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I'd be happy if local and state police just started issuing citations in earnest for misaligned headlights on pickup trucks. 99% of the pickups I come across at

I'd be happy if local and state police just started issuing citations in earnest for misaligned headlights on pickup trucks. 99% of the pickups I come across at night have their low beams pointing straight instead of down at the road. It's so common that it can't be a coincidence that nearly every pickup truck has an illegal headlight configuration. And it isn't due to higher ground clearance, that's just their lame excuse.

novok 4y ago
American police don't like to really to do pull overs with minor road behavior in general unless they are pulling over for a more serious non-driving thing and they're looking for an excuse to do so. Like in california, nobody is ever, ever ticketed or pulled over for not using turn signals.
- eyelidlessness 4y ago
  They love to pull people over for minor road behavior depending on who they expect you might be. Like in California, they definitely don’t pull everyone over for failure to signal. But they sure do pull some people over for just that.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
m463 4y ago
Can't help but think if the police are driving SUVs that are high off the ground, they wouldn't see this problem or be as affected. Not that you're not right! Another problem is aftermarket HID and LED lights which might not have any sort of legal pattern at all. I liked reading (for years) this site regarding automotive headlamps, and there are problems: https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversio... this site has been around for a while, see what they said about the NHTSA and glare in 2000: https://www.danielsternlighting.com/nhtsa/NHTSA.html https://www.danielsternlighting.com/nhtsa/NHTSA.html
nraynaud 4y ago
when I was a kid in France I remember one some car parks at the beginning of the winter there were people tuning headlights with a machine. I don't know the specifics because I was too young (was it the police? a road safety non-profit?) It has disappeared a long time ago. edit: https://valdeuropeinfos.fr/faites-verifier-vos-phares-gratuitement-sur-le-parking-du-val-deurope-le-6-novembre/ https://valdeuropeinfos.fr/faites-verifier-vos-phares-gratui... actually it still exists, and it's the police (a technical department dedicated to road safety)
- vladvasiliu 4y ago
  That may still exist, but I think no one bothers to do that around these parts. Basically, every other car has at least one headlamp pointing up. And I say this as a motorcycle rider, so my eyes are somewhat higher than in a regular car (I can see over the top of cars if they're not vans/SUVs).
  - rad_gruchalski 4y ago
    On the subject of motorcycle riders. In Europe it’s so common for them to ride on main beam during the day. They always blind everybody around. I guess they do it to be better visible? Guess what, if you are riding on the high beam, be sure I am not looking in your direction.
    - vladvasiliu 4y ago
      I agree with this. Maybe they think they're more visible, but they don't understand that when they're blinding you, it's much harder to judge the distance...
kalleboo 4y ago
That's something that should be caught in mandatory periodic vehicle safety inspections. I always thought it was weird that in large parts of the US that is simply not a thing (compared to places I'm used to in the rest of the world where it seems totally normal)
- adultSwim 4y ago
  It's a serious safety issue. When I replaced my car's headlights with a popular aftermarket model they pointed way too low, to a unsafe degree on unlit roads. Unlike the OEM lights, the angle could not be adjusted. The product is unsafe and should not be sold in the first place. This should absolutely be caught during a safety inspection.
- datavirtue 4y ago
  We don't have the resources deployed for this. They are too busy wasting thousands and thousands of rounds of ammunition each week, practicing for thier next shout-out.
  - cjrp 4y ago
    The safety inspections aren't done by the police here (UK), they're done by certified mechanics.
  - j-bos 4y ago
    Unlikely as most people (in Texas at least) get their vehicles inspected at a mechanic's shop, not a police station.
    - gorkish 4y ago
      I plainly remember mechanics using an optical headlight alignment tool during inspections in Texas back in the 80's. I haven't seen one in a shop in decades though. All these requirements still exist, they are just completely ignored by everybody.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
fallingknife 4y ago
Quite a claim with no source. Are you claiming that the manufacturers are making trucks with illegal headlights? Because that seems pretty far fetched. Or that drivers are modifying them? Because that is very rare.
- Maursault 4y ago
  > Quite a claim with no source. I am the source. Anyone that gets blinded at night by oncoming traffic is the source, because this should not happen with properly aligned headlights. Regardless of ground clearance, low beam headlights should angle down towards the road to focus on the road approximately 125ft from the front tires. The higher the ground clearance, the steeper the angle. > Are you claiming that the manufacturers are making trucks with illegal headlights? Because that seems pretty far fetched. Or that drivers are modifying them? Because that is very rare. It's either the dealers or the owners, or both.
  - fallingknife 4y ago
    I don't believe that you can determine which headlights are illegal by looking at oncoming traffic. I don't believe that dealers or or drivers are modifying them in illegal configurations at more than a minimal rate. This would be quite the conspiracy.
    - Maursault 4y ago
      > I don't believe that you can determine which headlights are illegal by looking at oncoming traffic. Anyone can. Headlights are collimated by reflectors. If the lights of oncoming traffic are in your eyes at a distance of half a mile or more, then it is obvious they are misaligned, as proper alignment necessarily requires they be at an angle pointed at the road no more than 150' in front of the front tires. > I don't believe that dealers or or drivers are modifying them in illegal configurations at more than a minimal rate. This would be quite the conspiracy. Conspiracy is not required. All that is required here is ignorance and/or entitlement.
bergenty 4y ago
This should maybe happen during a vehicle inspection. The last thing I want is another subjective reason for cops to be able to pull you over on the road.
josefresco 4y ago
> misaligned headlights on pickup trucks Never had a problem with pickups but I've had several dozen experiences where the headlights behind me were "blinding" and in most cases the vehicle in question ended up being an Audi, Mercedes or BMW. In later years, this "headlight disease" spread to other mainstream brands - can't say I've ever been blinding by "big pickup guy".
- Maursault 4y ago
  What kind of truck do you drive?
sizzle 4y ago
The worst are the HID Xeon lights in non protector lens housing that blinds everyone

novok 4y ago

American police don't like to really to do pull overs with minor road behavior in general unless they are pulling over for a more serious non-driving thing and they're looking for an excuse to do so. Like in california, nobody is ever, ever ticketed or pulled over for not using turn signals.

eyelidlessness 4y ago
They love to pull people over for minor road behavior depending on who they expect you might be. Like in California, they definitely don’t pull everyone over for failure to signal. But they sure do pull some people over for just that.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

m463 4y ago

Can't help but think if the police are driving SUVs that are high off the ground, they wouldn't see this problem or be as affected. Not that you're not right! Another problem is aftermarket HID and LED lights which might not have any sort of legal pattern at all. I liked reading (for years) this site regarding automotive headlamps, and there are problems: https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversio... this site has been around for a while, see what they said about the NHTSA and glare in 2000: https://www.danielsternlighting.com/nhtsa/NHTSA.html https://www.danielsternlighting.com/nhtsa/NHTSA.html

nraynaud 4y ago

when I was a kid in France I remember one some car parks at the beginning of the winter there were people tuning headlights with a machine. I don't know the specifics because I was too young (was it the police? a road safety non-profit?) It has disappeared a long time ago. edit: https://valdeuropeinfos.fr/faites-verifier-vos-phares-gratuitement-sur-le-parking-du-val-deurope-le-6-novembre/ https://valdeuropeinfos.fr/faites-verifier-vos-phares-gratui... actually it still exists, and it's the police (a technical department dedicated to road safety)

vladvasiliu 4y ago
That may still exist, but I think no one bothers to do that around these parts. Basically, every other car has at least one headlamp pointing up. And I say this as a motorcycle rider, so my eyes are somewhat higher than in a regular car (I can see over the top of cars if they're not vans/SUVs).
- rad_gruchalski 4y ago
  On the subject of motorcycle riders. In Europe it’s so common for them to ride on main beam during the day. They always blind everybody around. I guess they do it to be better visible? Guess what, if you are riding on the high beam, be sure I am not looking in your direction.
  - vladvasiliu 4y ago
    I agree with this. Maybe they think they're more visible, but they don't understand that when they're blinding you, it's much harder to judge the distance...

kalleboo 4y ago

That's something that should be caught in mandatory periodic vehicle safety inspections. I always thought it was weird that in large parts of the US that is simply not a thing (compared to places I'm used to in the rest of the world where it seems totally normal)

adultSwim 4y ago
It's a serious safety issue. When I replaced my car's headlights with a popular aftermarket model they pointed way too low, to a unsafe degree on unlit roads. Unlike the OEM lights, the angle could not be adjusted. The product is unsafe and should not be sold in the first place. This should absolutely be caught during a safety inspection.
datavirtue 4y ago
We don't have the resources deployed for this. They are too busy wasting thousands and thousands of rounds of ammunition each week, practicing for thier next shout-out.
- cjrp 4y ago
  The safety inspections aren't done by the police here (UK), they're done by certified mechanics.
- j-bos 4y ago
  Unlikely as most people (in Texas at least) get their vehicles inspected at a mechanic's shop, not a police station.
  - gorkish 4y ago
    I plainly remember mechanics using an optical headlight alignment tool during inspections in Texas back in the 80's. I haven't seen one in a shop in decades though. All these requirements still exist, they are just completely ignored by everybody.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

fallingknife 4y ago

Quite a claim with no source. Are you claiming that the manufacturers are making trucks with illegal headlights? Because that seems pretty far fetched. Or that drivers are modifying them? Because that is very rare.

Maursault 4y ago
> Quite a claim with no source. I am the source. Anyone that gets blinded at night by oncoming traffic is the source, because this should not happen with properly aligned headlights. Regardless of ground clearance, low beam headlights should angle down towards the road to focus on the road approximately 125ft from the front tires. The higher the ground clearance, the steeper the angle. > Are you claiming that the manufacturers are making trucks with illegal headlights? Because that seems pretty far fetched. Or that drivers are modifying them? Because that is very rare. It's either the dealers or the owners, or both.
- fallingknife 4y ago
  I don't believe that you can determine which headlights are illegal by looking at oncoming traffic. I don't believe that dealers or or drivers are modifying them in illegal configurations at more than a minimal rate. This would be quite the conspiracy.
  - Maursault 4y ago
    > I don't believe that you can determine which headlights are illegal by looking at oncoming traffic. Anyone can. Headlights are collimated by reflectors. If the lights of oncoming traffic are in your eyes at a distance of half a mile or more, then it is obvious they are misaligned, as proper alignment necessarily requires they be at an angle pointed at the road no more than 150' in front of the front tires. > I don't believe that dealers or or drivers are modifying them in illegal configurations at more than a minimal rate. This would be quite the conspiracy. Conspiracy is not required. All that is required here is ignorance and/or entitlement.

bergenty 4y ago

This should maybe happen during a vehicle inspection. The last thing I want is another subjective reason for cops to be able to pull you over on the road.

josefresco 4y ago

> misaligned headlights on pickup trucks Never had a problem with pickups but I've had several dozen experiences where the headlights behind me were "blinding" and in most cases the vehicle in question ended up being an Audi, Mercedes or BMW. In later years, this "headlight disease" spread to other mainstream brands - can't say I've ever been blinding by "big pickup guy".

Maursault 4y ago
What kind of truck do you drive?

sizzle 4y ago

The worst are the HID Xeon lights in non protector lens housing that blinds everyone