automatic hi beams (brights) on cars are designed for a world in which there are no pedestrians. they presume that the absence of opposing headlights means it’s all clear to blind any living thing in their path. sadly they also fail regularly for cars too, so everyone in/out gets blinded. - ThreadSky

bengrosser.bsky.social • 77 days ago

automatic hi beams (brights) on cars are designed for a world in which there are no pedestrians. they presume that the absence of opposing headlights means it’s all clear to blind any living thing in their path. sadly they also fail regularly for cars too, so everyone in/out gets blinded.

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spudart.bsky.social•77 days ago

If the headlines get any brighter on cars, they'll be laser beams.

I wonder what would happen if auto dealerships gave customers the free option to choose:
- [ ] Regular headlights
- [ ] Blinding headlights

And not phrase the blinding headlights as "brighter" or "safer"

feraltempleguard.bsky.social•77 days ago

High beams should be illegal.

singswithravens.bsky.social•77 days ago

My car is a 2020, not "new" (by today's standard of wanting a new car every 2 years) and when I drive, I get "flashed" all the time by people that are angry I have my high beams on, but I don't! Those are just my normal headlights! And I get it, because I get super annoyed too.

jay.hightman.org•77 days ago

Some automakers are addressing this issue.

Hyundai's New Headlights Can Project Virtual Pedestrian Crossing On Dark Roads
https://carbuzz.com/news/hyundais-new-headlights-can-project-virtual-pedestrian-crossing-on-dark-roads

bengrosser.bsky.social•77 days ago

I'm talking about pedestrians walking on the sidewalk getting blinded by oncoming cars turning on their brights because the car's sensors don't see another car's headlights. I don't see that addressed in the article you linked. Am I missing it?

jay.hightman.org•77 days ago

https://youtu.be/kQqCDjxYFVc

jay.hightman.org•77 days ago

The systems from Hyundai and VW are in development. They are designed to recognize pedestrians so as to adjust the lighting, project a crosswalk or with VW notify the pedestrian when to cross. These are steps forward in addressing the safely of those outside the car.

https://carbuzz.com/news/intelligent-grilles-tell-pedestrians-when-to-cross-the-road

bengrosser.bsky.social•77 days ago

good to know some manufacturers are working on it now. i wish they’d worked on it *before* introducing the auto hi beam tech, though. even if every new car had this system going forward we’d still have all the current cars blinding us for a decade+ i expect. thx for the info!

jay.hightman.org•77 days ago

I attended an NTSB conference on "Seeking to Eliminate Distracted Driving - A National Meeting & Technology Solutions Showcase". Where Ian Reagan of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) addressed technology adoption. He said it can take up to 30 years before market saturation.

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