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Comment by jlarocco | Hacker News Reader

As a cyclist and pedestrian, these new headlights and the cars with the "auto brights" are just terrible.

When you're in another car their car's sensors might detect your headlights and dim a little bit. But as a pedestrian? You basically just get blinded - from low light right to 10000 lumens straight in your eyes. It's overpowering.

Can't make them illegal fast enough, IMO.

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Even if we're considering only other cars and not pedestrians, it's still pretty annoying. The brights will only turn off _after_ another car is already in their field of illumination, and only after a short delay. If you're manually managing your brights, you can almost always switch them off before another car even comes into view (by e.g. seeing their headlights approaching)

The obvious solution is to carry a 10000 lumen[0] flashlight and use it to trigger the auto-dim[1].

[0] Most flashlights that advertise numbers like this are lying, but a few aren't

[1] This does present a risk of impairing the driver's vision

I've considered mounting such a beast on my handlebars, just so I reciprocate cyclists who blind me. But I'm guessing such a thing wouldn't be entirely legal.

Some countries have very specific standards for bike lights; others have none. Most jurisdictions have a crime like "reckless endangerment" though, and intentionally shining bright lights into a cyclist's eyes could qualify.

During dusk, which is pretty long around winter here, I have to wear sunglasses when I out training on bike. It's worst on hilly terrain.

The issue where I live is that there are both kids and adults on e-bikes all over town in unprotected bike lanes on busy streets or unlit village streets wearing nothing but black sweatshirts and no lights, no reflectors. They’re practically invisible without high index car lights. Even then, they’re barely noticeable to an experienced driver.

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