# What is the legality of your car's brights? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355 "2011-11-09T03:11:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/21 "2011-11-09T17:45:55Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > There are a lot of vehicles with really bright head lights on the road now and it can be seriously blinding when they leave the high beams on. > [@gotpasswords](#): > > Headlights are just getting brighter. You know, I was just about to post a GQ on this very question. Ever since the '80s, it seems that low beams are getting painfully bright. > [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > I opened this thread just to find out what the heck brights were. Don;t you guys call them high beams? Yeah, we call them high beams too, but brights is common. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/22 "2011-11-09T17:46:00Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I live smack in the middle of deer country. We use our brights whenever possible. > > I also dim my lights as soon as I see the headlights of an oncoming vehicle (unless, of course, I’m on a looooong straightaway and they’re still a mile away). Often I’ll dim my lights just before the oncoming car’s light crest the hill. That way they can see me do it and still have time to dim theirs before they’re in my face. > > When you regularly use your brights, dimming them just becomes habit. This is my situation as well. And you can tell when another car is about to come over a hill or around a curve. Always dim before you actually see the car. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/23 "2011-11-09T18:04:18Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > There are a lot of vehicles with really bright head lights on the road now and it can be seriously blinding when they leave the high beams on… Usually other drivers will flash you if you leave your brights on, and you should do the same. It is not aggressive, it is just communication. Word. I’m sensitive to bright lights, especially at night when my pupils are enlarged. [del]My kingdom[/del]A gold star sticker to anyone who can tell me how to communicate with the jackass **behind me** who’s got his brights on, shining into my mirrors. Christ on a cracker, I hate those people. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/24 "2011-11-09T18:37:07Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Word. I’m sensitive to bright lights, especially at night when my pupils are enlarged. > > [del]My kingdom[/del]A gold star sticker to anyone who can tell me how to communicate with the jackass **behind me** who’s got his brights on, shining into my mirrors. Christ on a cracker, I hate those people. :mad: Buy one of those scrolling LED message things that you can put in your rear window. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/25 "2011-11-09T20:49:40Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Word. I’m sensitive to bright lights, especially at night when my pupils are enlarged. > > [del]My kingdom[/del]A gold star sticker to anyone who can tell me how to communicate with the jackass **behind me** who’s got his brights on, shining into my mirrors. Christ on a cracker, I hate those people. :mad: [Here you go](http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/d138/?srp=2). Looks like they’re sold out for now, but maybe you can get it still. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/26 "2011-11-09T21:05:42Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > A gold star sticker to anyone who can tell me how to communicate with the jackass **behind me** who’s got his brights on, shining into my mirrors. Christ on a cracker, I hate those people. :mad: Swivel your mirror to reflect it back in his face. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/27 "2011-11-09T21:11:16Z")
Where I live, most roads have ample street lighting. I only need to use my brights when I’m driving on one of the few that don’t, and only when there are no vehicles in front of me, which is uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/28 "2011-11-09T21:26:22Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Word. I’m sensitive to bright lights, especially at night when my pupils are enlarged. > > [del]My kingdom[/del]A gold star sticker to anyone who can tell me how to communicate with the jackass **behind me** who’s got his brights on, shining into my mirrors. Christ on a cracker, I hate those people. :mad: Slow down (it’s not an inappropriate response to a hazard). Let the other driver overtake if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bb73d2/32.png) [@Evil\_Jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Jon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/29 "2011-11-10T01:38:40Z")
About 10 years ago I used to drive a SUV. People were always flipping me off for having my high beams on when I was behind them. Only I never had my highbeams on. Higher vehicles put the headlamps right at mirror level against smaller cars. Nothing I could do about it…except really turn my highbeams on and blind them. Now I drive a small Subaru that has an autodim mirror that works great. No squinting or mirror adjusting needed. It also has HID headlamps that I can angle up and down by turning a knob. I aim them as high as I can into oncoming traffic so they end up in people faces. Not sure of the legality of it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/30 "2011-11-10T01:52:07Z")
> [@Evil\_Jon](#): > > I aim them as high as I can into oncoming traffic so they end up in people faces. You what now? ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/31 "2011-11-10T02:11:48Z")
> [@Evil\_Jon](#): > > About 10 years ago I used to drive a SUV. People were always flipping me off for having my high beams on when I was behind them. Only I never had my highbeams on. Higher vehicles put the headlamps right at mirror level against smaller cars. Nothing I could do about it…except really turn my highbeams on and blind them. > > Now I drive a small Subaru that has an autodim mirror that works great. No squinting or mirror adjusting needed. It also has HID headlamps that I can angle up and down by turning a knob. I aim them as high as I can into oncoming traffic so they end up in people faces. Not sure of the legality of it. I question if SUV’s should be allowed to have the lights so high. Likely nothing will be done about that. It is quite easily done to maintain a decent distance behind somebody. Let’s see, get right up behind somebody and blind them. That way they may not see something until they have to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting it. ---
**Author:** ![YourAdHere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/65b543/32.png) [@YourAdHere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YourAdHere)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/32 "2011-11-10T05:04:40Z")
Anecdote: When I was little my dad used to tell me bed time stories of wacky clients he represented as a lawyer. One I still remember was this mechanic who was sick of people cutting him off, so he affixed airplane lights to his car. The next time someone cut him off, he got right behind him, turned on the lights, and ended up melting some of the paint off of the guy’s car! Heh heh, I always got a kick out of that. Obviously, due to the nature of how I heard about it I don’t have a cite handy, but if anyone is actually interested i can ask him about the name and details of the case so you can look it up or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/33 "2011-11-10T10:29:30Z")
> [@glaeken](#): > > In the UK changing between full beam and dipped is really common during driving so its surprising to hear someone say they never use full beam when driving. Not so much in the crowded south of England - I find I am very rarely alone on the road, so don’t use high beam much at all. 😉 As for SUVs etc with high lights, part of the UK mandatory vehicle inspection (currently yearly for vehicles over 3 years old) is to check that dipped lights are not angled too high or to the right (where they can blind oncoming traffic). Some vehicles have this set right on the limit, so small bumps on the road surface make it appear that they are flashing you on a random basis. Si ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/34 "2011-11-10T12:24:08Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Word. I’m sensitive to bright lights, especially at night when my pupils are enlarged. > > [del]My kingdom[/del]A gold star sticker to anyone who can tell me how to communicate with the jackass **behind me** who’s got his brights on, shining into my mirrors. Christ on a cracker, I hate those people. :mad: Last time I was on a motorway (freeway) at night, I had a car come up behind me with headlights on full beam. Not just bright, dipped headlights. I mean, I could see a crisp silhouette of my head on road signs I was passing. So I slowed down, let the car pass and then flashed my headlights to try to tell him/her that their headlights are on full beam. About a minute later, I noticed a blue light on my dash and realized that in flashing I’d accidentally put _my_ lights on full beam… If only I was smart enough to perceive some kind of moral to this story. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/35 "2011-11-10T13:37:33Z")
> [@Cartoonacy](#): > > I think “high beams” sounds better. And sexier as well; “She’s got her brights on” just doesn’t cut it for me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/36 "2011-11-10T14:22:14Z")
> [@glaeken](#): > > In the UK changing between full beam and dipped is really common during driving so its surprising to hear someone say they never use full beam when driving. I live in an urban area where there’s usually always an oncoming car or the streets are already well lit, so there’s little opportunity to use high beams. If I’m doing long-distance driving, it’s usually on a freeway, not a country road, so, again, there’s either oncoming traffic or sufficient lighting already. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/37 "2011-11-10T15:47:28Z")
When I’m driving on a 2 lane highway at night, I try to focus on white line on the right side of the highway when there is oncoming traffic so I’m not dazzled. I just looked it up and it is called a fog line so you don’t run off in the road in a fog. If there is several cars approaching you it can be pretty bright even on lo-beams. It is also pretty uncomfortable when the road curves to the left. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bb73d2/32.png) [@Evil\_Jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Jon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/38 "2011-11-10T18:58:31Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > You what now? I’m evil. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/39 "2011-11-10T19:44:21Z")
Ohio’s book just says: > [@](#): > > When you are closely following another vehicle and another vehicle is > approaching yours, be sure to dim your headlights. Use the upper beams only for > driving in open country with a clear road ahead. Good, I don’t need the tape measure in the glovebox any more. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355/40 "2011-11-11T17:01:48Z")
I have HID lights on my car, which give off a nice bright white light but they have a sharp line where the light ends on the road ahead, no scatter hardly at all. That’s normally fine but with the right combination of hilltops and oncoming traffic they can shine in people’s eyes, I get flashed occasionally even though I’m on low beams. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legality-of-your-cars-brights/602355.md?page=3)