Dear Tom and Ray: How should I respond to drivers whose cars are equipped with the new blue headlights? Unlike the traditional headlights that most cars have, these are often blinding and are clearly unsafe. When I remind them by blinking my own headlights, the driver then flashes his already-bright lights, making things worse for me and others. Should I simply join them and leave my brights on full time? What should I do? And where are the regulators?
– Richard
Tom: The regulators are in Washington, Richard, where they’re busy with crucial matters of national importance, like how to refer to French fries.
Ray: So far, government regulators have declined to do anything about these HID (high-intensity discharge) headlights – even though many people have complained.
Tom: There are several theories as to what can be done to reduce the glare from HID headlights. Some have suggested that lights of that intensity need to be mounted lower so they don’t shine right into the eyes of oncoming drivers. Others suggest that the wavelength of blue light is simply more irritating to the human eye than whiter light.
Ray: Both of those theories might be true, and might suggest areas of potential regulation, but according to our sources at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they haven’t found any hard evidence yet that these headlights are actually causing accidents.
Tom: Now, you might say: “Of course they’re causing accidents! They’re blinding people – like me!” But before NHTSA will issue a regulation, it needs to have hard evidence that associates these headlights directly with accidents. In other words, it has to have testimonials or reported documentation of incidents in which cars with these headlights have blinded other drivers, causing those other drivers to crash into something. And apparently, the evidence is not there. Or not there yet.
Ray: And we all know that you can’t make something illegal just because it’s annoying. Otherwise, my brother would be locked up for life.
Tom: I would not encourage you to flash your bright lights at drivers with HID lights. You’ll just blind THEM and increase the chances that they’ll crash into you or the next innocent person behind you. And, as you’ve discovered, it usually just leads to “retaliation” on the other drivers’ part, when they flash their even-brighter bright lights back at you. A better form of protest would be to write to NHTSA.
Ray: NHTSA is particularly interested in hearing from you if you’ve had an accident or near-accident that you attribute to oncoming HID headlights, or if you know someone who has.
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