Originally Posted by
cyccommute
"Dazzling" isn't the same as blinding. You, and others here, are talking about a level of glare that can be uncomfortable to be sure but it doesn't rise to the level of impairment that would cause a driver to be unable to continue driving down the road. The use of 'blinding' used here is more along the lines of a conversational 'blinding' for which dazzling is a very good synonym. I too have been 'blinded' by the glare of other car lights or the sun or light reflecting off snow etc. But that is a comfort issue and isn't likely to cause an accident or even more than a momentary discomfort.
Then there is the clinical definition of blinding which could cause more than momentary discomfort and could lead to an accident. But another car light or a bicycle light or even sunlight isn't likely to cause that kind of permanent blindness.
On the other side of the coin is the motorist. Motorists don't think for a single instant about whether or not their lights are blinding the cyclist ...not simply dazzling but truly depriving them of sight...on the side of the road. They hardly thing an instant what effect their lights have on other motorists.
CC,
I have to agree with you on that. I've lost track of the number of times (in a day/night) that I've been "blinded" i.e. dazzled by a motorists headlights.
More than once I've had to put my hand up in front of my face to shade my eyes and they still don't seem to get or care that they're "blinding" me. And as I've said somewhere in another thread. At times the so called "professional" driver seems to be the worst of the bunch. As I've said I've been buzzed by cab drivers i.e. a professional driver and when I've called the company to report it. The dispatcher takes the attitude/position of "he didn't hit you so what's your beef?"
Also for the person who commented that it's only a matter of time before the law "catches" up with the bicycle lighting industry. And laws are passed either limiting the power of or angle of bicycle lights or presumably the number of bicycle lights. Don't forget that unlike a car/truck where once the angle of the headlights are set. It takes a substantial amount of force to knock them out of alignment. That with a bicycle (even I would imagine a full suspension bike) that a bumpy road can knock them out of alignment. Also don't forget that there are some jurisdictions that limit the number of lights that one can have on their bikes. Fortunately for me Florida is
NOT one of them. But we've had at least one member posting that where they lived there were laws in place limiting the number of lights that they can have on their bikes.
Here in Florida even though the law requires one headlight and one taillight that is visible at x distance. It does encourage the use of multiple lights.
I fully agree that we should do our best not to have our lights setup so that they shine right in the eyes of other road users. But the reality is that unless one mounts their lights somewhere on the fork of their bike(s). That at some point they are going to shine in someone's eyes. It doesn't mean that the cyclist has done it on purpose. It's just that with most headlights being mounted on the handlebars that's where they're sometimes going to shine.
And maybe, just maybe if motorists weren't in such a hurry to get where they were going and slowed down. They wouldn't have to worry so much about being "blinded" i.e. dazzled by another vehicles lights.