The more I think on this, the more I wonder if it’s truly unpopular “here,” but it certainly is in public.

Headlights should be no more than 2 feet off the ground. Yes, your SUV will look dumb. No, you won’t be able to see as far. But you also won’t be blinding everyone.

And no, adjusting angles does not solve this for monster trucks in the US.

  • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️
    link
    fedilink
    13
    edit-2
    10 months ago

    It doesn’t matter where the lights are themselves. What matters is how they’re angled. Almost every jackass I’ve seen with custom lights also has their headlights pointed straight forward; which is why you get blinded. The lights are supposed to be pointed toward the ground. Otherwise you’re driving around with high beams everywhere and your high beams end up shooting into the fucking sky.

    Plenty of vehicles with those blue led lights that don’t blind you because they’re angled correctly. I think regulating the height of the bumper (or rather, the height should be the same for an SUV or truck as it is for a normal sized car) is more needed right now.

    • Hildegarde
      link
      fedilink
      1110 months ago

      Cars come from the factory with blinding lights. Yes modified lights are also a problem. There aren’t enough regulations for either OEM nor modified headlights.

      If a car’s headlights are mounted higher than the mirrors of another car, no amount of aiming can stop them from being blinding.

      If anything they should bring back sealed beam laws. Auto companies have proven they’re unable to make headlights correctly.

      • @Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
        link
        fedilink
        010 months ago

        30+ years ago, cars came standard with rearview mirrors that had a lever to select daytime view (full reflection) or night time view (partial reflection) to minimize glare.

        My current car came from the factory with auto-darkening rearview and side mirrors. Two light sensors detect whether it is night, and if there are headlights behind you. If so, the mirrors darken enough so headlights aren’t blinding.

        It’s not a new system. My 2012 Jeep Patriot had the same thing for the rearview mirror.

        Headlights have to be near the eyeline of the driver for retroreflective signs, clothing, and markings to work right. Moving headlights that far below the driver’s eyeline will create far more danger than it cures.

        • edric
          link
          fedilink
          010 months ago

          It’s my first time owning a car that has autodimming rearview and side mirrors. The feature is nice, but I don’t like how the “normal” mode on the rearview mirror still too dark. Wearing sunglasses makes it even darker, not to mention the tint on the back window, which combined make it virtually black during the day.

          • @Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
            link
            fedilink
            210 months ago

            The feature is nice, but I don’t like how the “normal” mode on the rearview mirror still too dark.

            It’s not functioning properly. Based on what you are describing, something is probably covering the daylight sensor, so it always thinks it is night.

    • @aelwero@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      310 months ago

      I love LED headlights. The cutoff on the beam makes them much less blinding.

      Damn shame about the lack of intelligent people installing em though ;)

    • @dan1101@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      210 months ago

      I think it does matter, because the higher the lights are the steeper the vertical angle will be. If you have lights 5’ high trying not to shine in the windshield of a Miata then they won’t be shining very far down the road.