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Comment by ken | Hacker News Reader

Subtitle: "But, we won’t get it in the US."

It's amazing to me that carmakers can introduce features on headlights "so as not to blind oncoming drivers" -- as if they know they've been blinding us for years. It also suggests these headlights might not have the functionality to keep from blinding drivers ahead of them. My rear view mirror has a dimming switch, but my side mirrors don't.

I would avoid driving at night entirely if I could, but in the winter that's simply not feasible. What am I supposed to do when traffic blinds me? Is it legal to wear an auto-dimming welding hood behind the wheel?

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Ahem. Semi truck driver here.

Enough drivers to notice leave their brights on when approaching me from behind. I think that they think I can't see the lights because I have no rear window and a big trailer.

I have six big side mirrors, three on each side, and unless you're tailgating me (a rant for another day) your lights are shining into my eyes like a police interrogation.

Dim them down, thank you very much.

Amen. I always set my mirrors very carefully and having someone behind me with their brights on makes it next to impossible to see ahead of me.

... but this is not what they are saying. They would be blinding you with the high beams, which will always be on now, unless they wouldn't have come with the system that brings blind spots around incoming/other traffic. This is the quote from the article: "This allows for things like keeping your high beams on without blinding oncoming drivers"

I would advise you to go check an oftalmologist and not trying to be an asshole. I don't have this problem.

> My rear view mirror has a dimming switch, but my side mirrors don't.

Aren't side mirrors being replaced by cameras?

Instead of a piece of silvered glass which requires no power input and always works? K.I.S.S.

Keep in mind that you lose some of your ability to judge the distance with camera/screen setup due to no depth perception. There are no 3D camera+display setups that I'm aware of yet.

I understand they are in Europe, but in the US regulators demand the simple always works mirrors. This is of course subject to change as different pros/cons become known.

No, at least not in the US. It doesn't matter if cameras are better and safer, the US regulators won't allow it for decades if ever.

BMW has had auto dimming side mirrors for years in addition to the rear view mirror.

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