Turn Your Damn Bright Lights Off!

Are you sure it isn't just those wretched halogen lights that so many cars have today? I hate them.

Hi Marcy, i've been real busy at work and going away and stuff, so haven't been looking at many blogs etc...but can i just say......it's the other way round in London, people never indicate and drive like maniacs....i don't drive and walk to work...and it's just scary sometimes seeing people with kids in there cars, being really irresposible. Gosh i do sound so very serious, ah well, ava a goodin !!!

Lights have definitely gotten brighter, at least effectively. Consumer Reports has done a little on this, but they concluded lights aren't any brighter, even though any fool can tell you they are. There are two big differences I've noticed: the new lights have a more bluish hue (which may account for CR's erronious conclusion since the human eye is more sensitive to some wavelengths than others) and they also have more focused beams with sharp "cut-offs". Our two recent model Toyotas are like that. In fact, with one of them, the cut-off is so sharp that on the local windy, hilly roads, you have to constantly switch your highbeams on and off to see far enough ahead to drive safely.

I also think people don't pay nearly enough attention when they drive, such as in the case of our recent wreck, so you may be totally correct. Perhaps inadvertant, but rude and dangerous none-the-less.

I'd also like to add that "Built to Spill" has got to be one of the coolest band names ever.

My friend has this special kind of paint that's only visible in highly concentrated light. He used it on his back windshield and wrote "turn your damn brights off." It's very funny when someone comes up behind you with their brights on and immediately turns them off. We always had a good laugh when this happened. I wish I could remember what the stuff was called.

jag--it's crossed my mind that they might just be brighter lights in general or the halogen lights, but other times i'm positive people are just oblivious.

ross--well i hope you keep an extra eye in the back of your head so you don't get run down by some maniac driver! : )

wre--screw consumer reports! lights are definitely brighter. the other thing i've noticed is that headlights on suvs and other large vehicles seem brighter because they're up higher. i think they hit the eye in a different way. that's my scientific analysis! : ) and yeah, built to spill is def. a cool band name.

andy--i think i'd like to use that on my front windshield, only i guess i'd have to write it backwards so the dipshits could read it as they approached!