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The roads I take to and from my office don't have streetlights. Somehow *I* manage to navigate them with my normal headlights, but now that I do more night driving, I'm discovering a really weird phenomenon:
People using their high beams at night. Most of the people seem to be unable to see my car approaching and forget to turn their high beams off for at least a few seconds. As a result, I am temporarily blinded by at least 3 cars per night.
Lately, I have decided to turn MY high beams on if a car approaches me with his/her high beams lit to teach the driver a lesson. Cuz I'm mean. But what gives? Why can't these people drive at night without high beams?
Because they got used to driving with their brights on trying to teach other people a lesson and now everyone in the area just drives around with their brights on.
It's standard procedure out here to flick your high beams on and off if someone approaching doesn't lower theirs, on the theory (usually correct) that they've just forgotten theirs are on. Done from far enough away, it avoids blinding anyone else and gives them a reminder to lower theirs.
It's standard procedure out here to flick your high beams on and off if someone approaching doesn't lower theirs, on the theory (usually correct) that they've just forgotten theirs are on. Done from far enough away, it avoids blinding anyone else and gives them a reminder to lower theirs.
Same where I grew up. If it's a lot of up and down hills kind of driving, then sometimes you can't avoid being blinded at times, but it's a lot better than hitting a deer.
I have done something in the past that is not really kosher.
Having stigmatism the lights would look like star sunbursts for a better term. What I did was put on sun glasses thus not having to squint my eyes on approaching cars.
Even after cataract surgery I will occasionally still put on the shades at night fwy driving. Seems like there is always some idiot in the #1 lane coming towards you with his high beam on...especially these new style lights.
I rarely drive with my brights on, or my fogs for that matter... normal headlights seem to do ok for me on our dark country roads. The only things we're liable to hit are moose or bear, and even with the brights on you're too close to stop once you see them... so I see no reason to drive around squirrel hunting with my brights on. I'm much more apt to turn my bumper-mount wide fogs on so I can see the edges of the road, not what's up in the trees.
I do, however, have the brighter longer distance headlights on my truck... the nifty halogen suckers that cost a pretty penny. And since my truck is raised for off-road, they can temporarily blind someone on a hill or bump, so sometimes if I see a car approaching or I'm following someone, I'll turn my fogs on (they point down and out) and knock the headlights down to my amber running lights only... because I *really* loathe being blinding by other people's lights.
There have been times when I've flashed my brights at someone approaching and they've completely ignored me... I've been so tempted to blaze them with my roof-mount 10,000 lumen spots because I'm just mean that way too
I recently moved from rural Missouri. I used my brights driving in the dark to try to avoid deer and other wildlife. The flick of the brights to people who have "forgotten" usually worked. What I hated was driving to work at 4:30 AM with a truck on my rear with the brights on! This happened several times. How I wished for rear-tail light brights to flash at him/her, or something better (a la James Bond!).
Because they got used to driving with their brights on trying to teach other people a lesson and now everyone in the area just drives around with their brights on.
LOL TouchE
BTW, I was told that the way to avoid hitting deer is to turn your lights off and beep the horn at them. I thought they would freeze if they saw headlights.
BTW, I was told that the way to avoid hitting deer is to turn your lights off and beep the horn at them. I thought they would freeze if they saw headlights.
The ones we have in California sure don't freeze. But if you can see them browsing, chances are you won't hit them. Deer don't often move fast unless it's breeding season.
... Lately, I have decided to turn MY high beams on if a car approaches me with his/her high beams lit to teach the driver a lesson. Cuz I'm mean...
I really like the idea of turning your high beams on to "teach them a lesson." What could be a better way to learn than to have 2 people, heading toward each other at highway speeds, BOTH blinded by bright lights.
I am sure that none of them are doing this purposely (except you if you follow through with your plan) and they just forgot that their brights were on. A quick flick of yours to remind them will do more good than blinding them.
As for the questions of "Why can't they drive with their regular lights on?", not everyone's eyes work the same. Some people see better than others at low light levels. Some people need the extra light distance provided by the high beams.
Last edited by rrtechno; 11-03-2010 at 07:22 PM..
Reason: typo & clarification
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Cuz I'm mean. But what gives? Why can't these people drive at night without high beams?
