We have a wattage maximum for headlights too. I am under the impression that roadworthiness test and regulations are very different in the states - is that the case?
https://youtu.be/67aLDt1VJZI?t=116&si=5Cxyp-GT_i5DK-no
Who is making these cars and mods?
Of course it could just be confirmation bias, as I'm getting older and I suppose my eyes gradually deteriorate. I do a lot of night time driving and oncoming traffic is definitely brighter, for me at least, than 20 years ago.
Then there's the fact that old headlights were one bulb, and the mirrored surface behind them was simpler.
Another problem is white light is harsh, and the old incandescent bulbs had a yellow/off white tinge which is easier (the redder the light, the less likely it is to destroy your night vision).
But when I'm driving at night and there's a line of cars with sleepy old halogen incandescent headlights in my view, those seem about the same to me as they always did.
Some are brighter, some are dimmer -- sometimes due to differences of voltages or aging, or sometimes due to differences in aiming or beam shape -- but they still appear to average about the same as ~all headlights did 20 years ago.
Sometimes, they're uncomfortable. They very seldom hurt. I can almost always still see where I'm going without any particular trouble unless they're particularly, acutely bright for whatever reason. Just as before, when my eyes were younger.
And unilaterally, they're easier to ignore than when modern bright-white (what are they, 5000k?) LEDs are shining my way. Those are uncomfortable more often than not. They're very often painful. I often can't see where I'm going when they're particularly bad.
Same eyes. Same road. Same weather. Same night. Different headlights, different results.
If I look directly at any headlight they burn into my vision. It makes driving difficult.
Are you sure it’s not a luminance maximum?
LED lights can be much brighter at the same wattage vs. incandescent lights.