So I had the luck to be asked to assist on a stand yesterday at the CV show at the NEC - one of the main things that caught my eye (literally) was the new LED lights which seems to becoming ever brighter and bigger.
now unlike the vast majority on here I don’t drive anywhere near as much as I used to but I am starting to find (especially AUDI / MERC) cars if I sit behind them for any period of time they hurt my eyes, the HGV variants I witnessed yesterday were even brighter.
just really wondering if I am alone in they hurt my eyes and also wondering when will someone decide enough is enough and bright enough is bright enough!
war1974:
So I had the luck to be asked to assist on a stand yesterday at the CV show at the NEC - one of the main things that caught my eye (literally) was the new LED lights which seems to becoming ever brighter and bigger.
now unlike the vast majority on here I don’t drive anywhere near as much as I used to but I am starting to find (especially AUDI / MERC) cars if I sit behind them for any period of time they hurt my eyes, the HGV variants I witnessed yesterday were even brighter.
just really wondering if I am alone in they hurt my eyes and also wondering when will someone decide enough is enough and bright enough is bright enough!
I have problems with these LED rear lights when stuck at traffic lights. Not so much in a truck because I’m higher, but in car it’s terrible. No idea why. I thought it was just me.
Come to think of it, don’t LED lights flash at a really high frequency? Might be that rather than their brightness.
Looking directly into my beacons as I plug the suzies in (12" away) is unpleasant. Especially in the dark.
Part of the problem with LEDs is they don’t always have the same colour temperature as the original bulb so they might be a brighter red or whiter white which isn’t ideal when you’re looking at them for a long period of time. There also seem to be a number of aftermarket versions to replace the original LEDs with even brighter ones for both front and back lights. I’ve just seen an aftermarket one for a BMW which has a much higher colour temperature which is apparently good for being seen, yeah and annoying the heck out of the car behind!
LEDs in theory shouldn’t flicker (except with dimmer switches), but it seems if a slightly wrong voltage is applied then you can get this effect which some people can perceive although not all, in the same way that some people could see the flicker on old style computer monitors. I would suspect some aftermarket products especially will have a bad case of voltage mismatch and rather suspect power supplies / regulators.
As for when it brighter bright enough - unfortunately that’ll probably have to be enshrined in legislation as there’s always someone trying to sell Joe Public on the concept that brighter means you can see further or can be seen from further back…yeah, whatever. I guess they’ve run out of useful (ie: cheap) ways to sell useful extras on trucks, cars etc. since go-faster stripes don’t work anymore.
Hmm, do go-faster stripes work on trucks?
One of the worst was about 2 years ago in winter, sat behind a flashy Merc (car) with foot on brake at traffic lights (which stay red for ages). I very very nearly got out and asked him/her to use his bloody handbrake!
2 weeks ago,driving behind a Mini with a piercing, what must have been a daylight running light stuck in the back of the car. 
Technical input…
To achieve high light output at reduced power consumption LED can be used with an on/off duty cycle. So flipping quick you can’t see it with the naked eye, but can be seen from a digital recording.
Manufacturers use this technique called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM).
Aftermarket LED are unlikely to have this, draw more current and therefore last less time and seem to be more intense.
I too find some lights too bright.
Hope this helps
Paul
Captain Caveman 76:
war1974:
So I had the luck to be asked to assist on a stand yesterday at the CV show at the NEC - one of the main things that caught my eye (literally) was the new LED lights which seems to becoming ever brighter and bigger.
now unlike the vast majority on here I don’t drive anywhere near as much as I used to but I am starting to find (especially AUDI / MERC) cars if I sit behind them for any period of time they hurt my eyes, the HGV variants I witnessed yesterday were even brighter.
just really wondering if I am alone in they hurt my eyes and also wondering when will someone decide enough is enough and bright enough is bright enough!
I have problems with these LED rear lights when stuck at traffic lights. Not so much in a truck because I’m higher, but in car it’s terrible. No idea why. I thought it was just me.
Come to think of it, don’t LED lights flash at a really high frequency? Might be that rather than their brightness.
Doesn’t make much difference when the pricks with bulbs leave them on high beam anyway. I thought he was getting ■■■■■ because I overtook him, 20 minutes later he’s still blinding everyone else on the motorway.
yeah it in my car I tend to get it more but glad its not just me - some of the ones on display are brighter than any fog lights I have seen in all my years!
Ambulances…their blue ones ■■■■■■■ kill my eyes, especially when sat behind one in a traffic jam…why they can’t just use the forward facing ones when travelling then have the rear ones on when at the scene