Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright • Hacker News Board

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#41

Post by englishrookie » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:33 PM UTC

jonasdegendt wrote: post #20

Taek wrote: post #2

I feel the same way in America, I think there should be stricter regulations on how bright a car's headlights are allowed to be for it to be street legal. Wouldn't mind having a cap on blue-light levels in addition.

It's much worse in America, in my experience. Much more deviation in cars/sedans/trucks on the road, with different road heights each, and MUCH more custom stuff on top. I'm in Belgium and headlights don't generally bother me too much, but a month in California recently had me going "no wonder everyone has tints here."

I'm in the Netherlands and I DO find it bad. Probably also has to do with my age (early fifties) - your eyes adjust with more difficulty the older you get, it seems.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#42

Post by alistairSH » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:33 PM UTC

Taek wrote: post #2

I feel the same way in America, I think there should be stricter regulations on how bright a car's headlights are allowed to be for it to be street legal. Wouldn't mind having a cap on blue-light levels in addition.

There are a two things contributing to "headlights too bright" in the US...

First, SUVs are really tall... If you're in a sedan (or worse, a Miata) and get close enough to an oncoming SUV, even well-aimed, legal lights are going to feel bright because they're pointed down at you.

Second, there's a decent sized market for cheap, unapproved HID/LED kits for older cars. They're often not aimed correctly.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#43

Post by Maxion » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:33 PM UTC

Lio wrote: post #33

nikanj wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out in the country: moose and other animals

Moose are less of a problem in the UK than you might expect. ;) (I'll give you other animals though.)

There are other countries than the UK.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#44

Post by varispeed » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:33 PM UTC

Yes, evening, rain, headlights - basically best to close eyes and drive by feel.

I too wonder why these are legal.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#45

Post by barbazoo » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:34 PM UTC

nanna wrote: post #5

Same for bicycle lights too, and street lights.

The sun as well, too bright.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#46

Post by jabbywocker » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:34 PM UTC

4ndrewl wrote: post #17

nanna wrote: post #5

Same for bicycle lights too, and street lights.

Nearly all UK drivers say bike lights are too bright? Do you have a citation or was that an edgy culture war comment?

I think it’s his personal opinion, so no need to provide a citation.

But don’t let that stop you from starting your diatribe

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#47

Post by PunchyHamster » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:34 PM UTC

No wonder. We need standard both on the brightness and the height of the headlights off the ground. Try driving normal sized car or anything sporty and it's blindness central any time modern SUV shows up.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#48

Post by silon42 » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:34 PM UTC

jonahrd wrote: post #18

everdrive wrote: post #10

I understand that currently this is sort of a collective action problem, but I'm a bit baffled why people ever thought they needed brighter headlights in the first place. In the city, it's so bright that you don't even need headlights to see whatsoever. When cars started automatically dimming the dash via a light sensor, there was actually a period of time where I totally forgot to turn on my headlights because thing…

Well.. deer, for one. It's much easier to spot animals crossing the road with bright headlights than without. I still also agree headlights are too bright, by the way, but I'm just providing an example for your question

Not necessarily... I had H4 or H1/H7 before, which were dimmer, but the edge cutoff was much smoother...

With current car that has Xenon headlights (+ LED for day), they have a much sharper cutoff at the edge, making it harder to see pedestrians and other stuff near the road.

Probably the LED/laser headlights are even worse in this aspect.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#49

Post by mihaaly » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:34 PM UTC

Wild west of light usage makes cycling habits in UK bad as well. Several thousands of lux lights are pointed towards the oncoming cyclsts switched to strobe mode. Rear light are comparably strong and distracting by all the very creative patterns of flashing. People seem to pour out the children of safety with the dirty bath water of flashing lights. Yes, you want to be noticed, yeah, you made it! By dazzling everyone else and divert attention away from any other traffic or dangers. Very stupid practice, making safety worse, not better.

Re: Nearly all UK drivers say headlights are too bright

#50

Post by stuaxo » Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 2:35 PM UTC

everdrive wrote: post #10

I understand that currently this is sort of a collective action problem, but I'm a bit baffled why people ever thought they needed brighter headlights in the first place. In the city, it's so bright that you don't even need headlights to see whatsoever. When cars started automatically dimming the dash via a light sensor, there was actually a period of time where I totally forgot to turn on my headlights because thing…

Lights in other settings that were upgraded to LEDs became much brighter: night clubs usef to be mostly dark for instance.

I don't think it happened through any plan, if anyone was looking at the specs, they probably just thought "bigger number better".