Head light regulation

[Zorba]

I agree headlights have gotten really annoying. Whats up with the new day running lights that turn off on one side if the blinker is turned on? Just stupid and annoying cutesy stuff.

I actually have a bigger problem with new brake lights though. A lot of new brakes lights are so damn bright they give me temporary blind spots. Do OEMs think you are braking on the surface of the sun? How does it make me less likely to hit you, while you are blinding me.

 

[herm0016]

sometimes i say to my wife, " look at that guy riding his brakes" and it turns out its just his normal tail lights that are stupid bright, and the bake lights are even brighter.

 

[rstrohkirch]

I agree headlights have gotten really annoying. Whats up with the new day running lights that turn off on one side if the blinker is turned on? Just stupid and annoying cutesy stuff.

The LED running lights will generally turn off when a blinker is on so you can actually see the blinker.

 

[Zorba]

The LED running lights will generally turn off when a blinker is on so you can actually see the blinker.

If the day time running lights are so bright that you can't see a blinker, there are bigger issues.

 

[Pulsar]

While we are at it, SCREW YOU GENERAL MOTORS ENGINEERS. Whatever IDIOT thought it was smart to turn on your brake AND backup lights when the car is unlocked, and then LEAVE them on should be drawn, quartered, and shot for pure out-and-out stupidity. Seriously. Turn in your engineer license and find a tall cliff to jump from.

How does that kind of stupid shit even get past the sanity test?

"Hey guys - every time someone unlocks their car, let's make it look like they're trying to back out so confused traffic stops!"

 

[Carson Dyle]

While we are at it, SCREW YOU GENERAL MOTORS ENGINEERS. Whatever IDIOT thought it was smart to turn on your brake AND backup lights when the car is unlocked, and then LEAVE them on should be drawn, quartered, and shot for pure out-and-out stupidity. Seriously. Turn in your engineer license and find a tall cliff to jump from.

I saw that just the other day walking through a parking lot. Car sitting with nobody in it and the backup lights on. I'm thinking "Is this car about to roll across the lot and hit some poor bastard's parked car?"

 

[NutBucket]

That's called approach lighting. It's nice if you're parked in a dark area. Back up lights are a lot brighter than tail lights.

 

[Pulsar]

That's called approach lighting. It's nice if you're parked in a dark area. Back up lights are a lot brighter than tail lights.

I understand your point, but the engineers who invented it can call it anything they want. The lights are called backup lights for a reason. They are used to signal a car's intent to.... gasp... BACK UP. You want to light the approach, put some other lights on it that don't confuse folks about the intent. It's a bad idea, and I'm sick of seeing people stop and wait for a car with NO ONE IN IT.

I'm not the only one.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comme...hen_car_is_off_stupid_design/#bottom-comments

 

[Murloc]

Here in Europe I haven't noticed these issues, and certainly there is nothing getting worse in this regard, the daylights that are default now aren't absolutely a problem.

That's called approach lighting. It's nice if you're parked in a dark area. Back up lights are a lot brighter than tail lights.

are they that much brighter?

Backup lights signal a dangerous movement and should not be abused this way.
Brake lights signal standing still so you can turn them on all you want.

 

[Ferzerp]

The lights are called backup lights for a reason. They are used to signal a car's intent to.... gasp... BACK UP.

What? No. They aren't a signal of any sort. They're so you can see backing up.

 

[NutBucket]

I'd argue a bit of both. I installed brighter LEDs i both cars and it makes reversing much easier.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd argue a bit of both. I installed brighter LEDs i both cars and it makes reversing much easier.

I drive by feel. Don't need lights at all :^P

I'm pretty happy with my glowing metal lamps. Do leds have any advantages aside from eye raping brightness? Do they last longer?

 

[Yuriman]

The car that blinds me more than any other when oncoming is the new Corolla. I'm sure it doesn't help that t I drive a car that puts my eye level approximately 40 inches off the ground (the roof of my car is 4'5" high), but the Corolla is a real outlier for me. I have fewer problems from trucks, at least when they're oncoming. I wonder if the Corolla's HIDs don't have a stepped cutoff?

However, it's lifted trucks (unsurprisingly) that really kill me from behind. Even if their beams are adjusted properly (and most aren't), if they're within 25ft of me their lights are still generally above eye level and I often have to drive with a hand in front of my side view mirror.

 

[fralexandr]

I drive by feel. Don't need lights at all :^P

I'm pretty happy with my glowing metal lamps. Do leds have any advantages aside from eye raping brightness? Do they last longer?

yep, LED lights should have a significantly longer lifespan if they have proper ventilation, and they're more efficient than halogen bulbs. I'd prefer it if they defaulted to warmer lighting on LEDs (i.e. 3000k or 4000k or something), so they weren't super bright/harsh/cold/bluish white, and appeared dimmer than their actual lumen output.

 

[Zorba]

While we are at it, SCREW YOU GENERAL MOTORS ENGINEERS. Whatever IDIOT thought it was smart to turn on your brake AND backup lights when the car is unlocked, and then LEAVE them on should be drawn, quartered, and shot for pure out-and-out stupidity. Seriously. Turn in your engineer license and find a tall cliff to jump from.

How does that kind of stupid shit even get past the sanity test?

"Hey guys - every time someone unlocks their car, let's make it look like they're trying to back out so confused traffic stops!"

God this drives me nuts. At my daughter's daycare half the cars in the lot will have their back up lights on, and I never know who is actually trying to back out.

 

[sontakke]

Is there any regulation on installing huge mirrors on the front and back? That way I can reflect their own light at them.

 

[jlee]

That's called approach lighting. It's nice if you're parked in a dark area. Back up lights are a lot brighter than tail lights.

It's shitty if you're on a traffic stop, unsure if someone is about to try to run you over or not. 😛

The car that blinds me more than any other when oncoming is the new Corolla. I'm sure it doesn't help that t I drive a car that puts my eye level approximately 40 inches off the ground (the roof of my car is 4'5" high), but the Corolla is a real outlier for me. I have fewer problems from trucks, at least when they're oncoming. I wonder if the Corolla's HIDs don't have a stepped cutoff?

However, it's lifted trucks (unsurprisingly) that really kill me from behind. Even if their beams are adjusted properly (and most aren't), if they're within 25ft of me their lights are still generally above eye level and I often have to drive with a hand in front of my side view mirror.

Your side mirrors shouldn't be reflecting light from a car that's behind you -- most people were taught to adjust them improperly, as was I. The side view mirrors should seamlessly take over as a vehicle leaves the field of view of your rear-view: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots It's weird at first but is definitely worth the adjustment period.