How many lights?

[grampi]

What's going on with all the lights on the front of vehicles these days? Apparently, the days of a pair of headlights, and a pair of corner markers (parking lights) are gone. Now we have to have headlights, DRLs, and those stupid looking "mad eyebrow" lights. Does every vehicle need to have football field light racks on the front? It's getting so bad that if you look at them for even a second, you're temporarily blinded. What is this need to light the entire planet?

 

[Linctex]

Law enforcement officers really don't enforce the various "lights on vehicles" laws I see being broken all the time.

 

[wander2039]

That and they seem to have gone the other way with turn signals. Can't see those anymore.

 

[Jeffs2006EvoIX]

For me with all the new lighting options, I am not talking aftermarket, but OEM. My goodness I am having a difficult time driving at night now. The bright lights have so much glare I cant see a [censored] thing. Who's idea it was to put LED or HID lighting on a 4x4 truck should be Jeff

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: grampi

...It's getting so bad that if you look at them for even a second, you're temporarily blinded. What is this need to light the entire planet?

imagine them being behind you and FLOODING 5 lanes of traffic... P.S. how do you cope/handle them being on the opposite traffic lanes? looking at the right-down line of the road does not cut it anymore.... and it's always the cold white REALLY BRIGHT light variety clip-on sunglasses at night?

 

[Jeffs2006EvoIX]

Originally Posted By: pandus13

Originally Posted By: grampi

...It's getting so bad that if you look at them for even a second, you're temporarily blinded. What is this need to light the entire planet?

imagine them being behind you and FLOODING 5 lanes of traffic... P.S. how do you cope/handle them being on the opposite traffic lanes? looking at the right-down line of the road does not cut it anymore.... and it's always the cold white REALLY BRIGHT light variety clip-on sunglasses at night?

Well I have the "Crizol" anti glare coating on my prescription glasses and it doesn't help. I have read Transitions Brand of coating now has something for this I will look into it next time I get new glasses. It really is dangerous. Sometimes you just cant see. Then you hit something and its your fault? Imagine if you hit someone? I mean out of a car because of on coming traffic blinded you with super bright lights? Scary thought. Jeff

 

[grampi]

...and why do DRLs stay on when the headlights are on? Those are the worst! They're always misaimed and shining right into the eyes of oncoming drivers, which is very dangerous!

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: Eric Smith

That and they seem to have gone the other way with turn signals. Can't see those anymore.

The turn signals are there they are not being used.

 

[DoubleWasp]

It's all a trade off. Used to be you couldn't see anything because the headlights were too weak. Now you can't see anything because headlights are too strong. When I drive my 90's or 80's cars, the headlight performance is pretty bad. Managable? Yes. We're they good or comfortable in terms of illumination? No.

 

[GSCJR]

People driving around with high beams on seems to be occurring more often too.

 

[ZZman]

LED fashion statement

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp

It's all a trade off. Used to be you couldn't see anything because the headlights were too weak. Now you can't see anything because headlights are too strong. When I drive my 90's or 80's cars, the headlight performance is pretty bad. Managable? Yes. We're they good or comfortable in terms of illumination? No.

I agree some of the older vehicles had weak headlights, but that can remedied simply by installing a better bulb. Lighting up the front of vehicles like a Christmas tree is not only unnecessary, it's dangerous to other drivers...

 

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: ZZman

LED fashion statement

^^^ this. Some are bright enough that the owner doesn't turn on the main headlights(Dodge). The other stupid thing that my Accord did was turn on the dash lights all the time...makes you think the headlights are on but they aren't. They just put another tiny indicator in the dash to tell you your headlights are on. The lights turn off automatically after 30 seconds so why the [censored] is there a headlight chime? duh! The other thing that bugs me is people driving with fogs on during a clear night...stupid.

 

[windeye]

There are a few things that were done incorrectly by OEMs: 1. Reverse lights being on for a long while after the car is parked and door locked, mostly on GM cars I see; This is a problem in parking lot being mistaken for reversing car; Bad! 2. Red turn-signal lights and esp those red turn-signal light that share with the brake light, they are very confusing if the driver repeatedly presses brakes and turning; mostly on GM cars, also see on latest Hondas. 3. Front turn signal too close to headlight, they are drown out, can't be seen, on many many cars; 4. The stupid LED eye-brows that turns into turn-signal and change colors, one word STUPID! mostly on EU cars.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: grampi

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp

It's all a trade off. Used to be you couldn't see anything because the headlights were too weak. Now you can't see anything because headlights are too strong. When I drive my 90's or 80's cars, the headlight performance is pretty bad. Managable? Yes. We're they good or comfortable in terms of illumination? No.

I agree some of the older vehicles had weak headlights, but that can remedied simply by installing a better bulb. Lighting up the front of vehicles like a Christmas tree is not only unnecessary, it's dangerous to other drivers...

In 100% of my cases, it's pathetic headlight design. Just nothing can be done to help it. Install anything you like, and they just waste the light. I'm slowly doing projector conversions to all of them. Just got done with both of my Rams last night. (TRULY awful OEM reflectors) I don't have and don't want any of the LED jewelry. Just good, solid projectors. On my older cars, I'm going to keep the exterior of the lights looking factory. Projectors will basically be hidden behind the factory fluted lenses. I'll lose a touch of efficiency there, but will still be worlds better and I won't have goofy looking lights on an otherwise factory car.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: LotI

Originally Posted By: ZZman

LED fashion statement

^^^ this. Some are bright enough that the owner doesn't turn on the main headlights(Dodge). The other stupid thing that my Accord did was turn on the dash lights all the time...makes you think the headlights are on but they aren't. They just put another tiny indicator in the dash to tell you your headlights are on. The lights turn off automatically after 30 seconds so why the [censored] is there a headlight chime? duh! The other thing that bugs me is people driving with fogs on during a clear night...stupid.

Hey, there's method to that madness. We have a LOT of highway and road construction going on right now, with some seriously bad painted lanes. The foglights pick up the reflector strips in a much better way than headlights alone. This is good, because most of these sections are improvised bypasses that have sharp chicanes and narrow lanes. I always use my fogs in the rain for the same reason. Strips are worn, reflectors are worn and dirty.

 

[grampi]

The newest thing I've been seeing is some kind of a light bar (obviously aftermarket) that is mounted in the middle front of the vehicle. It appears to have a row of LEDs which are as bright as the sun. These things are incredibly blinding and I always hit these people with my brights. Talk about unnecessary lighting...I see them on POVs and semis...

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: grampi

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp

It's all a trade off. Used to be you couldn't see anything because the headlights were too weak. Now you can't see anything because headlights are too strong. When I drive my 90's or 80's cars, the headlight performance is pretty bad. Managable? Yes. We're they good or comfortable in terms of illumination? No.

I agree some of the older vehicles had weak headlights, but that can remedied simply by installing a better bulb. Lighting up the front of vehicles like a Christmas tree is not only unnecessary, it's dangerous to other drivers...

As I said in another post, if you need more lighting on your vehicle, get your cataracts fixed. The lighting on many vehicles these days are over-the-top and it is dangerous.

 

[DoubleWasp]

I've thought about those for when I have to pull a boat out of a field or something, but honestly have never ever come across a situation where headlights were not enough. I go fishing and shooting out in the everglades off of power line roads in the middle of BFE nowhere, and still don't need one. I have some mounted on my lift trucks for when they have to drive all the way to the back of a 53' trailer, and a couple of small ones under my rear bumper for reverse lights, but see no need otherwise.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: LotI

The other thing that bugs me is people driving with fogs on during a clear night...stupid.

I leave my fogs on all the time because I want to be sure they will be on when I need them...I can't say I've ever been blinded by oncoming fog lights, they don't even point at oncoming cars (unless severely misaligned). To me, saying the fog lights should be off is like saying the taillights or turn signals are too bright and shouldn't be used. I just don't get people leaving brights on for ANY length of time, I flash them on briefly when I really need them and that's it. I'd be in favor of cars not having a stalk position for constant brights to make being blinded by them much less likely, make driver hold the stalk to keep them on.