I know I’m not the only one who feels like I’m getting visually assaulted everytime I drive at night. It was bad 10 years ago but now, it seems like headlight manufacturers have a deal with insurance companies and optometrists to make the lights as bright as possible. Is this ever going to stop or is there some kind of race in the headlight industry to see who can reproduce the power of the sun first?
The brightness is an issue, but the placement and angle are the bigger problem. Its the slippery slope of following american trends. Years ago Mercedes Benz (I think) put out a car that used IR light and a heads up screen (no visible headlights, just running lights) showing the driver the night landscape without needing to blind everyone. It was banned in the states, no real reason why but the idea went dead.
Was it banned in other countries too, or is there some other reason it isn’t used?
Cost, probably
Mercedes put it in the S-Class, their flagship. They can afford fancy extras there.
Makes sense.
Not sure, but the tech is old and tested (almost all cold war era things used IR lights). The issue is I think they can sell the super terrible bright lights as “safety” features. And a lot of consumer trends are american based and just forced on the world.
A German auto company isn’t going to pull a safety feature from the EU, South American, and Asian markets just because it’s banned in the US.
No but they will not also pursue one that is not allowed in the us market as hard. But then again times are a changin.
I think you’re over estimating the amount of influence the US auto market has had.
*had
And it was eminence. But maybe with their fall we can get cool IR cars again.
Are you correcting my post or yours? I was speaking in the past tense.
Oh no, just agreeing on the tense. Hope that it stays that way.
UV scare. They had to use UV lights to make it work. But they weren’t on the same wavelength as say a tanning bed but people made a noise about it anyways.
No IR not UV. Not the same wavelength UV and IR are on the opposite sides of the visual spectrum.
Without actual headlights I’m certain someone would pull out in front of you, people are dumb
Running lights are a thing, and I see enough people driving with only them at night now.