TOO BRIGHT Car Headlamps!?! | Laser LEP vs. LED vs. Halogen | Stronger than Sunlight

[@Michalloyd_stop-motion]

modern car headlights are so bright that at night I keep thinking everybody has their high beams on even though they don't.

[@ashliehiggins]

They aren’t any brighter than the Xenon/HID lights which have been on the roads since the 90s, you just don’t like the colour temperature.

[@CristiNeagu]

That's also because people don't align their headlights properly, or they put the bulbs in upside down, or they use the wrong bulbs. This last one is a problem with LED replacements, as headlight mirrors and lenses are tuned for filaments, and they don't focus the beam properly with LEDs.

[@martinweizenacker7129]

@@CristiNeagu Exactly what I have observed with LED retrofit lamps. Unless the light emitting surface is shaped and positioned inside the headlight like the filament it's supposed to replace, the beam pattern is going to be different. As a result, there may be undesirable light spill above the cut off threshold (blinding oncoming traffic).

[@WaltRBuck]

Same, it has kept me from driving during busy times at night. It's absurd.

[@luis241661]

alignment. standard headlights, no matter how new or bright, shouldn’t be blinding. they’re typically pointed slightly downward. unfortunately most ppl don’t know how to align their headlights or kno to take their car to a shop. there are some exceptions! tall trucks/vehicles and the newest teslas. for some reason the new teslas r either not correctly aligned or there is a design flaw.

[@michaelpmalin]

2:15 - These should actually be designed for more like 13.5v to 14.5v as this is the normal operating range for a car. If your car is at 12v running, your alternator is no longer with us, my condolences.

[@WolfGamerBohumin]

Or you have a car with that "smart charging" crap.

[@jonny11bonk]

Shouldn't there be a voltage converter for stabilizing the output? At least my cigarette plugs run at constant 12,1V no matter whether the engine is idling, running, or being cranked.

[@hanswurst-h3e]

@@jonny11bonkDont know for new vehicles, but historically they relied on cheap thin wire for some voltage drop to not wear out the bulb in a couple hours. Pair that with oxidized connections over the years and there goes 25% of the light output. The manufacturers measure their advertised numbers at operating voltage, ~13v for osram.

[@shmehfleh3115]

@@jonny11bonk It may depend on the car, but my two tend to hover around 13.8-14 volts when their engines are running.

[@PM-wt3ye]

Ever heard of an electric part that regulates voltage?! 😂

[@_XRMissie]

Riding a motorcycle at night and coming across some of these ultra bright lights is so unbelievably dangerous. The visor glare is insane. If it's also raining, I practically have to stop in order to not get dazzled off the road because I literally can't see where I'm going anymore.

[@drramtop1576]

Absolutely agree. Car drivers complain about being blinded by these lights, but they have no idea just how incredibly dangerous it is for a motorcycle rider to be dazzled for even a couple of seconds. I rarely ride at night now because it's more risky than I'm comfortable with.

[@pistonsjem]

Get good visors with near 0 glare its life-changing

[@robertjames3860]

I agree too. Riding my motorbike at night is really difficult because of LED car headlights. They should be banned, and quickly. They are the worst thing for road safety.

[@hugh007]

Some motorcycle lights are just as bad as cars

[@Dave-ei7kk]

Yes, riding a motorcycle is way more dangerous than riding in a car and not just in the scenario you described. In fact, as a past motorcycle rider I’m having a hard time envisioning any scenario in which riding a motorcycle isn’t radically more dangerous than riding in a car. So if that bothers you, you need to ask yourself why you do it. I asked myself that very question many years ago and got rid of my motorcycle.

[@paulbielakovski3217]

UK checking in. It's an arms race out there. Brighter, higher, misaligned.

[@EliteFireSaint]

I'm driving a HGV and getting an eye full of LED beams pointed up at the cab. It's even worse during rain as the dazzle off the road absolutely annihilates your night vision and hides the road.

[@markaoslo5653]

Same in this part of USA...

[@weldonyoung1013]

@paulbielakovski3217 have you look at the RAC headlamp survey in the UK? It would appear some government departments are going to follow up and investigate further.

[@rtechlab6254]

About to change by the looks. Maybe they will mandate indicators taht you can actually see on euroboxes

[@papaquonis]

This is not only a problem in traffic. As a train driver, this is something I occasionally have to deal with as well. They recently started using some absolutely ridiculously bright lights on some of our trains. We obviously have quite an advantage on the rails, since we're in no immediate danger of going off the road like a car, but getting blinded sure isn't optimal for us either.

[@joeds3775]

You'll also be very close to these lights... Jus saying... Ask the union

[@Red_Twizzler]

RAISE HELL

[@hoang_sean]

So everyone is getting blinded. What next? Aircraft with lights too bright?

[@Cautionary_Tale_Harris]

I'm old enough to remember when it was illegal to blind oncoming traffic.

[@Psychx_]

It's still illegal where I live (Austria), but it's kinda meaningless, as new cars simply get street approval while already having dangerously bright headlights in their factory configuration. But god beware you buy aftermarket lighting on Amazon - bureaucracy and the law will try to crush you with everything they got.

[@VEC7ORlt]

Apparently not old enough to understand that it's still illegal.

[@knightwolf3511]

@@VEC7ORlt it's illegal right out of the box but no one is questioning it

[@snackerslc]

@@knightwolf3511 Americans need to come to their senses and invest in pedestrian infrastructure and get rid of all the light trucks with ridiculously high lamp placements.

[@Cautionary_Tale_Harris]

@@VEC7ORlt I hope that one day, maybe, I can grow up and be just like you. 🤞

[@butters2160]

actual car voltage when the cars engine is running is higher than 12v so you should be testing the headlights at 13.8-14.2 volts. the battery is 12 volts but the alternator produces this higher voltage to charge the battery. would like to see how much this changes the brightness.

[@CompoundBoy]

Correct, but as he mentioned in a previous video, LEDs and LASER diodes require a limited or constant current source (due to thermal runaway); so for LEDs and diodes I doubt it would make a difference since the driver might deal with it. For incandescent and halogen: it is proberbly worth it .

[@nZoot]

Doesn't matter with LED as the voltage is resisted down to its wanted specification.

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Whoa there cowboy, we do dangerous things here but that's pushing it a bit too far.

[@axe4770]

Yep my bike battery is 12V but with the stator kicked on it gets up to 13.8V

[@Quickened1]

He ran the halogen at 13.5v and achieved higher brightness. The other two it doesn't matter, brightness is not affected at voltages above 12v...

[@Missvoodoomama]

THANK YOU! In the US this issue of blinding headlights on new cars getting ridiculous as well.

[@GOPRepubliklan]

guys love to lift their trucks and put the beam right in your windshields so they can feel like real men, often they will add light bars too because it's still not enough, then drive around with their high beams on too because they are the only ones on the road who really matter and need to see

[@SoloRenegade]

another issue is that trucks are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@lesterhung7467]

@@GOPRepubliklan they are compensating for something downstairs.

[@ShawnDickens]

​@SoloRenegade I have one of the first years of the huge trucks. Mine is not lifted as much as some but it doesn't matter. I changed the halogen projectors to HID and put the brightest ones I could find 50 watts. At first I didn't get the aim right and I got flashed a few times. Once I got the aim right nobody ever flashed me. LED now put out that much light, so I know it is a control issue mostly. New stock ones are not laser bright, so the aim is off or the beam control is crap. If they lift a truck they should still only shine out 160 feet, so you should only get bright when you are 80 feet or less in front of them, basically just as you pass. When they lift a truck they have to aim down more, but probably dont change anything. Every manufacturer has their own strange way of saying how to aim them and it only applies to that vehicle which is stupid. I have a better way for Every vehicle no matter ride height. Need a flat surface long enough for the vehicle plus 16 feet in front. Measure the hot spot height as close as you can and then 16 feet in front it has to be 90% of the close height. If it is higher, it blinds people way more often. I wonder how many people will read this, not zero, and how many will check and adjust their own, maybe zero?

[@SoloRenegade]

@@ShawnDickens "If they lift a truck they should still only shine out 160 feet, so you should only get bright when you are 80 feet or less in front of them, basically just as you pass." you may be right, but that's simply Not what's happening. almost Nobody puts teh kind of effort into their lights you described. I'm constantly blinded by huge factory stock trucks. but semis do not have teh same issue. "I wonder how many people will read this, not zero, and how many will check and adjust their own, maybe zero?" a few people will read it, and almost none of them will check their lights. most wouldn't even know how.

[@BigYouDog]

I'm now 75, and I can no longer drive at night, as the on-coming led lamps on newer cars overcome my retinas ability to react fast enough. Here in the UK, back in the days of tungsten headlights, they had a maximum of 55w on main beam, and I found that was more than bright enough.

[@Soooperspeed]

in the uk hospitals stand patients at the side of the road so when cars pass they have a free xray scan thats how bright new cars are here .

[@roccofili3054]

Just as bad in America unfortunately. Its crazy that the regulatory agencies have done nothing in either of our countries. Its gotten to the point where I wear sunglasses when driving in the city at night so I dont kill a pedestrian.

[@axe4770]

@@roccofili3054 they are agency not scientists, they are clueless and don’t even know it is a problem. We should vote for scientists to run on regulatory agencies.

[@dafoex]

@@roccofili3054 In the UK you aren't allowed to wear tinted sunglasses at night, which most likely includes the yellow tinted "night driver" glasses they sell at petrol stations.

[@JustPyroYT]

Great Comparison! I'm still stunned by the brightness of the LEP... Absolutely crazy! An outdoor test in the dark comparing the lamps in a more real-life scenario would have also been interesting ^^

[@brainiac75]

Thanks. It sure is bright! Amazing what a mediocre 800 lumens can do when packed into a tight beam . I did consider some measurements and recordings at 100 meter but the Danish weather has been way too wet in December... Might revisit the headlamps later :)

[@JustPyroYT]

@brainiac75 That'd be cool :)

[@a64738]

Brightness is not the the largest problem, high color temperature (blue light) is MUCH worse then high brightness for 30% of the population with eye problems. I have less problem meeting a car with ultra powerful high beams with 100w illegal light bulbs then a car with low beams high color temperature legal bulbs. 255

[@duckmyass]

Should be banned. While they may be safe when functioning properly the reality is lights in a cars where you will always have some banged up and still driven will eventually result in some of them being used in a state where they will cause permanent injury to someone's eyes.

[@EcoMouseChannel]

Just a little PSA for anyone who hates getting blinded by the headlights on oncoming traffic... Avert your eyes to look down at the white stripe to the right. The moves the most condensed light off the very back of your retina (blinding you) but also allows you to still maintain control of your car, as you'll know where you are going by following the line and not veering off the road.

[@a64738]

We all do that, but when it is blue light that does not help, you just see a white haze covering the entire vision... But not all get blinded like that, only 30% of the population have that problem with blue light. Brightness is not the the largest problem, high color temperature (blue light) is MUCH worse then high brightness for 30% of the population with eye problems. I have less problem meeting a car with yellow ish color ultra bright powerful high beams with 100w illegal light bulbs then a car with low beams high color temperature blue ish legal bulbs. High color temperature blue lights should be banned, yellow light is much better for your eyes when it comes to being blinded.

[@AaronSchwarz42]

Sad you have to explain that idea, as if it was not completely obvious //

[@JymmiPhreek]

@@a64738 I prefer the cool white to the bluer colored ones. Are those better for people whose eyes are more sensitive to blue? There are definitely different temperature bulbs available and a lot tend to get the 5000-6000k, where I prefer 4000-4500k. I'm a bit attracted to blue led light, but I don't like blue headlights on cars. It's not legal in most of the US, anyway. I really don't like yellow headlights, either. That's more subjective than what you describe though, for me.

[@Houstonruss]

Also PSA: Clean your dang windshields! That glare is WAY worse if your windows are dirty and unpolished!

[@Gorast4575]

I mean I do that but it doesn't help much when it feels like I'm staring almost straight at the sun in the rain. I've started trying wearing blue light filtering glasses to help against LED brightness. Because while I don't have a problem with blue light, a lot of LED headlights can be physically painful to even glance at, especially when they are coming over a hill.

[@Reprint001]

It's pretty obvious just by how much it hurts your eyes when driving at night now that headlights are too bright. It's even worse now because of the number of taller vehicles on the roads like SUVs. I know that their lights are angled down more, but often I can tell that it's an SUV coming towards me because it's lights are even brighter than a saloon car's LED lights. I try to avoid driving at night now.

[@SoloRenegade]

yes! Trucks and SUVs are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@a64738]

Brightness is not the the largest problem, high color temperature (blue light) is MUCH worse then high brightness for 30% of the population with eye problems. I have less problem meeting a car with ultra powerful high beams with 100w illegal light bulbs then a car with low beams high color temperature legal bulbs. Replydf

[@peetsnort]

Yes.in Herefordshire the pickup trucks are a menace. Not only twisty but humps in the road as well as the usual potholes are fatal on a rainy night in UK winter

[@CnCDune]

This is why I hate driving at night and newer cars/LEDs...

[@ehsnils]

And this is why I now use yellow glasses at night to cut off the high color temperature light.

[@volvo09]

​@@ehsnilsgood idea. I'll have to try that. My 2 main vehicles still have halogen lamps, but one I drove has LED and I dislike the cool spectrum.

[@StefanoBorini]

it's about time some stricter regulation is done on this. It's becoming a real problem

[@warp.routine]

I promise that you hate LED bulbs installed in halogen housings. Properly designed LED assemblies that were designed for LED from the ground up are muuuuch better at proper beam forming.

[@ehsnils]

@@warp.routine Unfortunately those modern LED headlights are still not good due to the high color temperature they emit and they are in addition to that having an alignment that's just on the border of blinding oncoming traffic so any road bump gives a heavy glare.

[@RichardFraser-y9t]

Some of these lights are dangerously bright.

[@SoloRenegade]

another issue is that trucks are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@TopiasSalakka]

And some are dangerously dim, like every single halogen lamp.

[@jonnywatts2970]

​@@SoloRenegadethen you get the truck guys that put a huge light bar on the front as well. I don't understand how it's not illegal.

[@hahahano2796]

@@SoloRenegade It used to be that way with maximum height above level ground being something like 32". Laws were changed so vehicles wouldn't look funny.

[@hahahano2796]

@@TopiasSalakka Modern headlights damage retinas and the damage is slow and cumulative. Like smoking. That said, if all headlights were reverted to standard halogens or incandescent (preferably yellow) with a broad cut-off line people would find they could see better at night on the roads. Not worse.

[@warp.routine]

2:22 most cars run at 13.4 to 14.4 volts (when running and charging) so anything up to about 15v is within the operating envelope for halogens.

[@PuerRidcully]

In the past it was old cars, with improperly set lights that were blinding you at night. Now it's the new cars with super bright blue forward lights, while the old ones are non blinding. Weird turn of events.

[@EnchantingPlatinum]

Most new cars have proper headlight alignment. I have an opposite experience as you. It’s the 3rd gen trucks with led adapter headlights and terrible headlight alignment (ie pointing up or forward instead of down) that cause the most issues. I drive a new truck an can see my headlights range just below an SUV’s windshield. In another case (driving a truck im higher up) 2nd and 3rd gen trucks with headlight adapters are blinding me. In no world should those headlights be aimed that high

[@PuerRidcully]

@@EnchantingPlatinum In Europe headlight alignment is tightly checked at the inspection, so old cars have them set properly. And new cars lights are way too bright. Retrofit LEDs are illegal in most of Europe.

[@SoloRenegade]

another issue is that trucks are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@gorak9000]

New cars don't always get the alignment correct, or they have a super tight cutoff on the beam, so when cars behind you or going the other direction go over a slight bump, you get a huge flash. I notice the newest Teslas seems to have too many lights that are way too high. The biggest issue is people retrofitting new LEDs into old headlamps - the LEDS are not in the same place the filament is in a halogen, meaning an instant misalignment of the light being way too high. and just for good measure, way too bright too

[@Chrishelmuth1978]

​@EnchantingPlatinum that's great that your headlights are "aimed just below an SUV's windshield" when I'm driving a vehicle that isn't designed to obscure the view of everything less than 4 feet off the ground. They're still too bright and aimed too high.

[@aarongreenfield9038]

Fun fact in the movie Christine, John Carpenter had the headlamps overvolted By about double, To give Christine those super bright bluish headlights, But they would only last a few minutes at best. So takes were challenging to say the least.

[@brainiac75]

Hehe, now I really want to overvolt mine and see how the spectrum changes (and how much they can handle). Thanks for the inspiration ;)

[@aarongreenfield9038]

@@brainiac75 👍🏼

[@paulstubbs7678]

That's crazy for a movie, don't push them that far then adjust your other lighting down and up your exposure, same effect and the lamps will last a whole shoot.

[@aarongreenfield9038]

@paulstubbs7678 He could of, but then he wouldn't get the blue effect, The light shadows, and the lens flares and glares, like he wanted.

[@a64738]

@@paulstubbs7678 That will not work as only overvolting changes the color to less yellow and more bluish on regular old bulbs with a tungsten filament...

[@tuxrandom]

9:30 - The cyan / green tint is a dead giveaway for cheaply made phosphor based light sources. Interestingly, the LED could still fulfill a CRI of 95 while absolutely disfiguring reds, because the CRI (Ra) doesn't properly account for reds (the test colors are a very washed out rainbow and the "red" is the worst of them). For a proper white light source, the R9 (CRI for saturated red only) is a crucial measurement in addition to the Ra. Re (14 colors) and TLCI are even more accurate.

[@graywolf2694]

Head lights are just a free for all here in the USA, halogens are not bright enough when everyone has LED but now people are mounting light bars meant for off-road and using them on road.

[@hugh007]

You mean the light bars that say "for off road use only". Rude, stupid drivers.

[@teolynx3805]

And it's not only in US. I hate those guys with arc welders instead of headlights but ones with two or three light bars rated for 100 or more watts each... God I need an automatic turret to shoot these lights!

[@a64738]

Most powerful high beam lights I had was in mid 1990`s with 2 Hella Rally 3000 with illegal 100w bulbs run at 14,8v, think at that voltage I calculated it to be 130w . I compared it to modern Blue ligtht (high color temperature) 50W Xenon and the 130W halogen gave MUCH better light farther down the road then the bluish very powerful Xenon lights. Brightness is not the the largest problem, high color temperature (blue light) is MUCH worse then high brightness for 30% of the population with eye problems. I have less problem meeting a car with yellow ish color ultra bright powerful high beams with 100w illegal light bulbs then a car with low beams high color temperature blue ish legal bulbs. High color temperature blue lights should be banned, yellow light is much better for your eyes when it comes to being blinded. 255//.ø

[@qfc1313]

I have been saying for years, I do not understand why headlights are weapons grade bright, its ridiculous. I had to have my back window tinted super dark so I dont get blinded by cars behind me.

[@wompastompa3692]

Does your rear view mirror not have a flip to dim mode?

[@qfc1313]

@@wompastompa3692 It does, but I live in the South and almost everyone drives a truck or SUV, I drive a small car and was getting blasted by everything.

[@SoloRenegade]

another issue is that trucks are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@gorak9000]

With the rear view mirror in the darker mode, the problem is the side mirrors - it just reflects the death beams behind you right into your retinas - along with all the ones pointed directly at you from oncoming traffic, and it's really difficult to see anything driving at night now

[@ahosie]

​@@wompastompa3692 even with the mirror tilted I've had the inside of my car lit up by a modern SUV sitting behind me... could have sworn they were using high beams, but no, once I let the asshole past I saw that they were dipped, just insanely bright, maybe with a big load in the back. HID and LED headlights are a menace

[@hotflashfoto]

In the US, just about every car out there has lights that are WAY too bright, and way too blue. But it's the trend, and everyone loves to be trendy and not left behind. Except for those of us who can actually think for ourselves and want things that work well.

[@NIGHTMAREuki]

thats because idiots are putting LEDs or HIDs into reflector housing that is not meant for for it and its scattering the light everywhere.

[@cambridgemart2075]

The irony is that for a very long time, the USA had very strict rules on headlamps, and all vehicles had to have sealed-beam lamps, i.e. regular tungsten lamps incorporated with reflector and lens, until 1984 when replaceable bulbs were permitted.

[@SoloRenegade]

another issue is that trucks are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@gorak9000]

And the real problem is all the politicians are dinosaurs that go to bed when the sun is still up, nor do they actually drive themselves, so they don't give a dam

[@a64738]

Brightness is not the the largest problem, high color temperature (blue light) is MUCH worse then high brightness for 30% of the population with eye problems. I have less problem meeting a car with yellow ish color ultra bright powerful high beams with 100w illegal light bulbs then a car with low beams high color temperature blue ish legal bulbs. 255//.ø-ø.l

[@keithyinger3326]

I'm in the United States and some headlights here getting ridiculously bright as well. Some of the ones that are especially annoying for me are during somewhat darkish and cloudy days and people behind you have their headlights on. Just a slight bouncing in the road and their front end moving up and down slightly really makes those tightly focused headlights that cars have flash at you in your rearview mirror. Even on coming, sometimes they're not too bad until they hit just the right angle and then it's blindingly bright. Other times you swear people have their brights on when they don't but then they have two headlights on two running lights and some fog lights so it's no wonder you're getting blinded. Plus some vehicles have stupidly bright brake lights and turn signals. It's seriously like looking at an orange strobe light when you're behind one of them at a stoplight. I find myself having to put my hand up to block the light because they are so stinking bright! This blinding red light and an orange strobe light flashing at you. I'm not sure what model of car that is on since it's always dark and I'm being blinded but they are Way too bright.

[@bitteroldskunk]

"some vehicles have stupidly bright brake lights and turn signals" For the brake lights, and turn signals. they have to be brighter now to WARN other dip-o's to put the phone down cause the big metal thing in front of them is coming to a stop. Even then, that doesn't work.

[@Master77best]

Great video as always! Just a quick remark on the LED and laser examples shown: they do not obey to any of the design constrains (or specifications, if you prefer) of the housings they are supposedly designed for. This is because on reflector style housings, the position on where the light origins from is critical. All those intricate shapes on either the glass (older style) or shiny silver reflective coating at the back of the housing aren't random, but very specific and were made expecting a precise light source location, that is also pretty small (aka the filament). Those LED replacement bulbs you see a lot of that are cheap knock-offs don't account for that and will result in either a terrible and unusable light beam pattern for driving, not illuminating the road, and/or blinding everyone else, which is already a very prevalent issue. If you want an LED replacement for your car, look at brands the like of Osram or Phillips. They even have road legal versions now, but even the others are incomparably better (from personal experience). You will pay decent amounts for them, but IMO, if you don't want to open up the wallet to that extent, you are better off with good old halogens.

[@jandl1jph766]

The LEP module isn't a H4 plug-in, it's a proprietary design for use in specific models of (mostly VW and brands, if I remember that right) cars. They are aligned correctly, but still *far* brighter than they should be.

[@martine-e-dee]

Okay, so my instinct to wear sunglasses overnight and not look into those new car lamps regardless of it is correct. Thanks for running all the tests. ;)

[@GOPRepubliklan]

They make night glasses with yellow lenses that help cut down headlights but still let you see.

[@CnCDune]

Same, but if you do that you run into the issue of potentially not seeing pedestrians and cyclists - depending on where you drive, of course.

[@CardinalTreehouse]

I've used the yellow glasses - they're meh. I am considering looking into blue light glasses, but that won't change the actual amount of light, just the colour temperature

[@matikaevur6299]

Blues Brothers were bit ahead of the time :)

[@NicleT]

Quebec here, yes car's headlights are more and more bright, blinding like if it was high beams, it's a real threat for the driving security. I don't understand why there's no serious regulation about this.

[@louistournas120]

Maybe that is why they reduced the brightness of street lamps (LED). The sodium lamps looked brighter.

[@james1234168]

Headlights are far too bright now. I quite often find myself unable to see anything until the oncoming car has passed. Especially with bigger cars becoming more common which mean headlights are set higher.

[@nonotorious1467]

They do all these crash tests and they push it every year with new regs but they don't do anything about the size of vehicles and the brightness of the lights which affects everyone else on the road.

[@accik]

The SUV is the biggest problem, then comes Teslas. I can guess at about 80% accuracy if the car behind me is a Tesla just because the headlights are usually pointing too up.

[@bastienx8]

The biggest issue is the amount of light emitted in the wrong direction, due to a poorly designed or poorly adjusted reflector. In some countries a regular technical inspection is mandatory to check if the cars have properly adjusted lights (and a lot of other things, like tires, suspensions, pollution, safety equipments...)

[@delimitnc]

I used to have the same problem, but never-ending exposure eventually desensitized me almost entirely. Thankfully I only take notice if they're extraordinarily bright now. Given the excessive deer population in my area, I've actually come to see these brighter lights as an overall positive.

[@SoloRenegade]

Yes! I keep having to point this out to people. Trucks are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@MrPabsUk]

That LEP puts out a crazy amount of light, its scary to think people are putting them into cars. I hope it doesnt get popular! I drive low, traditional height cars, I`m constantly blinded at night, particularly when someones coming towards me in a modern LED headlight car, & especially MPV/4x4/van height vehicles, on the other side of the road, around a long, slight angle bends. Also, when approaching or going over the peaks of hills I`m often blinded by cars coming the opposite way. There's also a LOT of people with misaligned headlights, I`m sure a lot of them have been hit when parked, moving their vulnerable headlights, & most drivers don't check their alignment when they use them & don't realise the headlamps have moved (its easy enough to check the headlight alignment on the back of busses etc every time you drive with them on, but few people seem to think to do it). There's rules about having headlight wash & automatic (suspension mounted) height adjustment when HID & LED lamps are fitted across Europe, but obviously that doesn't help if the headlight alignment has been pushed out after minor parking knocks, & doesn't solve the hill/long bend problems, even in brand new, undamaged cars, at all.

[@nemoaluminum]

Here in Brazil the people increase the brightness changing for LED lamp, also without any calibration. That blinds everyone 😅

[@0_1_2]

Brazil sounds like a nice place. What are the favela areas like?

[@will88k]

​​@@0_1_2 just lovely to live, I assure you. Specially at night. I recommend that, when driving through the favelas, you should maintain the windows closed though... and the internal light off, for better viewing of the scenic route you will experience 😊

[@NiclasAsp]

In Sweden the H4 LED lamp is illegal on the road. The cars light is not made for that kind of brightness and getting too blinding to use.

[@homeopathicfossil-fuels4789]

i cant even walk during rush hour in my neighbourhood anymore, danish road laws and people being a-holes with the high beams means I literally get blind spots that last minutes sometimes.

[@delliardo583]

0:55 When watching a Brainiac video about bright lights, put your sunglasses on! MY EYES!

[@paulstubbs7678]

Pity he didn't put the glasses directly in the beam, that laser unit could probable burn a hole in them

[@felixmoore6781]

He did say not to stare into the bright light.

[@haraldlonn898]

This goes also to bicycle light. I have been blinded from these lights and had to use my high beam to be able to see the right side of the road. Thanks for all and this video. Great info.

[@jandl1jph766]

The big issue with bike lights isn't necessarily brightness, but alignment - it's not hard to get right, but the number of times I have to shout at people (easy enough to do in a bike!) to lower their lights because I can't see gets worse every year. And that's with lights that *do* have proper beam shaping. Interestingly, a lot of car headlights that supposedly respond to oncoming traffic don't reliably do so with cyclists, which means that I somewhat regularly have the displeasure of looking directly into a high beam. Many driver's just seem incapable of noticing that until I demonstrate that I've got a high beam, too...

[@openheart6113]

Cars batteries are only 12v when the motor is not running. The charge voltage goes up when the car is running, so halogen lights can take up to 14 v

[@denvera1g1]

2:20 Most cars supply 13-14 to traditional head lamps because the lamp itself is not super sensitive to voltage, this is because while the battery is 12v, the alternator/charge circuit often runs at 13-14.5v

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Wow, I'm amazed that the LED one is even brighter than the old traditional extra-bright headlights: halogen!

[@DangerB0ne]

I don't mind the expense spent on buying good halogen bulbs for my older car. No need to blind everybody on the road. My corner of the US has its share of absolutely blinding headlights.

[@KatieTheDev]

I'm considering buying either LED brights or LED pods for my car just so I can retaliate

[@V77710]

Thats why I wear sunglasses whilst driving at night now. Can't believe mankind has gone backwards in technology yet again

[@PoyimaMedia]

2:36 it will actually be at 13.7 to 14.7 v when the engine is running since the alternator delivers that amount of power. That is why car estereos are rated to work with arround 11 to 15 v

[@ThunderBassistJay]

Driving a very low car, a Toyota GT86, I get constantly blinded by oncoming traffic with LED headlights. Reflections from traffic signs can also be very annoying. I really wish for headlights with a better spectrum and less power.

[@jcridge]

Clearly, driving is not all about the driver seeing with their OWN bright lights as if nobody else is on the road. Its about dealing with OTHER cars and THEIR headlights coming towards you. There was never a case for brighter lights in a multi-car scenario. Thankyou for this video, very well done 👍

[@shadowdragon701]

It's hard to believe that something thats suppose to light the way safely at night is now the doing the exact opposite and being dangerous. Amazing video as always!

[@esqueue]

Your video is so awesome. I wish you would have included HID as I have successfully and SAFELY retrofitted multiple of my current and past vehicles with projectors from different vehicles. Spent lots of money to do it safely and not blind a single person on the road. My 2006 Dodge Magnum retrofitted with a Honda S2000 Projectors, Lexus Ballast and Nightbreaker Hid bulbs literally glares less than a 2017 Lincoln MKZ that I owned which had LED lights and put out more light on the road as a nice bonus.

[@MrTechnicks]

Automotive lighting engineer here: You need to keep in mind that voltage when running the car and the alternator is on is 14.4V. If you want to test realistic conditions while driving, make sure you are providing 14.4V to the samples. Also depending on manufacturer, the design specifications go up to 16.5V and in some cases up to 18V.

[@Red_Twizzler]

you are failing society. If I ever meet one of you IRL.... I swear to god

[@kstricl]

Happy to say I could tell the three apart fairly easily. I switched the low beam on my old Chevy with square reflector to a modern LED, zero regret even at the stupid price point. Now I would be wary of going with Laser as my wife get's headaches when looking at low spectrum lights, the LED in my Chevy seems to have a high enough CRI that she can handle it.

[@Laralinda]

And now combine it with "automatic high beams" - they just don't work. The seller of course tells you that it automatically dims the high beam when other cars are around, but in reality they shut down too late or not at all. Of course you can switch it to manually, but people are overwhelmed. 1 million assistants build into their car, everything wants to help you with comfort and driving, but in the end you don't find the switch to gain control yourself. So people go with "nah, the car knows best".

[@ATTACKofthe6STRINGS]

The automatic high beams should be customizable, but that requires somebody going into a menu on their car to set it up, which is the real problem. So many things are behind some sort of menu that shouldn’t. I actually set up my car’s automatic high beams to be one or two ticks more sensitive than whatever it came with by default, because I was bothered that they didn’t come on quick enough in the dark, and didn’t turn on fast enough when a car showed up in front of me. But not everybody is me, and not everybody wants to program their car. Not sure how it is on most cars by default, but you need to actually push the light stalk forward *and* have the selector set to “auto/DRL” in order to get automatic high beams. I would hope that every manufacturer would also work to have the automatic high beams not be so easily set. I also just turn off my high beams if I see they aren’t reacting to oncoming traffic properly. But, again, I know not everybody is me, not everybody should be me, and this is ultimately a problem of car manufacturers not designing interfaces and features well instead of a user problem.

[@Madpegasusmax]

Wow , really nice video , the voltages on a standard running motor car are from 13.4 to 14,5 V , and it's true that light's are getting brighter , for me the worst is when someone don't set correctly the beam down and to the side , blinding incoming trafic . some car's uses alternating filaments in a bulb like H4 , others uses both filaments from 2 separate bulbs like a H1+H7 . Xenon lights are very nice , and even nicer if it's a directional beam headlight, and LED's are also very nice , but in some cases if the car maker uses 2 separate simultaneous LED low beams side by side with slightly different angles (Front+side) , in certain angles like crossing in a top a hill makes a lot of incoming drivers think you are on high beams , until you flash them to show you aren't. The LED and Laser headlights are ok , if they use adaptative tech , using the camera to adapt the light to not illuminate the spot were the other drivers are , very high tech stuff . Liked the Lego space shuttle and Hubble telescope , I have the same :D

[@OtherWorldExplorers]

Maybe for fun you could also compare the brightness of aircraft collision lights. Based on The aircraft size

[@brainiac75]

Hm, not sure where I would find such lamps. Currently dreaming of a car headlamp with a true xenon arc. Thanks for the early watch!

[@NathanaelNewton]

​@@brainiac75 did you know there's an entire KZbin rabbit hole regarding the signal lamps on radio towers? 😂 Some are LED, some are xenon..

[@jamesbrewer3020]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

[@IIGrayfoxII]

Problem is people put aftermarket LED bulbs into halogen housings and this causes glare which hits our eyes. LEDs in housings made for LEDs which have auto aiming ability will reduce any brightness on coming drivers see. But another big issue these days is the love for big cars some people have People now want these bigger SUVs and this means those headlights are installed higher on the car and if you have an older sedan/hatch, those lights are now shining in your face due to them being higher up.

[@cmdrredhawk]

I have flashed my old Haolgen brights at oncoming cars with these ultra-bright lights, and they flash their brights back and its less disruptive to my eyes. You can also see during some times when the weather is just right or the road conditions that their headlights are not aimed correctly at all, throwing tons of light into trees 20-40ft up.

[@Luke-san]

Not only cars are an issue here. Plenty of bikes and especially e-bikes that ruin your ride at night or in the morning. Even when I cycle to work and back, sitting higher than in my car, about 60% of the oncoming cyclist have their lights pointed to ... I have no idea but not on the road. A lot of them are not using the StVZO standard or they just misalign them since it is just twist to misadjust them instead of a screw or motor on the car which makes it a lot harder. There is no good about proper optics when they can not be enforced.

[@jmmahony]

The problem with the new lights isn't just that they're brighter, but the color is shifted so much towards the blue. At night, dark adapted eyes rely more on rods than cones in our retinas, and those are more blue-sensitive. I'm a life-long amateur astronomer and we use red lights when needed since it doesn't affect dark adaption as much. Blue lights at night are much more "dazzling", even if at the same brightness.

[@t.sb_0570]

blinding headlights is a massive problem in the netherlands. I have almost had a collision due to too bright headlights.

[@Priyodarsono]

In my country, Indonesia, you can install an aircraft landing landing light as long as your vehicle's electricity support it & aimed down to the road ahead for the low beam. But a different story about the high beam, you can install the LEP but don't use it if you're at the two way road sections that doesn't have any separator wall and/or there's another vehicle in front of you because their mirror can reflect your light straight in to the others driver eyes.

[@deensedudevonand4115]

Tak og godt nytår 💥🎉

[@V3ntilator]

Danish? Takk, Godt nyttår fra Norge.

[@deensedudevonand4115]

@@V3ntilator jo du har helt ret :-) Godt nytår Norge 🚀💣

[@guerrillaradio9953]

My car is 20 years old, mostly because it's extremely cheap transportation, and also because I don't care. I upgraded the headlights to Sylvania Silver Star Ultra and they made a huge difference without being blinding to other people. They're simply a premium incandescent bulb, and the filaments are in the correct location to work properly with your original headlight reflectors and housings.

[@bakupcpu]

Very interesting indeed. My truck came from factory with LED headlight and pretty much every light in it. I've never been highbeamed once so I would only assume that those factory one are and should be properly calibrated? Thanks for making this video!!

[@treahblade]

It happens when people level out their truck because you know no one uses them as a actual truck anymore... and then the lights are no longer angled correctly. Of course the dudes doing the leveling have no idea that headlights need to be adjusted in this way.

[@bakupcpu]

@@treahblade Yeah well I need my truck for truck thing I don't need something to compensate HAHA! But yes... I do have to agree with you on that one,

[@Quickened1]

RadiaCode, right at the top of the list for must haves, along with infrared video, and solar rechargeable power banks... Awesome video! In my country, it's not only about the lumens, it's also about the light trajectory. Even a fairly low lumen lamp such as halogens, can be blinding if the reflector is not properly adjusted. Much worse with the LEDs, since the reflectors themselves seem to project the light at much too high angles, especially exasperated when cars are coming over hilltops! There will have to be a better solution in the future... Self driving cars would cure it, but that's decades away... Only thing I can think of is adaptive windshields in every car made, like they did with seatbelts and airbags, and unfortunately, even that would be decades away, but a lot cheaper and easier to do... 🤔

[@Lampe2020]

Nowadays the normal rear lights of cars are already red floodlights, which makes it painful to stand at a red traffic light; the overly bright brake lights and the traffic light hurt me in the eyes, although my eyes are easier to hurt than normal people's eyes because mine are a bit oversensitive.

[@trekkie1701e]

Ha, I remember when I got my '12 Subaru WRX and it had LED rear lights as stock when they weren't common. Friends driving behind me at night said they were too bright back then.

[@doltBmB]

the traffic lights themselves are ridiculously overbright and blinding, if the street lights are out, the traffic light by itself can light up the whole street. ridiculous.

[@Lampe2020]

@@trekkie1701e And nowadays everyone damaged their eyes enough on those to not notice anymore that they're too bright? Or how do I have to understand the fact that no-one complains about that nowadays?

[@FanaticaExtremis]

So modern cars are basically armed with actual photon cannons.

[@iiisaac1312]

The issue with LED bulbs blinding everyone is that they are not compliant with the bulb spec the reflector housing was designed for. The reflector is designed for a bulb that has a filament in a very specific position, and if there is any deviation from this position, the reflector housing will not position the light correctly and end up blinding everyone. Many LED bulb makers do not even bother trying to stick to the bulb specs, especially the super cheap ones on Amazon that everyone buys.

[@AndrewTSq]

so tesla model y uses the wrong bulbs? it standard lights are super bright

[@girenloland]

Tesla model Y is the worst. I believe those are within bulb spec. Its like driving head on into the sun. Very poor light control on that one

[@iiisaac1312]

@@AndrewTSq I'm not familiar with the Model Y but if everyone seems to be blinding you, it could be because either the housing itself was designed incorrectly, every driver just happens to have their high beam on, or the housings themselves were improperly aimed at the factory to be pointing too high.

[@girenloland]

@@AndrewTSq It's poorly designed reflector, that have so much light bleeding it's insane.

[@SoloRenegade]

another issue is that trucks are getting Bigger in the US, and their headlights are now at eye level for all other vehicles, so even low beams shine straight into your eyes. needs to be illegal to mount headlights at or above eye level.

[@engineerinhickorystripehat]

0:17 emergency vehicles have become blindibgly bright as well .

[@gianluca458]

I actually think that some of those headlights might cause eye damage. I have special glasses that go darker when there is more light so i don't get blinded by the hundreds of thousands of candelas being blasted into my face. Theese glasses are also for vision (far vision). I am perfectly fine with close vision. Almost like super macro! Don't play with high intensity lights in general. One day i became terrified because after a very big light exposure a dark spot appeared on my left eye and it took almost 3 weeks to fully disappear. I was thinking it was permanent damage, but LUCKILY its wasn't. But not everyone is always lucky. Understood? Do not. Play. With. Light. Theese regrets are among the worst in existance.

[@worawatli8952]

Thank you for this video, I know see why slightly brighter halogen is a better upgrade than putting much brighter LED in. Aside from focusing, the superior color rendering really help with seeing things in the dark, it's not just brightness.

[@dafff08]

i think the best option is to have more lower powered leds that are also spread out, since they can still create a nice bright light, but without being too aggressive on to oncoming traffic.

[@cyclopentadiol2923]

The best option is matrix LED's that shut off the directed lights at oncoming drivers while still providing super bright light down the roadway.

[@geebsterswats]

Headlights in the southern US are relatively ok. Most people don’t bother changing headlamps it seems, but there is the occasional BMW that will blind you on low. The notable exception are pickup trucks. Generally, trucks are 1-2 inches lower in the front by design. Some people install lift kits that will make the truck ride level, but don’t adjust their headlights so you’re blinded. The worst is the recent trend of lowering the rear of the truck 6-8 inches, giving it a negative rake. This blasts all head-on traffic with lights, whether it’s low beam or high beam. Plus it looks ridiculous 😂

[@AndrewTSq]

tesla model y.... worst car to get behind you, i get blinded and my coupe lits up. can not understand how they are legal.

[@madott]

driving in north europe... no problem usually. Very regulated and once a year aligned if needed. adaptive whatever and matrix headlights are epic, best visibility and safety to everyone

[@dsds3968]

I hear plenty of reports that matrix lights are too slow to react.

[@M3dve208]

BTW the only road legal LED retrofit bulbs in the EU are the Osram night breaker LED and the Philips Ultinon Pro6000 LED. Both should produce around 1500lm which is the same birghtness as a standard H7 bulb. If you want to make a fair comparison you should get on of these.

[@whtout23]

Another thing to note is that cars worth led standard headlamps have reflectors/housings designed for them, the generic reflector/housing he used for the test is not designed to properly disperse the led light so it's less effective. He should also find a proper led reflector/housing if he plans to do anymore testing like of the bulbs you recommend.

[@gbazil]

In the US it's so easy to get a driver's license that many people don't know what low and high beam mean, and use high just because it's brighter all the time. I just didn't see so many high-beam cars in europe

[@HoshangGovil]

Amazing test.

[@ianhill20101]

To be fair this channel is amazing loving the content.

[@StubbyPhillips]

Also, LED brake lights are WAY out of control. Many are FAR too bright when another vehicle is stopped directly behind them. Bright is good for being seen, but they should DIM WAY DOWN when a car is stopped directly behind them. I keep cyan colored glasses handy just for the times I have to wait behind these obnoxious dolts (usually in humongous SUVs) at traffic lights.

[@theknifedude1881]

I took delivery of a CYBERBEAST 6 months ago and so far am really impressed with my headlights. I have heard of problems with snow getting packed over the lights. We haven’t had much snow yet and if it becomes an issue I’m pretty sure Tesla will address it. It’s the most fun vehicle I’ve ever driven, but I wouldn’t get it again. I would get a model 3 Performance or a Model S or X Plaid. A vehicle designed as a car and meant to be driven. Not an art project designed around a Wedge. I have another Art Project, a Sondors Metacycle. A Motorcycle designed around a Hole. It’s going to be replaced by another electric motorcycle. Not sure what model yet. Stark is a possibility, maybe Zero. I’m 81 so I want to hurry.

[@mukundtechtips]

finally you have finally uploaded a video and i have a question how does the hps sodium lamp gives bright orange?

[@nick8231]

There's plenty of information online and it's really well documented

[@brainiac75]

I always upload once a month :) (usually twice including Patreon). I still need to make a video with my high pressure sodium lamp, but the orange light is from sodium spectral lines. I have two videos about low-pressure sodium lamps (SOX). The first one is linked in the video description!

[@mukundtechtips]

@@brainiac75 oh ok I will be waiting when you make video on the high pressure sodium

[@Surprise777]

Cool theme, interesting video. But the presentation of the material is like we're not watching a science video, but helping Dora find a thief.

[@lyfandeth]

Years ago, I rented a house with some roommates. One of them ragged me for using (then unheard of) large brighg high CRI fluorescent lamps. One winter evening, we were talking after dinner in my room. When he got up to leave, he looked at the normal tungsten bulbs in the hallway and asked what was wrong with the feeble yellow lights. Amazing how the eye and brain adapt.

[@cambridgemart2075]

We used to use high CRI fluorescent lamps for assessing print quality when I worked in the pre-press industry; I recall that the tubes were incredibly expensive!

[@jaro6985]

Large bright lamps are great during the day but terrible at night, so I understand his point.

[@mediocreman2]

Fluorescent and LED lights are really bad on the eyes.

[@Medievalfan94]

The lack of spectrum for the new LED / Laser lights explains why I feel like I am blind at night now adays. I feel like the there are only these reaaaaaally bright spots and pitch black darkness around them. And yes, if there is nothing that reflects exactly those wavelengths included in those narrow spectrums, it appears dark or even black to us. So the contrast between the lights and everything else is much stronger today then it was in the halogen days. Additionally you have those stupid automatic high beams.... Half of the time they dont work properly or the drivers dont realize they deactivated the automation and just drive around in permanent high beams...

[@hijmestoffels5171]

Are modern LED car headlamps too bright? Absolutely! I’m blinded by them and they obscure everything and everybody else, like pedestrians and cyclists.

[@linkssz1699]

Same problem in the uk, i get blidned at night by car headlights as i walk down the road.

[@LunarPurin]

I may be biased as someone who cannot drive, but I'm feeling actively endangered by the arms race of car "safety". It's become an accelerating guarantee that you kill the person you collide with and don't even suffer a scratch or bump and I'm becoming very anxious as a pedestrian or passenger just going out relatively short distances. If I as a passenger am getting stunned looking down at my phone, I cannot imagine what it is like for a driver who has to watch the road like a hawk to account for the fact the other driver is likely in no danger if a collision occurs. It is scary that the same virtually invulnerable tank of a vehicle is ALSO blinding people who are in older lighter vehicles and are already driving with extra care.

[@LunarPurin]

(I edited this a few times to try to get my words out properly as I suffer with a head cold in bed, I hope it's coherent ^^;)

[@flyingdeer3963]

Since cars are more and more designed to take a lot of the damage of an accident on themselves, I have to somewhat disagree. If your car is well designed, it will suffer a lot in the accident, sacrificing itself for you and the opponent. My biggest fear are huge cars like Pick-Ups and big SUVs, because they just anniliate you, when you drive a smaller car yourself.

[@LunarPurin]

​@@flyingdeer3963 I mostly meant SUVs without saying I meant SUVs ^^; Cars in general are getting bigger though, and I think it's an issue that unfortunately applies to all cars. Most of my experience in a car is with my Mother in her sad little Fiat 500, and I regularly get blinded as a passenger by cars ^^; One time we encountered a 2.5 ton monster of a Mercedes GLS overtaking on a turn, got blinded and legitimately could have died had we not hard turned into a ditch.

[@iiisaac1312]

I'm not sure what you are talking about, lots of new cars have safety features for protecting pedestrians. From the shape of the front and the height of the bumper to sensors to stop the car before it even hits someone. Cars today have never been safer for pedestrians. Vehicles today could not be called "tanks" as a lot of them have their entire front ends made of plastic. We are no longer in the age of the massive steel 5 mph bumpers from the 70s. Cars hitting pedestrians however is not an issue with the car. It is an issue with people not paying attention (or attempts at insurance fraud). And for most cases of people not paying attention, is is smartphone related.

[@Psychx_]

I jokingly used to say that people buy SUVs because then, they'll "win" each accident. Apparently, that wasn't too far-fetched.

[@1873Winchester]

Headlights are getting so bright that they're making studies about the phenomenon now. 75% of drivers complain about it across all age groups. The bluer light of more modern cars is a big factor, the frequency of these lights is naturally more dazzling and hurts peoples eyes.

[@beskamir5977]

We really need better headlight regulations yesterday, yet the only place on Earth where I can see such regulation happening anytime soon would be in the EU and only after a successful citizen initiative which nobody has even started yet. Edit: I could easily identify the different light sources based on how good/bad the colors were.

[@logitech4873]

They are regulated in the EU

[@beskamir5977]

@@logitech4873 Did we watch the same video? There's a part which mentions a maximum brightness for high beams, but there's no explicit maximum brightness for normal headlights, and brightness isn't everything. A lot of these end up mounted on tanks, I mean trucks that will blind everyone who's in a smaller car. Thankfully the EU seems to be getting ahead of banning tanks, but there's still room for improvement.

[@GingerNingerGames]

Wild how bright they are, the massive blue spike explains all the eye fatigue. I've installed orange filters on my spot lights and they help a hell of a lot with the eye fatigue. I kind of want one of those LEP's though mounted centrally to the car just to get a nice bright spot really far away. Driving in Aus sometimes the wildlife will sit on the road until you get close then jump out. I'd like to see them sooner.

[@grantrennie]

What's the point of an LED bulb that needs a fan to stop it burning up? Or a stupid Laser bulb designed by idiots?

[@nick8231]

How about you keep your hateful comment to yourself

[@Cautionary_Tale_Harris]

​@@nick8231 Lol none of that is hateful.

[@Cautionary_Tale_Harris]

To blind oncoming traffic, of course.

[@sometimesleela5947]

Underhood is definitely not a good place for electronic fins/cooling fans that need to remain relatively clean.

[@zedsanimations2242]

efficiency and lifetime

[@MeteorMark]

Headlights in Europe/ The Netherlands are getting too bright indeed, I wonder if people in these cars experience the same as me, driving my 1998 Citroën Xsara with good H4 bulbs, and the "city" lights replaced by simple wharm white LEDs. And these new lights are bad for cyclists as well, but they too can have either (often) no lights at all, or very bright aimed skywards like a searchlight! And being low on the road in my Velomobile, it's even worse, especially riding in rain or snow, but I have a lot of different lights on there, each for different drivin and weather conditions. That LEP would be a bit overkill if I stick that on top 😂

[@tomchidwick]

To the opening question, YES, car lights are getting to be ridiculously bright. The rest of us using normal lights are getting blinded, by low beams. Makes me real popular out there on the highway. I'm flashing everyone these days it seems.

[@jamescorvett]

IMO the problem with newer headlights is they screw with peoples night vision due to the blue/white color. Personally I dont think they give the driver that good of visibility. With more red spectrum lights it doesnt blind your night vision as much.

[@Slamboni4k]

After a single year of professional night driving, and having been flashed by brighter-than-sun light every hour, my left eye vision degraded three whole points.

[@Michael-OBrien]

Here’s a rabbit hole for you: scotopic vs photopic vision, the threshold between scotopic & mesopic, the influence of the blue emissions spectrum on cones, and how accurate the S/P ratio is? Little beyond the narrower range of your videos, but I’ve been looking for someone else to also delve into this topic. Edit: you’ll have to also covert your SPD plots to CCT to have this make a more sense to others too.

[@AaronSchwarz42]

Are you blinded by the headlights on oncoming traffic? Simple solution, look down at white stripe to the right (Fog Line) Doing so moves most light off the very back of your retinal fovea (glare blinding you) while it allows you to maintain control by following the white fog line and not veering off the road by being flash blinded from looking at the bright oncoming lights!

[@alan2here]

upper limit is sensible, eyes still hurt a bit from bright lorry flash days ago

[@TheOmegaDMM]

I love that the video link has the word frog in it.

[@HelloKittyFanMan]

Yeah, I was thinking the same things as you were about the color differences between the 3 light options during that test!

[@LostDeadSoul]

Yeah it feels like a laser beam. The enormous amount of light LEP, LED and Xenon produce are great for the driver that has it, but the other people driving towards feel like their meeting a WRC race car with 5000 watts of LED lights. And yeah i know those headlamps have light adjusters, but most do not block or dim the light for oncoming traffic. And they do break.

[@Waffles_Syrup]

im reminded of a post where someone attached retroreflectors in their car windows to blind people with their highbeams on

[@Stenkish]

We have similar laws regarding car headlight as you have. In my opinion, the headlights are not getting too bright yet ,the problem is the area where the light is coming from. Modern Matrix LEDs throw their light out of around 1.5x2.5 to 2x4cm module, and headlights have anywhere between 3 to dozen modules per side. That's quite small area compared to your older Halogen or Xenon headlights, doesn't matter if it's a reflector or a Projector. And with car lights, the light pattern is quite important. Even a bit dim basic halogen is excellent, if the reflector/projector is well designed, and is correctly adjusted.

[@haajee1]

What also good to know when you experience a lot of blinding headlights of other cars. Is to check is if your windscreen is clear. On a lot of cars is a headlight washer because otherwise the light will not follow the correct light patern. But i know about my own experience today that cleaning your own windshield will also make a lot of difference if you think that a lot of cars are blinding you ;) And clean your windshield on the in and outside! :)

[@madbradfreeman]

Even wearing special lenses, I often find myself dazzled by oncoming headlights. I don't know how those things are legal.

[@marko4480]

Active lights are shit too, they don’t flash you directly but it’s still too bright from the reflection of other modules in a high beam.