Originally Posted by
cyccommute
While points raised by Bicycle Quarterly may be good in theory, there is the real world to consider. Frankly, I consider the whole "bicycle lights blind people" argument is a bit of a tempest in a teapot...and somewhat wrong headed. If our lights are so focused that they never bother anyone, motorists won't see them. I want the motorist to be "dazzled" (to a small extent) because that will draw their attention away from the nondriving tasks they are doing and get them back on task...i.e. driving a multi-thousand pound, highly powerful and very complicated machine.
Yes I agree, but it's tricky to find the sweet spot. In these discussions, I've come to realize that we all react to lights differently. I have been dazzled by my own headlights, heading away from me. I'm probably more sensitive than others. But I count, too. This is why I don't want a light that is very bright. When it's very bright, I can't see things that are outside the beam or in the weak part of the beam. I am indeed stunned and dazzled by other people's headlights to the extent that I have to stop quickly. I don't know what to propose in response to that, but certainly not that people should be more considerate. Clearly they are not, nor do I expect them to become more considerate. If you don't see the problem, that does not mean it doesn't exist. It does for me and others I know. A friend of mine is a pedestrian in NYC and rarely rides a bike any more. He is also disturbed by the bright bike headlights.