Does having high beams on considered offensive in america?

Question

during night driving, I sometimes turn the beams on for a few seconds to see whats up ahead, then I turn them off after I've got my bearings instead of keeping them on all the time. but I notice that sometimes cars ahead of me flash me back, but in a quick on, off, on off, shutter. Am I doing something rude by simply using my high beams at night, when they're most needed?

Answer 1

Its not against the law to use your high beams.

Keep headlights on low beam, except where lighting conditions are poor. Dim your high beams for oncoming traffic, when approaching a vehicle from the rear or when another vehicle is passing you.

Answer 2

In West Virginia, the law is if there's a car on the opposite side of the road, coming toward you, you can't have your highbeams on within 500 feet of that car.  It blocks their vision.

If there's a car in front of you, going the same direction you are, then it's 100 feet, because from behind they're not so bad.

Regular car lights are indirect (reflected) light that is slightly pointed downward.  If you look at a regular headlamp, the end pointing toward the road is blacked out so the brightness won't be a distraction.  High beams are direct light pointed straight ahead.  The high beam bulbs don't have the ends blocked out.

Answer 3

Yes it's offensive because when you get bright, high beams in your eyes, it blinds the other driver temporarily.  It even states in the driving book not to have your high beams on unnecessarily.

Answer 4

smaller m/cycles often have poor lighting,   minimal wattage.   There are mechanical/thermal reasons involved.  spotty and bright, but useless. Very glarey to oncoming traffic.  you will have to slow down to where you can see enough to avoid hazzards or stop b4 u hit them.   Do NOT wear tinted lenses of ANY kind, and avoid glasses if you legally can, as they all absorb light, and weaken what you can see.   It ain't eazy, but there's little you can do, but get something bigger with a decent h/light.  Larger the lens/refelector, better the light.  TEST it at night, daylight means nothing!

Answer 5

High beams are meant to be used to give you more visibility at a greater distance in front of you.  A driver is supposed to keep them ON as long as he needs to be able to see that maximum distance, EXCEPT when another car approaches in the opposite direction, or, when comming upon another car, ahead, going the same direction.

The lights should be dimmed to prevent blinding the other drivers with the glare of the high beams.

In the case of the car ahead of you, HIS headlights will illuminate the road ahead of him, so you won't need your high beams to do that.

Similar reasons apply to a car approaching yours from the opposite direction.  His headlights illuminate the road between his car and the extent of your regular beams.

Each state determines the distance at which lights must be dimmed for other vehicles.

Answer 6

Not offensive, just inconsiderate.

Answer 7

YES! some people CANT see with that glare in their eyes, where it does not bother others, but for some the glare is terrible!

you didn't mention what country your from, but i am sure it is the same there, but it sounds like an "accepted" practice there and no-one says anything.

Answer 8

When there is an approaching motorist ahead of you, it is common courtesy to turn your beams to low so as not to blind the other driver when he/she's near you and that's why they flash you back.  If there is no oncoming driver then it's fine to use your high beams but you should turn it down low when someone is approaching.

Answer 9

They get into the other driver's eyes.  When you see an on coming driver it is common courtesy to turn your high beams off so the driver can better see the road.  When they flash back at you, they're telling you your high beams are on, and that you should turn them off because they are there and need to see the road.

Answer 10

they are against the law...when another driver is approaching rom the other direction, or when you are behind another driver. only use them when you are alone on the road.

Answer 11

in us,drive withem on,but when u meet car coming at u u must dim,asap,also in town,and alot of just being curtius,in other places,nobody wants to be blinded by brights,good to dim coming to intersection also..

Answer 12

It's dangerous.  High beams shine more light onto the opposite lane of traffic and temporarily blind the oncoming driver.  If you are driving in traffic with high beams, you shouldn't be driving at night.

Answer 13

keep them on all the time except when there is an approaching vehicle. The other driver in your case thinks you are trying to warn him of some danger on the road. also if you have your lights on during the day make sure they are on low. Where did you learn to use your lights the way you are.

Answer 14

noy only is it rude but it is dangerous. the driver of the on coming car is blinded and cannot clearly see the road infront of him

Answer 15

When there is on coming traffic, it is not only rude, but illegal to have your high beams on.  You are only supposed to use them when there is NO on coming traffic or vehicles that are a short distance ahead of you.

Answer 16

Shine your highs in my eyes and I'll give you mine right back. Using them when you're alone on the road is fine though.

Answer 17

It's not illegal to drive with your high beams on. Never has been, otherwise the car manufacturers wouldn't install them in the car.

If they flash theirs at you quickly, check to make sure that yours are off. In some cases though, it may just seem to the other driver that you have yours on, but could be the structure of the lens or the bulb output. For example, Ford Super-Duty trucks seem to always have their brights on, but are just positioned in a way that it seems that way.

As for driving with your brights on, you can keep them on, but you have to turn them your low beams on if you are within 500 feet of a car. My rule is, if you see a car approaching, turn your low beams on.. Or if you're approaching a car from behind, turn your low beams on.

Granted, in many areas they're not needed because of streetlights. But out where I live, there are no street lights and it's EXTREMELY dark at night, so high beams are a necessity.

Answer 18

Holy c**p! If it blinds you, it blinds them!

1. If you don't like it when they flash high beams back at you, why the h**l are asking questions like this?!!??! How do you think they feel?

2. It's against the law .

3. If it's that hard for you to see at night, get off the road.