This shows how my Cygolite is aimed downward. This light puts out a brighter center "hotspot" area, with a dimmer outer area. I have it so the hot spot area never goes above horizontal. Instead it shines out onto the ground about 30-40 feet in front of me. Oncoming traffic will see the outer area of light, but it wouldn't be any worse than looking at normal car headlights from the side.