Originally Posted by
SlimAgainSoon
The problem isn't brightness -- even the hottest bike lights can't do what a single auto headlight can.
Well...they
can be
Originally Posted by
SlimAgainSoon
The problem is where you point that thing.
This is the real crux of the problem. However, it's only a tiny problem. Look at where we ride our bikes on the road (MUPs are a different issue). We don't ride near the center line but we ride to the right of the passenger's side of the car. The passenger's side light is aimed higher and further down the road than the driver's light and it is much brighter than
most bicycle lights. How is a rather weak light further to the right of where a brighter, higher aimed light normal is used, going to blind on-coming traffic? Especially the highly directional lights like LEDs?
LEDs are very bright in the center of the beam and fall off very quickly to the edges. Halogen beams...like most cars have...aren't nearly as bright in the center as an equivalent LED and have more side spill. However, since more light spills to the sides, the localized intensity of the light has to be less thus even halogens as bright as I can make them aren't going to be a significant blinding hazard to on-coming traffic on a roadway.
The way I look at it is that motorists aren't concerned about blinding me, why should I be concerned about blinding them?...not that I could anyway
