Do people drive around with their High Beams On In Traffic Obliviously or do Some SUVs have High Pointed Headlights?

Scrooge McDuck on 27/05/2017 - 23:20

I am increasingly often dazzled by the lights of a car behind. If they pull up behind me at traffic lights I will motion "down" with my hand but it has never had an effect until tonight when a red P-plater turned his lights off entirely. This has occurred to me even when driving a modern passenger vehicle with a high driving position.

I haven't kept track of the offending vehicles but I will in future. From what I can remember they were SUVs.

So are some SUVs designed with high pointed headlights in addition to them being placed higher above the road than on a mid-sized car, or

Are some drivers just driving around with their high beams on in traffic, oblivious to the illegality and danger of doing so?

One would think that the former would breach Australian Design Rules unless they're inadequate.

I do know of one bumbling person who occasionally fumbles the indicator stalk so as to unintentionally switch the high beams on and will typically drive around with them on obliviously. Is this common?

Automotive

Comments

  • Kangal on 27/05/2017 - 23:47
    +2

    Both.
    Some SUV's are tall and the headlights are pointed too high. It's actually a breach of the rules, but no-one will do something unless they happen to pull behind a Patrol car. There are those who fit new bulbs in and don't calibrate the height properly. And some point them high on purpose.

    Other times the drivers' are obnoxious and care more about their visibility than your safety.

    I was wondering about installing a mirror on the back of my car, so that if they shined their headlights into my retina, it would also shine back into theirs. That way they would either dim their headlights, or get it calibrated in accordance with the State Road Rules. Possibly illegal though.

    http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Vehicle-standards-and-modif…

    https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2006L02294

    • ronnknee on 28/05/2017 - 05:33

      Is there a standard test for the brightness? For all I know, it could be 25200 lm at 1 cm away compared to however others are tested.

      • poboy on 28/05/2017 - 08:07

        Yes

        • ronnknee on 28/05/2017 - 12:12

          What is it? Was it used in all these listings?

        • poboy on 28/05/2017 - 12:22

          1 lumen is the light from 1 candle.

          You can google lumen definition

  • supnigs super skids on 28/05/2017 - 00:46
    +7

    Worst offenders are older cars with hid conversions without the proper projector lens.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 02:25
      +1

      OMG YES THIS!

    • AdosHouse on 28/05/2017 - 03:48
      +3

      For me those people come in a close second. At least the old reflector lense throw the light in a wide arc, so you dont cop the full beam.

      I find the worse if the absolute arseholes with 4WDs with massive light kits, and then do a HID conversion, and even worse when they actually fit projector style light houses. It directly shine a very bright and intensely focused beam of light right at your head level. Even if they pull up at a lights behind you, you get massive glare from your rearview mirrors.

      Also idiots with spotlights on their cars. Honestly if you need spotlights to drive around 50km/h road, you are clearly a shit driver.

  • Euphemistic on 28/05/2017 - 08:29

    Sorry, I do need to adjust my right headlight, noticed recently that it is pointing way to high. I have a 4wd ute too.

  • chumlee on 28/05/2017 - 09:57

    Install an auto dimming rear view mirror

    • whooah1979 on 28/05/2017 - 10:28

      Install an auto dimming rear view mirror

      or take it off.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 14:10
      +1

      Why an auto dimming?
      Is it too hard to reach over and flip the little switch in the mirror yourself?

  • Mumbles on 28/05/2017 - 10:04
    +2

    Where I live there are a lot of european cars. The Xenon/HID light can be perceived as brighter than surrounding cars because the blue light is farther reaching than the standard yellow light from halogen bulbs. However a lot of budget SUV's don't have Xenon/HID lights. Its more likely they're a poor driver. Tall and heavy cars are the go to car for scared or unskilled drivers.

    I let following drivers know their high beams are too bright by reaching for the dimmer on the rear mirror. Most drivers will turn off their high beams when they see you reach for the mirror. If the headlights are still too bright then I point all the mirrors down so I don't see the tailgating car.

    I've got sensitive eyes but don't usually have any problems when I'm using the mirror dimmer + wearing my driving sunglasses + 30% darker window tint.

    If you're genuinely living in an area that has lots of blinding tailgaters then you can try making the rear of your car relective. eg. Shiny chrome towball, a rear nugget/bull bar, chrome badges, reflective stickers, wax your car, place reflective stuff on the rear parcel shelf.

    • whooah1979 on 28/05/2017 - 10:37

      Its more likely they're a poor driver.

      “poorest people either don't have cars or actually don't drive very far in many cases” j, hockey.

      • Clear on 28/05/2017 - 11:21

        Living up to your name.

    • whooah1979 on 28/05/2017 - 10:45

      Tall and heavy cars are the go to car for scared or unskilled drivers.

      that's a broad-bush. what research papers or data are you basing this comment on?

  • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 10:11

    Driven a 4WD years ago. Its the car. Not high beam. I even tested myself all possible levels not lighting just to make sure.

  • outlander on 28/05/2017 - 13:51
    +1

    Could always ask them when they're stopped in traffic. Just yell out "Hey mate, flick your high beams on for me for a second"

    • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 14:03
      +1

      That idea has merit but I doubt many people would comprehend what you've said.

      Unless you approach someone and explicitly signal that you're intending to converse with them, people tend to be unprepared to comprehend what you say; they're in their own bubble.

      Of those that do comprehend what you say, only a subset are willing to cooperate without a substantial explanation.

      I think it'd be much easier to park the car, get out and look through their window at their dashboard; but I don't want to scare anyone….

      • outlander on 28/05/2017 - 14:16
        +1

        I think it would work. Not 100% of the time, but if you were loud, and repeated yourself, I believe most people would accommodate just to get rid of you. The only question is are you brave enough to make other people uncomfortable to fulfill your curiosity?

        • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 14:37

          The only question is are you brave enough to make other people uncomfortable to fulfill your curiosity?

          I have a high propensity for gall, but a low affinity for bait.

        • outlander on 28/05/2017 - 16:05

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          I don't understand what you mean well enough to reply to that, but I still believe the easiest way to answer your question is to find someone who is representative of the group you are having problems with, and directly ask them to turn their high beams on. If they can, it shows they didn't have them on before. If they can't, or won't cooporate, it raises the likeliness of them already having them on and violating the road rules.

          You can combine it with your suggestion to make it a 2 part approach, where you ask them first, and if they don't understand you walk up and look through the window at their dashboard.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 14:11

    Just flick the night dimming switch on your mirror.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 14:38
      +1

      I'd rather tolerate it and still have some awareness of vehicles behind.

      • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 14:51

        You still have full awareness of the vehicles around you by the reflection in the mirror.

        If you can't see who's behind you with the mirror dimmed then it's not positioned properly or you can't drive.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 21:00

          TIL what a dimming mirror is. I've never driven a car with one.

          I presumed you meant the lever under and behind the mirror which flips it up so you can't see anything in it, that's what my reply referred to.

          Only some cars have dimming mirrors. 🙄

        • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 22:18

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          Yeah the switch, flick it towards you and you see just a reflection of the lights.

          This works perfectly at night to see who's behind you without blinding you, obviously doesn't work during the day.

          No switch? Hard to believe… I've never driven a car without one, anywhere in the world. But you could just adjust it manually.

  • iratepirate on 28/05/2017 - 18:05

    That's why I wear my sunglasses at night…caution my version of rick rolling

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2LTL8KgKv8

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