The US is a bit of a backwater for automotive lighting technology.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/09/headlamp-tech-that-doesnt-blind-oncoming-drivers-where-is-it/

Lighting is a major problem, not just over bright headlamps.  There is an apt phrase "Reinforce the Darkness".  Recently on a dark night, I was "flashed" to proceed across a junction by such stupid light - I did not proceed as I could not see, so the oncoming driver did it again.....

Tail lights, and brake lights dazzle, let alone headlamps, and some indicators and reversing lights are about the size of my thumbnail, with a corresponding poor viewing angle.  Traffic lights at pedestrian controlled crossings are so bright it is easy to miss seeing the waiting pedestrian at night.  Why the brilliance is not adaptive to ambient light I really have no idea.

RAC report that over bright lighting is the biggest source of complaints.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/rac-news/government-confirms-igo-ahead-with-research-into-impact-of-headlights/

 

Rather than needing to see 500 yards down the road it would help if the white-lining was properly maintained, and the 'cats-eye' reflectors too. Round our way many local roads no longer have a central white line, which has been allowed to wear away to nothing, or reflectors. When faced with an oncoming vehicle it's impossible to see the grass verge and tell where your vehicle is relative to it even if that vehicle only has old-style halogen lamps. If it has LEDs you practically have to stop until it's passed. Pretty dangerous especially on any of our roads that run alongside a river with no safety barrier.

Even without an oncoming vehicle it's hard to see where you are on the road since black tarmac isn't very reflective. Back in my youth I used to quite like the concrete road surfaces that were fairly common at the time as they were much easier to see. Maybe we should be researching surfacing materials with better reflectivity.

19 hours ago, Paulkp said:

RAC report that over bright lighting is the biggest source of complaints.

My optometrist tells me that this is the most common issue raised by his patients.

Pal of mine just bought a 22 plate Discovery. Met him on the road today for the first time and he flashed me from a distance, I'm in a 32 tonner, ie quite high up and I had retina burn for a few seconds after! God knows what it'll be like if I was in a car 👨‍🦯😎😃

Retina Burn from headlights, must be similar to "Arc Eye", but worse !

In my latest CSMA/Boundless  edition are two letters referring to brake lights that are not controlled by a brake pedal, in that they stay illuminated, especially in "Auto Hold".

So that is why I get dazzled by brake lights when I am in a queue of traffic........

How stupid is that ?

 

 

I have to say, the matrix headlights on my Fiesta ST-3 are surprisingly good. I've never driven a car with full-auto headlights before, but the tech seems to work really well. I've only driven a few hundred miles so far, and only a few times in the dark, but I've not been flashed yet. In the dark they tend to stay on high beam unless there's street lighting. The clever matrix tech takes care of oncoming traffic and traffic I'm following. Pulling into the driveway you can see that the beam pattern is dead flat too.

On 10/1/2024 at 8:40 AM, Paulkp said:

brake lights that are not controlled by a brake pedal, in that they stay illuminated, especially in "Auto Hold"....

...How stupid is that ?

Totally unjustified, they only need to be active when a car is actually slowing down. For a long time I've found the intensity of high-level brakelights physically uncomfortable and have even resorted to flipping the sunvisor down on occasion to get some relief. I used to curse the idiots who I thought were too f***ing lazy to use their handbrake until I discovered about the automatic systems doing it.