They’re supposed to, per NHTSA regulations, be bright below and dim but diffused above, and drop off at a determined slope and such. This is super obvious if you park a new car in front of a garage door or wall and turn on the lights.
The brights tend to be diffused to be bright all over and thus illuminating curves and the areas higher above the road. It would be absolutely horrible if the whole brightness of the light was diffused as you would be blinding oncoming traffic. Its fairly close to what you see with thr brights, though.
In Europe they have higher tech versions that haven’t been approved for US consumption yet that can sense oncoming traffic and turn off individual areas of the lights to further prevent blinding oncoming traffic.
As another poster said, part of it is the jacked up SUV behind that illuminates level of his lights and below, where I am, with the ferocity of the Sun.
Sadly, I’m 100% in the US and have looked into the standards a bit since I have to deal with it all the time. Regular inspections are required where I’m at and they’re picky as crap about the whole light cut-off and drop/distance aim requirements. It just doesn’t matter because people turn on their brights instead or have much higher vehicles than my sedan.
They’re supposed to, per NHTSA regulations, be bright below and dim but diffused above, and drop off at a determined slope and such. This is super obvious if you park a new car in front of a garage door or wall and turn on the lights.
The brights tend to be diffused to be bright all over and thus illuminating curves and the areas higher above the road. It would be absolutely horrible if the whole brightness of the light was diffused as you would be blinding oncoming traffic. Its fairly close to what you see with thr brights, though.
In Europe they have higher tech versions that haven’t been approved for US consumption yet that can sense oncoming traffic and turn off individual areas of the lights to further prevent blinding oncoming traffic.
As another poster said, part of it is the jacked up SUV behind that illuminates level of his lights and below, where I am, with the ferocity of the Sun.
You must not be from the USA then, or must not ever drive at night.
Sadly, the USA apparently ignores common sense standards now, even on brand new unmodified vehicles.
Sadly, I’m 100% in the US and have looked into the standards a bit since I have to deal with it all the time. Regular inspections are required where I’m at and they’re picky as crap about the whole light cut-off and drop/distance aim requirements. It just doesn’t matter because people turn on their brights instead or have much higher vehicles than my sedan.
You have vehicle inspections? That’s still a thing in the USA?
Sigh, just send me right down the rabbit hole why don’t ya?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_inspection_in_the_United_States
I’m in Mississippi if that counts for much.
It’s awful in the EU too.