We’ve just driven home from a Christmas party. Are my eyes aging or are car lights brighter? I don’t enjoy driving at night these days (though new glasses have made it more comfortable).
@crossingthethreshold A lot of new models, particularly high end, use LED lights now and they’re much brighter than old standard headlight bulbs. Particularly noticeable in SUVs or 4WD as they sit a bit higher.
@crossingthethreshold Your eyes might be avoiding the brighest swath of headlight illumination. Our Skoda actually automatically dims a rectangle of illumination that would normally cover an on-coming car.
And the LEDs on rear number plates are brighter than before. The text on the box of the license plate bulbs I bought and fit said they weren't suitable for use on cars.
@crossingthethreshold Join the club! For a few years now I've hated driving at night — all the glare from lights is difficult. And if it's raining it's a nightmare. Then on a recent trip away I discovered driving on an unfamiliar road at night in the rain is just terrifying.
@crossingthethreshold A lot of drivers now have their bright lights on all the time. And in South Carolina, a lot of “good ol’ boys” have augmented their trucks with LED light bars in addition to the factory installed lights. All of this is illegal, so I wish there were more enforcement.
@crossingthethreshold they are a LOT brighter. I have taken to wear sunglasses when we drive home at night because my light sensitive eyes give me a massive headache otherwise
@gdp The people that drive normally with their brights on piss me off to no end. It’s so disrespectful in addition to being dangerous, and despite having anti-reflective glasses it’s still distracting. They don’t even turn them off when you flash your high beams at them as a warning.
@crossingthethreshold Yes I think newer headlights are brighter. And they tend more toward the blue than the yellow end of the spectrum -- I've read that this increases perceived brightness. And so many newer vehicles are big pickups & SUVs, with lights mounted higher.
@gdp Yes, It seems to me that fewer drivers have the courtesy to turn down their brights when approaching another vehicle.
@Miraz Driving abroad at night a couple of months ago was an experience that I did not enjoy. I later discovered that it was a holiday weekend in Italy and everyone appeared to be trying to get to their destination before everyone else. In the middle of it was me 😂. I can laugh now, but not at the time.