head light glare

[steven c]

 Yup it's getting worse,
https://www.visordown.com/news/dft-study-reveals-how-headlamp-glare-making-night-riding-nightmare?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawN64yZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFpMmlJR25ycXdLdEdkbDFnc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkDKkWKLmaJ-qPh_z8_PjHh_xmV0W1b8NfQfNszWVCqJ4yftOPIW0vaxkQzi_aem_Az1dRAdQ7Wuo_f8vDvejHA#Echobox=1762513452

[DoubleGuzzi]

Yup, I had to slam on the anchors coming home from a MOT (roadworthy) test, in the dark, last week. That was on a road that I knew well but was totally blinded by an oncoming car. In the UK, retro-fitting LED headlight bulbs will fail a MOT test, not that it stops people buying/fitting them! I actually bought one for the Breva, paying attention to the claimed beam pattern and it failed the test - I had a halogen bulb in my pocket, so a minor inconvenience.

The blame can't just be pointed at LED bulbs/lights however and the number of badly aligned lights is the real issue. That's more difficult to address/enforce and people are ignorant/arrogant about the light emitted from their vehicles.
Additionally, for years, so-called off-road use only 100w bulbs are sold to the general public, when 65w is the legal limit. I typically fit 65/55w +30or +50% bulbs and sacrifice the longevity of a standard bulb.
Is it NZ/Oz that uses 35w as standard? Jeez, that's a candle!

[BTW you can reduce that HUGE URL down to https://www.visordown.com/news/dft-study-reveals-how-headlamp-glare-making-night-riding-nightmare ]

[Wayne Orwig]

There are a lot of things contributing to the issue. LED and HID factory lights are bluer, brighter and just plain annoying. Aftermarket lights that aren't aligned well can be an issue.
Then there are lighting cutoffs (like projector lights) that are too abrupt. HID lights generally can't be dimmed, just aimed or a cutoff for high or low. So when dipped, full power is aimed at the ground. Hit a bump and that full power momentarily hits the face of the other driver and blinds them.

But one thing that I feel is overlooked, is factory adjustment. Decades back the dealers (in Ohio) would give the car a thorough going over before selling it, including headlight alignment. I have been seeing a HUGE number of NEWER vehicles with one headlight aimed at the ground and the other headlight aimed in your face. These are fairly new vehicles. Not to stereotype too much, but many are Korean brands. And a number of pickup trucks with poorly setup suspension or poor adjustment, so dipped lights hit you in the face. The states that I spend the most time driving in at night do not require inspections which doesn't help. Well, one state does inspections, but you hand them a $20, and you pass. 

[DoubleGuzzi]

^ If you look carefully at adverts for bikes, there's loads of them with the headlight(s) pointed to the treetops - both new and used bikes.

[Kev m]

My casual anecdotal observations suggest that a lot of new(er) vehicles using HIDs or LEDs or the like are just plain too bright from the factory and, like Wayne was saying, if they hit a bump the blind you. Or if there's too much in the trunk, they blind you. Or they are coming uphill (or downhill) at a certain point in the road relative to you, they blind you.

And it's the frequency I want to flash someone to suggest their brights are on and, whether I do or not, I later realize THEY ARE NOT (like say when they get closer the fog lights are still on etc.) tells me it's a design issue and not a maintenance issue.

Also, with bikes, keep in mind how many people don't bother setting sag, and then sit on the bike or load it up and the bike is leaning back. Such a short wheelbase as a bike means it's even more sensitive to chassis tilt or lean and you can wind up blinding people that way too.

All of this is to say that I guess I'm lucky that I don't really have any reason to RIDE at night anymore. But if I do I'm extra cautious and I'm the same even when driving at night.

Or maybe I'm just finally starting to get old...

[kingoffleece]

For years at our Triumph dealer tech days we'd set up a board (measured distance and height) and do headlight adjustments on a Sat morning with coffee and donuts.
Amazing how many were WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY off.

As above, I try never to ride at night.  It's only because I HAVE to that I will.  Just don't see as well at night anymore and in these remote mountains it's no place to encounter the unexpected.

[bronzestar1]

Virginia requires annual vehicle safety inspections, and replacing halogen bulbs with LEDs are supposed to fail, since they're not the original type of bulb.  I've seen several inspections stations that also have a headlight aiming board, so not only are they supposed to check for the bulb type, they're also supposed to check the aim of the headlights.  I've upgraded to LED bulbs on several vehicles I've owned, and not one of them has failed an inspection for either bulb type or aim.  The inspector has discretion as to how they interpret the "letter" of the law, versus the "intent", so there's that...

[Bulldog9]

Virginia requires annual vehicle safety inspections, and replacing halogen bulbs with LEDs are supposed to fail, since they're not the original type of bulb.  I've seen several inspections stations that also have a headlight aiming board, so not only are they supposed to check for the bulb type, they're also supposed to check the aim of the headlights.  I've upgraded to LED bulbs on several vehicles I've owned, and not one of them has failed an inspection for either bulb type or aim.  The inspector has discretion as to how they interpret the "letter" of the law, versus the "intent", so there's that...

Same. I dropped in LED's to my Tundra in 2018, and have never had a problem.  I've heard we have MC inspection in VA, but I've not even considered doing that 

Truth is, after 25 years in the Military, and having TN as my Home of REcord, must of my bikes are plated in TN, but next year I need to swap them over to VA. Both cars are VA because sales tax was cheaper in VA.

[Wayne Orwig]

Also, with bikes, keep in mind how many people don't bother setting sag, and then sit on the bike or load it up and the bike is leaning back. Such a short wheelbase as a bike means it's even more sensitive to chassis tilt or lean and you can wind up blinding people that way too.

I like bikes where I can just reach around and bump the headlight housing with a firm punch and adjust the headlight angle while on the bike. 

[chuck peterson]

I like bikes where i can reach up to the headlight and turn it off, because it’s a full moon and you’re on a vast expanse of interstate hiway with no one in sight in front or behind you…yeah baby!