Police and LED light bar.

LTZ25 said:

If you can't see good when the lights flashing next to you , then do what they are there to make you do SLOW DOWN .

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lbzdually said:

I was STOPPED 20 ft behind the cruiser and I could not see the what the GSP was doing until his flashlight hit my eyes. This is not about slowing down, it is about the lights. After sitting there waiting for him to wave us on, I had night blindness for several minutes and was seeing flashes of light with and without my eyes being closed. After being blinded by the lights, how safe is it for you and other drivers on the road after you go past the police?

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lbzdually said:

It has caused several wrecks. I was reading on a police forum and an officer said he and another unit were lights and sirens to the same place and he said he had to back off a good ways so he could see the road without being blinded. Other officers said the lights are so bright they themselves have gotten blinded, especially when walking back to their cars after a stop. I guess they should just walk slower back to their car, that will fix it.

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lbzdually,
I know of exactly how you feel as it has happened to me on several occasions. One of the very worst was a few years go when my friends and I were returning from a high school playoff football game way down in Folkston, Georgia. I came upon a bunch of LEO that had set up a vehicle/license check out in the middle of nowhere on a very dark two-lane road. As we approached it, you could not see the road OR anything else as you were blinded by the SUPER bright blue lights that were flashing and also one of the patrol cars also had his headlights shining directly into the eyes of the on-coming drivers to be stopped. The roadway just disappeared and you could not see which way to continue driving up to their check-point even.

I gave that bunch of idiots an earful as they were checking me as I told them that their set-up was totally unsafe and they would be very lucky to NOT be ran over and killed in the process. As I told three of these officers of how bad the situation was and that the headlights on the car facing me should certainly be turned off so I could see the roadway, one of them said, "This is what we do so don't worry about us". I told him that they would lucky if all of their names were not on the Obituary Page on Monday morning's newspaper as I left. This check-point was absolutely in the middle of nowhere and it was pitch black dark all around. It took a few minutes before our eyes adjusted back to normal too. I do agree that the blue-lights on patrol cars should be able to be seen from a distance away BUT not to the degree that it blinds other drivers in the process. I know if I was an LEO, I surely would NOT want to work in such an unsafe environment that should be corrected somewhat.

Also, I hate regular cars and trucks that have these newer SUPER bright bluish/white type of headlights that are set-up totally wrong vertically as they will blind all of the on-coming drivers from a half-mile away. I would LOVE to use my .22 Colt pistol for target practice and shoot out every one of them as well.

OK, now I will get down from my soapbox and eat some breakfast and get a shower.

I agree. I passed a wreck on the interstate the other morning when it was pitch dark and raining, and I could barely see to get around it; and I was seeing blue spots for the next ten minutes after I finally got past it. Going faster or slower does not make a difference in the effects of the retina-searing lights. Reminds you or those spy movie scenes where the guy is tied to a chair with a spotlight shining in his eyes.

I have the same problem with the orange strobes that wreckers use while they are towing a vehicle. The glare from all of these sorts of lights is far and away worse than in the past.

Do cops still give tickets for not dimming your hi beams?

I think most police agree that their lights are too bright, but they really can't change it. If they messed with their patrol car, they would probably be written up. The problem is the outfitters are too lazy to hook up the extra wires for the dimmer button.

Slowing down won't make the lights dimmer, but will increase your ability not to hit whatever you do see.

I was behind a new Cadilac SUV and the taillights would just blind you that seemed like you could feel the heat off of them, I feel there should be a daylight and night time setting on these lights

calibob1 said:

Maybe thats why some have that seeing eye dog with them.

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Okay, that's subtle and funny.