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It probably isn't "smart" headlights that are flashing you on bumps, those are normal and perfectly "dumb" lights. The problem is that modern headlights are de
by magduf 7y ago
It probably isn't "smart" headlights that are flashing you on bumps, those are normal and perfectly "dumb" lights. The problem is that modern headlights are designed to direct much more light downwards, so that you can see the road, and less light upwards, so you don't blind oncoming drivers or waste light directing it into empty space (you need some to see vehicles and obstacles straight ahead of course, but you need more pointed downwards).
When the car hits a bump, or crests a hill, then "downwards" becomes pointed directly at oncoming traffic. If anything, quick-reacting "smart" lights would be more helpful here.
Generally, when people like you complain about this stuff, what you're really asking for is for everyone to go back to extremely low-output headlights where you couldn't see almost anything at night. I don't see how that's an improvement.
- tsomctl 7y agoMy daily driver has extremely low-output headlights (old school sealed beam headlights). They work great, my eyes adjust to them just fine, except when I'm around other drivers with modern headlights.
- parsimo2010 7y agoImplying that someone doesn't understand the what they are talking about is a little unfair. Headlight brightness is becoming a problem. Those "smart" headlights definitely do not react correctly/fast enough to prevent blinding someone when they drive over a bump or crest a hill- which are things that are almost guaranteed to happen multiple times whenever someone goes driving. Adding the current level of smarts to a headlight does not fix the issue with brightness. I think we've reached (or are very near) the point where a brighter headlight won't give you as much additional safety as they degrade the safety of oncoming traffic. It's cool for me to have lights that are brighter than the sun, but if oncoming traffic is blinded and hits something- maybe not me, they could be blind for several seconds after I've passed them and they hit a deer or something- then the overall effect is that my brighter headlights made the roads less safe. I have no personal incentive to get dimmer lights, but society as a whole has an incentive to find the sweet spot where lights are bright enough to drive at night and not endanger other people.
- zionic 7y agoIMO it's fairly obvious the GP doesn't know what they're talking about. "Dumb" headlights will flash you on bumps and can't react. Smart headlights are at least supposed to react and might not react fast enough.