# Plague of headlight brightness **URL:** \ **Category:** Safety\ **Created:** [January 13, 2026, 3:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821 "2026-01-13T03:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/1 "2026-01-13T03:41:10Z")
‘In July, Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington proposed an amendment to a bill, calling for an inquiry into what she described as a “plague in this country of headlight brightness.” ‘She introduced the provision in a short speech in which she lapsed into obscenity and suggested that blinding lights on American roads were part of the inexorable deterioration in basic quality of life so many people feel today, implicitly gibed her fellow members for their failures to respond to that feeling and seemed to acknowledge that many of her listeners had heard talk like this before. When a solitary colleague interrupted to clap, she turned and joked, “I’ll give you your $20 later.”’ [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/opinion/marie-gluesenkamp-perez.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/opinion/marie-gluesenkamp-perez.html) ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 5:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/2 "2026-01-13T05:56:41Z")
Ford trucks seem to be the worst. Four lights which look like high beams but aren’t and then two.fog lights just as bright. There is a 55 power limit so I can’t believe they comply. I haven’t really decided if it’s the brightness or aiming. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 7:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/3 "2026-01-13T07:09:30Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington proposed an amendment to a bill, calling for an inquiry into what she described as a “plague in this country of headlight brightness.” A simple solution would be for car mfgrs to take extra care, during assembly, to aim the headlights properly. We’ll see if Rep. Gluesenkamp’s case sticks… ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 8:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/4 "2026-01-13T08:22:32Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > A simple solution would be for car mfgrs to take extra care, during assembly, to aim the headlights properly. I haven’t had to readjust headlights on new vehicles very often. The problem is that roads are not flat, the pitch of the vehicle/lights change with the level of the road. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 8:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/5 "2026-01-13T08:25:25Z")
I did mention during initial assembly. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 8:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/6 "2026-01-13T08:33:31Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > I did mention during initial assembly. That is not an issue. New car owners don’t complain about headlight aim as much as they do about the “cut-off-line”, which blocks light from shining in the eyes of other motorists. They feel that having a cut-off-line is somehow a defect. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/christhetirewhisperer/32/34798_2.png) [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTheTireWhisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 8:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/7 "2026-01-13T08:41:12Z")
Debate, debate, debate. That’s all you folks like to do on here. On the face of the original post news item, it’s easier to infer that people in Rep. Perez have an issue with headlights being too bright, not with the cut-off line you mentioned. Yeah, I get it. Car Talk Community isn’t a forum. It’s a debate society. No wonder good folks like George don’t participate here like they used to. I’ll just keep blocking people until only the reasonable ones are visible to me. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 9:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/8 "2026-01-13T09:14:26Z")
Many people feel that headlights are too bright, but properly aimed headlights are just as bright. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 9:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/9 "2026-01-13T09:43:28Z")
I don’t mind a cutof line that prevents my headlights from blinding other drivers but I do mind the sharp cutoff on the right because it does not let light scatter enoughlight to see parked cars on my right esp black ones. Because of this I no longer drive at night. Makes it inpossible to go out to dinner in the winter when it gets dark at 4:30. ---
**Author:** ![glasspilot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/glasspilot/32/27886_2.png) [@glasspilot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/glasspilot)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/10 "2026-01-13T12:01:14Z")
Down here in North Carolina there is a car fad called “The Carolina Squat”. Mostly pickups but can be any car. They lower the rear, maybe raise the front. Of course that throws off the headlight alignment big time. And most of these idiots don’t even think to re-align their headlights. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/11 "2026-01-13T12:04:34Z")
> [@ChrisTheTireWhisperer](#): > > Debate, debate, debate. That’s all you folks like to do on here. It’s a discussion group! That’s how they are supposed to work. It would be pretty boring to go to a chat board where everyone had exactly the same position and argument to present. Then it’s just an emotional support group… Just my suggestion- not every opposing opinion is a personal attack. It’s an alternate perspective from their experience. If someone who is responsible for checking these things on a regular basis doesn’t see the need to adjust them much, then that is something to consider for your hypothesis. Perhaps it is owners who do not like the cut off line that are adjusting them to compensate rather than manufacturer’s getting it wrong at assembly? It’s not rocket science to change the aim. I’m not always good at it but over the years I’ve learned to stop and think about what someone else wrote before reacting. Just my 2c ---
**Author:** ![oldnotdeadyet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a6a055/32.png) [@oldnotdeadyet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldnotdeadyet)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 12:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/12 "2026-01-13T12:37:28Z")
Nobody has yet mentioned the worst case, which is those aftermarket bluish headlights. For those of us with a cataract, those drivers are blinding the traffic that is approaching them. That is not defensive driving. The color temperature of headlights ought to be part of the legal limit. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 1:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/13 "2026-01-13T13:09:17Z")
> [@oldnotdeadyet](#): > > The color temperature of headlights ought to be part of the legal limit. It is part of the federal requirements. If you look at some of those replacement lamps, they state on the package, for off road use only. I found some LED replacements for my truck, right next to the standard lamps, and you had to read the entire front of the package to see that warning. The problem I see is they are in the display rack with all the street legal lamps and most people don’t read those warnings or don’t care. At least put them off to the side with the ginormous lamp bars or something… ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/14 "2026-01-13T15:06:29Z")
> [@TwinTurbo](#): > > It’s a discussion group! That’s how they are supposed to work. +1 EXACTLY. That’s how ALL forums work. I’ve yet to see one that doesn’t work this way. I used to work for Digital Equipment Co, and we had these types of forums (called Digital Notes Files) internally LONG BEFORE the internet. This forum is more robust and can share documents and links and pics/videos. But the text content was about discussion/debate. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/15 "2026-01-13T15:09:55Z")
I don’t have a problem with most headlights. I do have a problem with these twits and their **20,000-lumen lightbar**. I’ve seen some of them so bright that I’m completely blinded. They are extremely dangerous to other drivers. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/16 "2026-01-13T15:21:04Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > I don’t have a problem with most headlights. I do have a problem with these twits and their **20,000-lumen lightbar** +1 And, as has been suggested, anyone who finds himself/herself frequently blinded by oncoming headlights should have his/her eyes checked for cataracts. Prior to my cataract surgery, I was blinded by oncoming headlights on a regular basis. Now–more than 20 years after surgery–it is extremely rare that I have a problem with those lights. A friend, who is 12 years younger than I am, recently mentioned that he now has this problem. At his most recent Ophthalmic exam, he was told that he has cataracts. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/17 "2026-01-13T15:23:49Z")
There is a trend amongst a younger set to replace their headlight bulbs with LEDs. Some to “save energy” some to get brighter lights, some to get the “style” of those bluer lights. None of them realize these bulbs are illegal and that LEDs do not throw the same light pattern as their previous bulbs so their reflectors will not create the same light pattern. In fact, the pattern is annoying and blinds oncoming cars. And then the Carolina Squat morons that don’t understand the need to adjust their lights… if they can even be lowered far enough! ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/18 "2026-01-13T15:33:16Z")
> [@glasspilot](#): > > Down here in North Carolina there is a car fad called “The Carolina Squat”. Mostly pickups but can be any car. They lower the rear, maybe raise the front. Of course that throws off the headlight alignment big time. And most of these idiots don’t even think to re-align their headlights. What’s old is new again, apparently. Back in the '50s, when it was “stylish” among younger guys to lower the back of their car, there was a rash of tombstone thefts in The Northeast. Those who didn’t have the $$ to modify their rear suspension would round-up a few friends, go into a cemetery, and lug a tombstone back to their car’s trunk, in order to weigh it down in the back. This was back in _The Good Old Days_ when “everyone was law-abiding”… as some people seem to think. In addition to putting their headlights out of line, the added weight made their pathetic drum brakes even less effective. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/19 "2026-01-13T15:45:43Z")
I do wish designers wouldn’t make low beams look like high beams, with four ‘headlights’ (LED arrays, actually) on. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821/20 "2026-01-13T16:31:39Z")
I’ve added that to my list of “reasons I shall never visit the South again”. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plague-of-headlight-brightness/204821.md?page=2)