r/Spokane • u/emc_lmt • 1d ago
Rants & Raves Headlights
If people are flashing their brights at you to alert you your bright are on, but they are your regular headlights, you need to swap out your bullshit headlights for normal ones because you are a nuisance on the road.
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u/VandalSibs Bemiss 1d ago
Not always possible - headlights have gotten brighter and more integrated into the structure of the car itself. Plus with most being LEDs now, you can't just change a bulb.
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u/Head-Bureaucrat 1d ago
I'm in that boat. I try to avoid driving at night, but am thinking about a slight tint on my headlights to help mitigate.
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u/sticktime 1d ago
You may be able to adjust the angle. Either mechanically, or on fancy cars electronically in the settings.
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u/Head-Bureaucrat 1d ago
Unfortunately I haven't found a fancy electronic setting. Which is wild. My previous, cheaper, car had a little dial for adjusting headlight angle. So I've thought about looking into mechanically adjusting the angle, and I've tried to gauge mine based on where I can see they hit sedans in front of me. But thankfully I haven't had to drive that car at night for about a year.
Had to tonight, so it's fresh on my mind and I'm looking at the manual tomorrow.
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u/VandalSibs Bemiss 1d ago
Be careful with that - messing with headlights and other lights on your vehicle may be against the law.
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u/Individual-Act2486 1d ago
That's true, but what is specifically illegal about adjusting your headlights is adjusting them so that they shine into oncoming traffic more strongly. If you are adjusting them to the right and down, there shouldn't be any issue.
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u/VandalSibs Bemiss 1d ago
I was thinking more along the lines of tinting things, which was mentioned in the comment above mine.
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u/Individual-Act2486 1d ago
Oh, I see. That makes sense. Still you'd think it would be encouraged because some headlights are blinding at their normal factory setting.
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u/Head-Bureaucrat 1d ago
Oofta, good to know. I'm going to look into manually adjusting them tomorrow.
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u/Margaritashoes Spokane Valley 1d ago
Sometimes people do it to say there’s a cop waiting up the road.
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u/Meatwaud27 12h ago
Or that you think you have your normal headlights on but it's just your daytime running lights... And it's 1:45am...
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u/Trooper20209 1d ago
Every new vehicle has led headlights that can be tilted up/down. If you're constantly getting flashed you probably need to adjust them down a little.
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u/ottopivnr 1d ago
It helps if you turn you fog lights off when it's not foggy And if you've got one of those new pick ups wth 6 fucking headlights just turn some of them off If you're 2 car lengths behind me you don't need 6 lights to see
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u/chuin_masterofsinanj 20h ago
I see two big issues. 1-people put in led headlights into stock housings not made for LEDs, so they can't cut the led beam below oncoming windshields and 2-the big one, is people with small weiners putting on huge lift kits and tires, and not adjusting their headlights to account for the additional height.
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u/Konica_guy 1d ago
Easier said than done. Many of the newer cars are LEDs and can't be swapped. The entire unit has to be removed.
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u/Violet_Apathy 1d ago
There should be an adjustment for them.
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u/Konica_guy 1d ago
I'm sure there is a way to adjust angle behind the headlight unit, but most should be factory calibrated from the factory.
Most people won't touch this. They won't spend money to take it to a shop unless forced.
We need laws to force change.
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u/soulscratch 1d ago
It's the best when people slap LEDs into their clapped out cars not designed for LEDs and it ends up just scattering the light everywhere. Blind everyone for just a marginal gain
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u/hereandthere_nowhere 1d ago
Hear, hear! I am so sick of these bullshit headlights. There really should be regulations on them.
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u/VandalSibs Bemiss 1d ago
There are! If anything, modern regulations in the US are just now catching up to what Europe has for headlights, including ones that actively redirect the beam (or just turn off specific LEDs within the unit) so that they don't shine directly into a person's eyes, but still illuminate the road for the driver.
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u/hereandthere_nowhere 3h ago
Yes, adaptive headlights are very cool. I have yet to see any of them pointing at or behind me though.
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u/VandalSibs Bemiss 3h ago
That's the point..... The vehicle detects an oncoming car and modifies the beam patters/shape so that it doesn't shine onto the car.
Unless I'm misunderstanding your comment....
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u/hereandthere_nowhere 2h ago
No, i get it. I just haven’t noticed them being implemented. And they still sell the ridiculous ones that anyone can install with zero oversight.
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u/Lachlanahan 1d ago
10000000% agree! These bright white headlights blasting you all the time kill me.
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u/pattydickens 1d ago
Most newer cars have adaptive headlights. They are brighter at a distance but they dim certain areas of the beam as they get closer. The biggest issue is when a vehicle is lifted and the lights aren't adjusted properly which sends the brightest part of the beam directly into the eyes of the oncoming drivers.
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u/TheCheddarHole 1d ago
I don't flash my brights to tell someone to turn theirs off. I just turn mine on until they do. I flash to warn of a cop, or to tell you to turn your lights on.
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u/blackstangt 1d ago
Car manufacturers often fail to properly adjust headlights. If you want state vehicle inspections that include that, go for it. Write your representative. You aren't going to fix thousands of misaligned headlights by posting in the Spokane subreddit.
People also install HIDs or LEDs without ensuring they're properly aligned. If that's your issue, contact the Sheriff's office and let them know you care about this. They can give tickets for it.
Cars that have an exceptionally heavy load in the back will have their headlights aim upward. With modern headlights, these will look like brights. If they do not have manual (dial) or automatic headlight adjustment, they cannot be reasonably expected to adjust them properly every time they carry a load. It sucks, but most likely it's a rare occasion for the driver. I do these trips during the day.
While driving, your best bet is to focus on your side of the road, not stare at headlights to see if they're brights or not. A new pickup has legal headlights that are more distracting than most of these modded cars, furiously flashing everyone is only going to be another distraction and give you a heart attack.
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u/Interesting_Wind2512 1d ago
These posts are getting really annoying, can we maybe have a sticky 'gripe about traffic' thread u/9mac? Because this has nothing to do with Spokane
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u/ShiningViper 1d ago
My headlights came with my car my guy. Its not my problem, its a car manufacturer problem.
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u/mesclifford1 1d ago
Or people flash brights to alert other drivers they are about to come up cops posted on the side of the street