When you flash your brights at someone because you think their brights are on (because they are too bright) and itâs their low beams and they flash you to show you theyâre not a jerk, blinding you in the process.
I always thought it was more of a "see an optometrist" flash. Even misaligned HID high beams aren't more than a minor nuisance for people with normal night vision. But if even factory installed and aimed LED headlights are bothering you enough to completely blind you, you have an underlying condition that may or may not be treatable. Driving at night may not be something these people can do safely. All the more reason for better transit.
LED headlamps donât bother me as much when Iâm driving in a lit area. My main issue is driving in more rural areas (most of my driving) and it takes my eyes a moment to adjust back to the ambient darkness. Youâre saying thatâs a me problem? I was under the impression that was a pretty normal physiological response?
It's a commonly commiserated problem because it impacts different people to differing degrees. Some are actually impaired by the light, and I imagine others just complain because they have to avert their gaze to the edge of the road but don't actually lose their night vision. But if you have ever had LASIK, have a vitamin A deficiency, a genetic condition impacting vision, or a more common condition such as diabetes or cataracts, the way light passes through your eye is different than normal and bright lights at night can blind you. You may not notice that you don't have particularly good night vision unless you are around someone who does. If in doubt, it probably doesn't hurt to get it checked out, especially if it didn't bother you when you were younger but does now.