you know those really (0)BRIGHT(0) headlights?

They're called HID (High-Intensity Discharge) headlamps. No, they aren't a combination headlamp/foglamp, as those are entirely different types of lights. Headlights are have a medium width, long beam to assist distance vision. Fog lamps have a wide, flat beam that illuminates the sides of the road and the road surface near the car. Contrary to your supposition that HID lamps cause accidents, the fact is that they provide superior distance vision and probably prevent quite a few accidents.

I find idiots that drive with their fog lights on all the time, need them or not, to be much more irritating that HID's.

Next time someone comes toward you at night with hi-beams on, ask yourself if you're upset because they're using hi-beams or are you

*really* blinded? I can't imagine why on a divided highway with a wide median the hi beams of an oncoming driver would be bothersome. Now if the high beams are in my rear view mirror!!!! :-{

In many irritating cases, the headlights are mis-aimed. That is what blinds people.

Even if they are not misaimed think about curves. Also consider that the bright point source bothers many folks even if the beam is not directly in their face.

I don't know how this ended up on the Hyundai site; however, when I'm driving down the interstate at night with no one in front of me, I often have my high beams on in the hope of spotting one of the many deer before he becomes a hood ornament. Nothing irritates me more than when some moron in the other lanes of the divided highway, which is 100 yards or more from my lane, starts flashing his lights. There's no way that it is affecting his ability to see. It is just that he 'knows' I have them on high beam. Just plain stupid! And inconsiderate of my right to drive safely rather than outdrive my lights.

100 yards or more? God lord Tom - where do you live that the lanes are divided by that much? I can tell you that most times high beams on cars across the median do in fact affect you. If you need to use your highs to avoid deer then maybe the safer thing for you to do is avoid the highways at night. Being hit with oncoming high beams - especially new cars, is not simply being inconsiderate of your "right to drive safely". They do in fact affect the drivers coming at you. If your night vision is poor or your reflex time slow, then do the one thing that is not inconsiderate of the other drivers around you and slow down - or find another road.

Wow, your divided highways are really divided! Around here, ours are probably at most 50 yards from center to center, and many have just a concrete divider between the lanes. I find high beams very annoying, even with 50 yards separation. 100 might not be too bothersome though. I flash people in the other lane of a divided highway if their lights are bothering me, which they usually do on high beam. We have lots of deer here in northern PA as well, which is why I don't want to have my night vision temporarily reduced by someone in the opposing lane with their high beams on. That more than offsets what I gain by having my own high beams on. I'd rather have my low beams with full night accomodation of my eyes, then high beams with temporary blindness from opposing high beams.

Matt

The highway I frequent has some wide medians though not 100 yrds wide. I use my HB's as much as possible, but always dim them for oncoming cars. Boy, it bugs me when they don't. I try to protect my night vision, and oncoming highs seem to burn a lingering whole in my night sight. Also, it is irritable when following cars dim only when very close, so close they are already benefitting from driving in the wake of my headlamps. I suppose eyes are different. Just ask yourself how you find it when others leave 'em up in your face. PS Obviously sweeping turns make a difference-in one direction traffic shining its lights into oncoming traffic but the other direction's lights shine out and away from the turn, and it my not be necessary to dim. ymmv

The only thing I can say in reply is that 40 years ago I was taught to NOT look at the oncoming lights, but instead focus to the side of the road. That way the lights will not bother you or your night vision. Try that little trick. I live in NE Georgia where I85 has many sections that far apart. My night vision is still good. I'm not THAT old. Oh, I'm from NE Pa also by birth.

Yes, you absolutely don't want to look directly at oncoming headlights, as that will give you a major temporary blind spot. However, the light is still entering your eye and saturating the rods and lowering your ability to see in low light conditions. You won't have one giant blind spot in your center of vision, but you'll still have overall diminished perception.

Much better if we all use our high beams only when there is no oncoming traffic within a quarter mile or so, even it that traffic is a hundred yards offset.

Matt

That's what everyone is taught and it does work for those times when some idiot won't dim their lights, but it's a second best solution that is better served by drivers not using their high beams in the first place. When you are looking down at the shoulder you are not fully seeing the road in front of you as needed to be driving. It really wouldn't be a problem if other drivers didn't make excuses for driving into oncoming traffic with their high beams - or behind others.

.....Yup. that was what I implied by saying I try to protect my night vision.

"Tom" wrote in news:F19bg.74608$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews5.bellsouth.net:

I guess I am one of those morons. In fact, if I could get rockets installed on my car, I would definitely shoot them at you.

Especially on winding roads, even with a median, high-beams from oncoming traffic are incredibly harmful on other drivers' night vision.

By the way,

• I have driven quite a bit in NY, PA, NJ, MD, DC, VA, IL, OH, and I do not remember any interstates with a hundred yard median.

• Is there really such a great chance of encountering deer on interstate highways? I am assuming, 100 yard medians don't exist on back country roads.

• Do you also think it is a good idea to switch to high beams in dense fog, and drive really close to the car in front of you?

Sinan

There are a few places with medians this wide, several on I-80 for example, but they often have trees or rock formations in the median that block the lights effectively. However, there aren't many medians 100 years wide in PA that have no obstacles between the lanes. Personally, if there are no obstacles in the median to block the light, then I dim my lights when an oncoming car approaches in the opposite lanes.

Matt

Matt Whiting wrote in news:qWfdg.8979$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.epix.net:

Of course, but I was ignoring those stretches, because, in that case, oncoming traffic would not have been able to tell if Tom was using high beams.

Thank you ;-)

I drive the I-81, I-380, I-80, I-280 route between Ithaca, NY and Hoboken, NJ fairly often, and encounter far too many people who seem not to care.

Sinan

While I agree with everything else you said, I will point out that in the Northeast it is very common to encounter deer on the interstates. Carcasses are quite frequent. Having said that, it is also quite easy to see deer on or near the median or shoulder of the road. I've seen several car/deer collisions on the interstates and every time the driver had plenty of time to see and be prepared for a deer strike. The biggest problem (though not the sole cause) of car/deer encounters is drivers who believe their sole obligation is to point the car toward their destination and step on the gas.

"Mike Marlow" wrote in news:170e7$447599c7$45289739$ snipped-for-privacy@ALLTEL.NET:

I must be blanking then. Yes, I have seen the occasional carcass or two on I-81 or I-90, but that, in my memory, seems to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of carcasses I see on rural upstate NY routes. Is that because the interstates are cleaned up more quickly?

I have been very lucky in that I have not had more than a handful of encounters with deer on the road in the last 15 years in Ithaca where the deer population has gotten so brazen to roam around down town on occasion.

I remember one cold winter night when I ended up waiting at a bus stop along with a family of deer. Let me tell you, bambi is cute, but I was scared ;-)

Agreed. And those who think that brakes work instantly under all conditions.

Sinan

No need to be scared of a whitetail. Now a black bear with cubs is a different story!

Matt

We don't have anywhere near that kind of seperation on our roadways here so I can't comment from experience, but based on my experience as outlined below, I'd be giving the lights right back to you these days.

I'll have to agree with you here.... read on for the reason :-)

I actually see more deer on the sides of the freeway than I do on smaller roadways here in NE GA....maybe it's just a local thing.

2 years ago I was on 515 (which is a 4 lane divided highway with the median averaging about 25-30 yards wide) when aforementioned *insert character-assassination word of choice here* in the oncoming lane failed to match my courtesy of dimming the brights. Immediately upon passing by each other 3 things happened in the blink of an eye. (1) I switched back to my brights and there by my drivers side front fender where I had seen nothing before because of the blinding lights (2) I see a deer running flat out *into* my path (best guess is that he was running to avoid the other car) and (3) *BOOM* she hit me. Luckily for me, only her head was in front of the car (Honda Accord) at impact or she might have slid straight up into the cabin with me. As it was, the impact started the body spinning wildly down the side of the car and I had pretty heavy damage to the hood, front bumper cover, drivers side front fender, drivers door, mirror removed, drivers window, rear passenger door, rear quarter panel and rear bumper cover.

Nowadays, If they don't dim, I just just give it right back to them.

KW