• Rob@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    In Europe, this is hardly a problem. I’ve recently been on the road more in the US, and it sucks. But I think it’s more so due to cars being ridiculously big and their lamps being way off the ground.

    • rzlatic@lemmy.ml
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      1 month ago

      it is a problem in europe too. all new german SUVs, and many others, have front beams around the height of others drivers eyes so they blare right into internal rearview mirror, car is lit like ufo is here to take us, and when meeting those cars coming from opposite direction, it’s again at the height of eyes to burn the retinas. the regulation of headlights is obviously fucked.

      • repungnant_canary@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Headlights definitely need more regulation but this issue is very amplified in SUVs which are much underregulated. They have mismatched bumper heights to other cars causing more damage, they drag pedestrians underneath causing more injuries. I personally see no point for modern SUVs existing at all, but let’s at least make sure they are safe on roads.

      • SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 month ago

        When an SUV with floodlight headlights is tailgating me, I ask the passenger to use the rearview mirror to reflect their light back into the eyes of the driver. When that fails, we flash them a few times with one of those stupid 5k lumen mega-flashlights. They always seem to back off.

        • Maalus@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          “when an SUV drives with its headlights on I then try to blind them and take away my own rearview mirror so I can’t see behind me. When that doesn’t work we blind them with high intensity flashlights. No, your honor I don’t think I’m a complete sociopath that risks everyone’s lives with careless and petty behavior”

      • Mammothmothman@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        And then the snow falls and all the light not being directly shot onto your retna from the light is now being bounced off every surface in your feild of vision.

    • Tja@programming.dev
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      1 month ago

      Thanks for this clarification. I was wondering about this meme, I have never had a problem with headlights here in Germany. It’s the first thing they check at TÜV. Wrong headlight setting, inspection failure. But getting your car inspected probably will trigger some freedumb people over there.

    • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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      1 month ago

      Probably because Europeans have largely solved this problem with laser/Matrix headlights that can identify oncoming traffic and turn off only the lights that are specifically pointed at that vehicle, but these are illegal in the US.

    • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      From what I hear, people who modify their vehicle by lifting it higher with bigger wheels are suppose to recalibrate their headlights (point the headlights toward the ground).

    • Venator
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      1 month ago

      Whys it German cars that most often cause the problem then…? Are bmw x5s not as popular in Germany?

    • RazTheCat@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      This exactly. They are definitely getting brighter year over year as well. It is noticeable, I just feel like a cop is shining their light in my car every time a truck gets behind me now. I feel like there are just no regulations in the US on the brightness nowadays.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Lamps off the ground aren’t a problem when they’re aimed correctly. The big issue is everyone putting LEDs inside of halogen housings. The light scatters everywhere and blinds everyone.

      • Rekorse@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        You are making it sound like its a user modification problem. There are a number of large vehicles that come stock with headlights that blind people in smaller cars.

      • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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        1 month ago

        They are actually. When your headlights are 5 feet off the ground, there’s no way to light the road ahead of you without also blasting it into the back window of the sensible sedan in front of you.