[tturedraider]

LED headlights are absolutely out of control!! Where is the DOT?!

Tesla and Honda/Acura are by far the worst offenders. Their headlights always look like they’re set to high beam. I’ve been noticing some GM pickup trucks lately, too. Are y’all experiencing this?

BMW is one of the best.


edit: mods if you want to move this thread to the General Automotive forum that would be fine. That’s really where I should have posted it.

[heavyD^2]

The problem with Tesla's isn't necessarily the headlights and more that most Model 3/Y ship with the headlights misaligned (Tesla has no QC). My model 3 Performance drivers side headlight was badly misaligned when I took delivery. I won't argue about Acura as their jewel eye headlights are the worst in the industry when it comes to blinding oncoming traffic.

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

LED headlights are absolutely out of control!! Where is the DOT?!

Tesla and Honda/Acura are by far the worst offenders. Their headlights always look like they’re set to high beam. I’ve been noticing some GM pickup trucks lately, too. Are y’all experiencing this?

BMW is one of the best.

It's not just LED. My non LED F250 has by far the worst lights I've ever seen. They use four headlights that blind absolutely everyone. Non stop people are flashing me (not in a good way), I even hate running across the trucks myself.

[Fredcohiba]

It’s annoying and dangerous. The older I get the more it affects me. It’s already hard enough to drive at night, with glasses and then to be blinded by oncoming traffic.

[MarkOK]

The biggest problem in my neck of the woods are the people that jack up their pickups (raising the lights right into the face) and/or install aftermarket lights. I was behind someone the other night who had spotlights attached to the top of their truck and and LED light bar across the front. Absolutlely insanely blinding.

And most new GM and Ford vehicles are way too effing high too. When the light is installed at 5 feet off the ground, there is no avoiding being in the line of direct light when you sit 3-4 feet off the ground.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

The problem with Tesla's isn't necessarily the headlights and more that most Model 3/Y ship with the headlights misaligned (Tesla has no QC). My model 3 Performance drivers side headlight was badly misaligned when I took delivery. I won't argue about Acura as their jewel eye headlights are the worst in the industry when it comes to blinding oncoming traffic.

I find the problem is universal with Tesla. And I encounter a lot of them in Chicago. I find Tesla’s headlights every bit as bad as Acura’s.

Originally Posted by Our03z4

It's not just LED. My non LED F250 has by far the worst lights I've ever seen. They use four headlights that blind absolutely everyone. Non stop people are flashing me (not in a good way), I even hate running across the trucks myself.

Yes, you are absolutely correct!! Apparently the DOT, which once was very strict about headlights, has completely abdicated their responsibility.

Originally Posted by Fredcohiba

It’s annoying and dangerous. The older I get the more it affects me. It’s already hard enough to drive at night, with glasses and then to be blinded by oncoming traffic.

True.


Here’s the experience I’m coming from. I drive home a ten mile stretch of road from my dad’s senior center and I do it frequently at night. Tesla and Honda/Acura are the worst, but the numbers of other makes is increasing. And, as mentioned above, this latest Ford truck design is terrible.



A side issue. Of all the places I have lived I’m finding Chicago drivers are the worst I’ve ever encountered. This is just one example of many!! On my ten mile drive I encounter at least four people driving down city streets with their high beams on and between two & four with no lights at all. Not even DRLs. A lot of these are cars I know are equipped with automatic headlights. This is not an exaggeration. I have this same experience every single time I drive home after dark. If this is happening every time I drive this one ten mile stretch of city street I can only imagine what it’s like all over the city.


edit: regarding bad driving. I have to admit I wonder if the bad driving I’m experiencing is truly a Chicago thing or if it’s more universal as the world has gone exponentially further to hell in a hand basket over the last ten years.

[tigermack]

I thought I was the only one, I always get blinded by Tesla's and always thought they had high beams on. I drove my FIL's and was like wow, the light output is crazy and almost unnecessary.

[Tambohamilton]

+1 to this thread.

It's all fair and well on level, straight roads when the lights are pointed the correct way. But if the road has bends and gradient changes, you regularly get blasted in the eyes by million lumen LEDs. Regulations need to catch up, and they need to be routinely enforced.

[tturedraider]

This is off the main topic of this thread and related to the secondary topic. I think I just had a little revelation. I have a feeling a lot of people these days do not know what the blue headlight icon is. I’m kind of thinking it’s not that they see it and just don’t care, but they actually don’t know it’s telling them their bright lights are on.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

^ bingo, a lot of people are actually driving with their high beams on. these same people would blast you for not following the speed limit, its all under a guise of safety. for them, they can't see so they NEED their high beams, fuck everyone else

[shimmy23]

Originally Posted by M2siast

My sister actually told me one day that low beams are for daytime, and high beams are for nighttime driving.

You’re spot on.

no offense, but this is really sad... that people are that dumb. If the QC on Teslas is so poor, why do i see so many of those ugly things! And yes, i agree, their headlights are horrible (aimed incorrectly or not)!

[shimmy23]

Originally Posted by M2siast

I agree.

And Teslas headlights are bad. The worst of all.

But have a look at Civics. Not sure why they’re all with high beams on… there must be something with that car.

Is it high beams or "driving lights?" i've noticed several makes that have "driving lights" that auto turn on and stay on if the driver doesn't turn their headlight switch on. These driving lights appear to be high beams.

[shimmy23]

Originally Posted by M2siast

High beams. Meaning, you can see the low beams on and the highs too (Civics have 2 separate housings).

The driving light sometimes is the high beam, so fair question.

ah i see what you mean. how annoying!!

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

It's not just LED. My non LED F250 has by far the worst lights I've ever seen. They use four headlights that blind absolutely everyone. Non stop people are flashing me (not in a good way), I even hate running across the trucks myself.

That design should never have been approved by NHTSA or whoever approves such stuff. Quad low beams? Who thought that was a good idea? You're getting flashed because people see 4 headlights and assume your high beams are on, but they aren't. They likely aren't being blinded (shouldn't be if they're aligned properly) but still almost everyone will assume you're running the highs. Stupidest design ever.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by M2siast

My sister actually told me one day that low beams are for daytime, and high beams are for nighttime driving.

You’re spot on.

OT... Over here drivers don't understand lame discipline on multi-lane motorways etc. Everyone trying to drive gets forced into a queue in the outside lane, because the other 3 lanes are clogged up with people doing 65mph. Drives me nuts!
/OT

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by KevinC

That design should never have been approved by NHTSA or whoever approves such stuff. Quad low beams? Who thought that was a good idea? You're getting flashed because people see 4 headlights and assume your high beams are on, but they aren't. They likely aren't being blinded (shouldn't be if they're aligned properly) but still almost everyone will assume you're running the highs. Stupidest design ever.

I would say they are slightly less blinding than high beams, but they are still very blinding, because there are so many of them and the trucks sit so high.

[erickonphoenix]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

It's not just LED. My non LED F250 has by far the worst lights I've ever seen. They use four headlights that blind absolutely everyone. Non stop people are flashing me (not in a good way), I even hate running across the trucks myself.

Truth.

Driving out on the interstate at night if you get stacked up in a cue of cars and an F250 is behind you pretty much all you can do is move all the mirrors out of position. I thought a bulk of the problem was because I'm in a car, interesting it is also an issue in other trucks.

[RonronEG]

The new Accord has the brightest headlights I have ever seen on a production vehicle, it's absolute madness.

GM recalled a shit ton vehicles for lights being too bright recently. I think Jeeps have to be the second worst offender.

[G30M]

yup to all

[Oldgixxer]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

A side issue. Of all the places I have lived I’m finding Chicago drivers are the worst I’ve ever encountered. This is just one example of many!! On my ten mile drive I encounter at least four people driving down city streets with their high beams on and between two & four with no lights at all. Not even DRLs. A lot of these are cars I know are equipped with automatic headlights. This is not an exaggeration. I have this same experience every single time I drive home after dark. If this is happening every time I drive this one ten mile stretch of city street I can only imagine what it’s like all over the city.


edit: regarding bad driving. I have to admit I wonder if the bad driving I’m experiencing is truly a Chicago thing or if it’s more universal as the world has gone exponentially further to hell in a hand basket over the last ten years.

I agree with what everyone else has posted and in addition:

The drivers in South Carolina are equally terrible,I pride myself in my driving ability after learning how to drive in NY(right outside NYC) and spending 38 winters navigating through snow,ice,etc and not a single accident nor speeding ticket and I never drive the speed limit..That being said,the absolute ignorance and lack of ability as well as consideration for other drivers is off the charts,and not in a good way. I purposely stay off the roads as best I can during the daytime,I do a lot of driving at 3-5am and 9 out of 10 cars drives with their brights on,I'll flick mine at them to let them know,if they don't respond and turn the brights off then I simply turn my brights on and blind them back

The Ford trucks like mentioned are everywhere here,as well as the LED light bars and lifted trucks which blind the hell outta me. After welding pipe for 30yrs my eyesight isn't what it used to be and the idiot drivers at night w their brights make it worse.

[Rafichicago]

One more thing to add. Post accident vehicles have rarely properly aligned headlights. This happens because most states don’t have proper annual inspections on vehicles like most European countries do. So bad tires bad suspension components misaligned headlights and especially Chicago area where I live notoriously bad shocks in vehicles are nightmare. I see at least once a week vehicle with broken tie rod on the side of the road just because someone didn’t care about replacing $50 part. Oh well.

[Silence*]

I used to love driving at night before all this LED nonsense, but back then the only thing you had to worry about was cars with HID's in non-projector headlights. Sure they were bright, but they weren't laser focused like modern LED's are. The new Honda's seem to be the worst offender for this, I was absolutely blinded by a new Accord on a rainy evening last week. On that note, A friend of mine had a M340i last year with the LED lights and said they were pretty much useless on a rainy night - he much preferred my 435i with standard Xenon's.

Also the new Toyota/Lexus SUV's with tiny LED brake lights that shine DIRECTLY in your face while stopped behind them... those little lights are WAY too bright for their own good.