Thankfully, most people consider an attempt to harm other human beings as an act of violence.

The sentencing is IMO shameful, but shining a laser into someone's eye is not at all like shining a bright light, and temporarily blinding a driver on a well maintained, well marked road is nothing light blinding an operator of a technically sophisticated, carefully balanced machine that operates in six degrees of freedom.

Bright lights cause an iris response that protects the eye and is familiar. Lasers cause temporary spot blindness and are bewildering.

Helicopters are, to my knowledge, the most difficult vehicle that humans pilot. They are fundamentally unstable and operate in an environment in which seemingly benign towers are fatal and there is no means of escape. Have you heard of an ejection seat on a helicopter? How about an escape hatch? Parachute? Floatation device? Airbags? Most failures in a helicopter can be fatal, even simple mechanical ones. You basically hope that you don't hit the ground too fast.

Shining your high beams into oncoming traffic is incredibly dangerous. Don't ever do it.