• TheDoctor [they/them]@hexbear.net
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    1 month ago

    Can someone who knows more about the engineering of these lights explain why they suck so much? It seems like them being LED rather than incandescent can’t be the whole story. I just want to be able to drive at night without being blinded every time a car comes through the opposing lane.

    • Coolkidbozzy [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      LED headlights can be many times brighter than incandescent bulbs with no significant impact to life expectancy. Physically, incandescent bulbs produce light by heating up an element which decays relatively quickly. LEDs directly convert electricity to light.

      In the US, there ARE regulations limiting how bright headlights can be, but aftermarket LEDs can be bought which exceed the limit. I’ve heard the EU and Asia already widely use adaptive headlight technology so it’s a uniquely american car problem