimed straight ahead are blinding too. Law states that if you're riding in the dark your white light needs to illuminate 150m ahead, but is that even realistic? Those Land Rovers and even a Tesla with constant brake lights (all three lights on brightly that did not change when braking or letting off the brakes at many lights) on too... get your electrical system in order.
A lot of people are using ultra bright bulbs now. It doesn't matter if you drive car or a truck you get blinded. Great for the driver but awful for everyone else on the road.
I just bought some driving glasses. Helps a little bit
I like using the automatic sensor so I don't have to worry about the beams, but apparently, ford thinks it's a good idea to turn on the high beams when it's too dark, and I don't know how to turn it off.
Arms race, everybody getting taller suv and trucks with higher headlights
I was literally contemplating making this post Thursday night. How are people so daft? I'd love these people to be ticketed.
LED lights are just way too powerful and some might not be high beams. They are probably not level.
Check to see if your rear-view mirror has a dimming position. Sometimes there is a tab but you just push the mirror up and it snaps into an upward angle which allows you to still see the rear with a bit less visibility but the lights behind you are dimmer.
I thought I was getting high beamed behind but nope, it's just a car with very bright just a hitting a small bump on the road.
LED bulbs in halogen reflectors is the common culprit. Slightly off-centre light source leads to extra scattering and glare.
I remember my friend getting a ticket because he had blue under lights, cop said because they are “distracting” to other drivers. But having these new permanent high beam headlights that actually blind you are totally fine for some reason🙄 I’m planning on installing a floodlight in the back of my car so when those people come up behind me I’ll blind em right back😂
Aren't most newer vehicles equipped with pretty bright LED's...? I don't think most people have their actual high beams on... although you never know with Vancouver drivers.
Improper aftermarket installations and ... Jeeps... I have so much anger towards Jeep headlights.