I have noticed the same thing.

Another cool technological advancement is that lights have an adjustment knob (up/down).
Obviously the further up they are the better you can see...
Probably a few that adjusted a knob to see better, and don't realize or don't care they are blinding the recipient.

Many times someone behind me has brights on... I just raise my side view mirrors and reflect light right back at em.
They usually dim them after that.

Worse than people driving with brights on.. Is the amount of people that drive in BCS at night with no lights on.
You cannot drive down texas Ave at night without seeing at least 1 car with no lights on.
How much do you not have to be paying attention to not realize you're driving with no lights on??

Esteban du Plantier said:

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HID bulbs are bright and more and more new cars are equipped with them from the factory.

It's only going to get worse, so you better get square with it.

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The toss in all the wonderful people who have non-compliant lighting for headlights, which besides being the wrong color temperature (which can appear more dazzling to some), are often diffused incorrectly or aimed wrong. Curious? TC547.3215 which references 49CFR571.108 of the FMVSS.

PSA...The greatest percentage of driving time, headlights are more about BEING SEEN than seeing. Not that it really matters to all of the fine law abiding citizens, but North Carolina had a driving law that required headlights to be on in ALL low light conditions....fog, any rain ,dusk, dawn, etc.

DBSwooper said:

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Esteban du Plantier said:

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HID bulbs are bright and more and more new cars are equipped with them from the factory.

It's only going to get worse, so you better get square with it.

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The toss in all the wonderful people who have non-compliant lighting for headlights, which besides being the wrong color temperature (which can appear more dazzling to some), are often diffused incorrectly or aimed wrong. Curious? TC547.3215 which references 49CFR571.108 of the FMVSS.

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Does local LE ever focus on this? I never see brodozers with light bars or cars with 8k HIDs or HIDs in non-projector housings being stopped. The last few years, I've wished the state would have a "click it or ticket" type event to focus on these jokers.

I agree, being seen by other drivers is what the folks driving w/o headlights fail to realize sometimes. A dark car that pulls out in front of others, is making a turn, or is in a line of cars who are lit up (hence becoming a 'dark space') is dangerous. Pedestrians can also have difficulty seeing an unlit car, too (although if the car is traveling slowly, there may be other ways to tell it is approaching). The lighting at parking areas can fool people into not following driving procedure and checking their lights before leaving as well. Or they're drunk. Or something.

As far as the brighter lights go, I try and focus on safe driving and train my eyes as much as I can to not be bothered by them since someone pointed out, they are here to stay.

I've noticed that it's especially bad when driving home from work at 5am and even more so in the fog

txyaloo said:

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DBSwooper said:

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Esteban du Plantier said:

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HID bulbs are bright and more and more new cars are equipped with them from the factory.

It's only going to get worse, so you better get square with it.

---

The toss in all the wonderful people who have non-compliant lighting for headlights, which besides being the wrong color temperature (which can appear more dazzling to some), are often diffused incorrectly or aimed wrong. Curious? TC547.3215 which references 49CFR571.108 of the FMVSS.

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Does local LE ever focus on this? I never see brodozers with light bars or cars with 8k HIDs or HIDs in non-projector housings being stopped. The last few years, I've wished the state would have a "click it or ticket" type event to focus on these jokers.

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pretty sure HIDs must be > 10k to be considered illegal in TX

I keep my headlights turned down low since they are adjustable from the inside. When I meet other people who do not turn off their brights, I just kindly rotate the lights up and hit the brights. That usually changes their mind fairly quickly.

I also have changed out from halogen to led which makes it worse on their end since it scatters the light some.

redsox34 said:

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txyaloo said:

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DBSwooper said:

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Esteban du Plantier said:

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HID bulbs are bright and more and more new cars are equipped with them from the factory.

It's only going to get worse, so you better get square with it.

---

The toss in all the wonderful people who have non-compliant lighting for headlights, which besides being the wrong color temperature (which can appear more dazzling to some), are often diffused incorrectly or aimed wrong. Curious? TC547.3215 which references 49CFR571.108 of the FMVSS.

---

Does local LE ever focus on this? I never see brodozers with light bars or cars with 8k HIDs or HIDs in non-projector housings being stopped. The last few years, I've wished the state would have a "click it or ticket" type event to focus on these jokers.

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pretty sure HIDs must be > 10k to be considered illegal in TX

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The color temperature requirements are closer to 5500k, I don't have the conversion chart from the requirements in the FMVSS in front of me but the allowed range is much narrower than people think.

As for if local LE stopped for illegal and dangerous lighting, they have before, they might again, but I'm also doubtful that the average patrol officer would know these details. The motors guys probably do if anyone does. Call your local agency and raise hell with the traffic division, that's the only way to motivate enforcement. Illegal and dangerous lighting can, has and does cause collisions, including tinted lighting (no amount of lens tinting is legal on any of the five required lights in any of the 50 states).

DBSwooper said:

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redsox34 said:

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txyaloo said:

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DBSwooper said:

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Esteban du Plantier said:

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HID bulbs are bright and more and more new cars are equipped with them from the factory.

It's only going to get worse, so you better get square with it.

---

The toss in all the wonderful people who have non-compliant lighting for headlights, which besides being the wrong color temperature (which can appear more dazzling to some), are often diffused incorrectly or aimed wrong. Curious? TC547.3215 which references 49CFR571.108 of the FMVSS.

---

Does local LE ever focus on this? I never see brodozers with light bars or cars with 8k HIDs or HIDs in non-projector housings being stopped. The last few years, I've wished the state would have a "click it or ticket" type event to focus on these jokers.

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pretty sure HIDs must be > 10k to be considered illegal in TX

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The color temperature requirements are closer to 5500k, I don't have the conversion chart from the requirements in the FMVSS in front of me but the allowed range is much narrower than people think.

As for if local LE stopped for illegal and dangerous lighting, they have before, they might again, but I'm also doubtful that the average patrol officer would know these details. The motors guys probably do if anyone does. Call your local agency and raise hell with the traffic division, that's the only way to motivate enforcement. Illegal and dangerous lighting can, has and does cause collisions, including tinted lighting (no amount of lens tinting is legal on any of the five required lights in any of the 50 states).

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Shouldn't this be picked up at inspection/registration time?

biobioprof said:

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DBSwooper said:

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redsox34 said:

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txyaloo said:

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DBSwooper said:

---

Esteban du Plantier said:

---

HID bulbs are bright and more and more new cars are equipped with them from the factory.

It's only going to get worse, so you better get square with it.

---

The toss in all the wonderful people who have non-compliant lighting for headlights, which besides being the wrong color temperature (which can appear more dazzling to some), are often diffused incorrectly or aimed wrong. Curious? TC547.3215 which references 49CFR571.108 of the FMVSS.

---

Does local LE ever focus on this? I never see brodozers with light bars or cars with 8k HIDs or HIDs in non-projector housings being stopped. The last few years, I've wished the state would have a "click it or ticket" type event to focus on these jokers.

---

pretty sure HIDs must be > 10k to be considered illegal in TX

---

The color temperature requirements are closer to 5500k, I don't have the conversion chart from the requirements in the FMVSS in front of me but the allowed range is much narrower than people think.

As for if local LE stopped for illegal and dangerous lighting, they have before, they might again, but I'm also doubtful that the average patrol officer would know these details. The motors guys probably do if anyone does. Call your local agency and raise hell with the traffic division, that's the only way to motivate enforcement. Illegal and dangerous lighting can, has and does cause collisions, including tinted lighting (no amount of lens tinting is legal on any of the five required lights in any of the 50 states).

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Shouldn't this be picked up at inspection/registration time?

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Yes it should, but often it isn't even though there are clear guidelines set forth for MVI stations in Texas with easy to follow rules. There are even guidelines on DPS' website.

A number of years ago I know that DPS used to take MVI sticker numbers that were sent to them as having violations and investigate the offending shop and investigator, often starting with a special car to be inspected. I'm not sure if they do that anymore.

Lots of olds are moving into BCS. Olds can't see well at night, or any other time (but especially at night). High beams help olds see at night. Better get used to this.

I realize that HID and newer cars have brighter light and I can tell the difference between driving lights and high beams. I'm talking about people driving with the highbeams on all the time. They either suck at life or the light behind their eyes is too dim and they are compensating.

MosesHallRAB83 said:

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I'm an old at 56. I do not use what at one time was called "high beams". I doubt olds are the problem as they tend to know their light limitations and avoid such situations. I suspect it is more likely mills thinking it is "cool" to have such lights.

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We're talking about high beams, not light bars.

If someone is behind you with their brights on, and you are moving, then you are probably driving too slow and should move over to allow traffic to flow properly.

csrealist said:

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If someone is behind you with their brights on, and you are moving, then you are probably driving too slow and should move over to allow traffic to flow properly.

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Since the post above assumes a LOT, I'll assume the laugh it gave me was unintentional.

csrealist said:

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If someone is behind you with their brights on, and you are moving, then you are probably driving too slow and should move over to allow traffic to flow properly.

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Unless the person with their brights on is going slow in the left lane forcing you to pass them on the right which results in someone with their brights on behind you.

Jinx said:

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Esteban du Plantier said:

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HID bulbs are bright and more and more new cars are equipped with them from the factory.

It's only going to get worse, so you better get square with it.

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I have a newish car and make a drive out to "the country" about once a week. I get "flashed" with brights now and then when I have my regular lights on. Sometimes, I'm tempted to hi beam them back to prove I'm not being rude but that'd just blind them entirely...

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This. I have a car (2012) with Xenon headlights. I NEVER use my high beams. When I was commuting back and forth from College Station to The Woodlands on 105, I got flashed for using my "brights" probably once a day (usually in the early morning, as they was the darkest part of my commute). Now that I'm not commuting, I rarely get flashed anymore, but I've come to expect it on the rare occasion when I'm driving on a dark, rural road.