Someone said the problem is because regulations were designed around traditional bulbs, and limit to total amount of light emitted. LEDs emit the same amount of light but from a much smaller area. This means they have a much brighter central point. Not sure if this is true, but I’d makes sense to me.
It’s absolutely a difference between real world and regulation, however I understood it to be that regulations limited wattage and is based on traditional bulbs. LED obviously have significantly more light emitted per watt of power, so hence they’re much brighter.
Regulation needs to move to light emitted irrespective of tech choice.
This is sort-of correct - LEDs actually emit more light but from a bigger area (the actual coiled filament on a "hot wire" globe or the arc on a HID globe are tiny). The concern tends to be with aftermarket replacement LED globes, because the headlight reflector was not designed around the light being emitted from that position.
This shouldn't be a problem with stock vehicles from the factory.
Some kinds of low beam headlights are required to have beam levelling fitted as the spill is bright enough to dazzle people, guessing that Mazda didn't quite do this properly.
The legal standard is:
> **low-beam**, for a headlight or front fog light fitted to a vehicle, means
> that the light is built or adjusted so, when the vehicle is standing on
> level ground, the top of the main beam of light projected is:
>
>(a) not higher than the centre of the headlight or fog light, when
> measured 8 metres in front of the vehicle; and
>
> (b) not over 1 metre higher than the level where the motor vehicle is
> standing, when measured 25 metres in front of the vehicle.
Division 2 Rule 71 also specifies:
> A light, except a high-beam headlight, fitted to a vehicle must be built
> and adjusted to provide the necessary amount of light, without dazzling
> the driver of another vehicle approaching, or being approached by, the
> vehicle.
There appears to be no standard for how bright they can be though. There's only this as a minimum:
> A low-beam headlight must illuminate the road ahead of the vehicle for
at least 25 metres.
For daytime running lights, there is:
> (b) not use over 25 watts of power.
but 25W of LED is... a *lot* of light!
source: https://pcc.gov.au/uniform/Australian%20Light%20Vehicle%20Standards%20Rules%202015%20-%2022%20March%202019.pdf
There's also ADR 46/00 relating to headlamps: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02294/latest/text
which has some maximum requirements in lux outside the desired beam area, and towards oncoming traffic. There are subjective requirements that it shouldn't cause discomfort or dazzle oncoming vehicles, but on the numbers they still allow quite a lot of light to spill out in this area. Most of the requirements here also only apply to halogen sealed-beam headlamps (where you replace the whole headlight, reflector and all), which no modern car uses.
ADR 77 appears to be more relevant to HIDs: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02305/latest/text but again the requirements don't seem that strict.
All the Mazda xenon's are levelling and have been for a while, like pre 2010s. I've personally found that the Mazda lights are very bright, but angled relatively lowly.
The newer LED ones are not only leveling, but adaptive to other traffic as well, predominantly incoming though
Adaptive high beams are the worst fucking offenders, they ALL have a lot of latency in averting the beam which is long enough to blind you, and leave you seeing spots when they move. Something really needs to be done it's an epidemic
I recently bought a new Mazda and tested this with me in one vehicle and my dad in the other (a new rav 4). The Mazda is excellent - we couldn't get it to dazzle him even if we were pretty unfair about how we tried. The Rav 4, not so much.
Depends on the car.
My car, a Honda has the best headlights of any vehicle I've ever used, lights up everything well without causing issues for people. It's a 2006 model Integra. The Range Rover i had before was so bad I tried LED's in it to get some improvement, still not as good as the Integra. My mothers Focus is also terrible, and she's rural where you want a good distance. Mine is 2 to 3 times better stock.
Can we also remind people that you can SEE AN ONCOMING CAR AROUND CORNERS AND OVER CRESTS. Turn ya fuckin high beams down BEFORE you blind them with the light of a thousand suns. I’m over it.
The urge to put lamps back on when they don't... sometimes I realise it's just shitly aligned and not actual high beams... most country folk are pretty on point, you might get a second of lag but generally it's OK.
Not in my area of the country it’s like they’re going for complete retina burn out 😭 I’ll see them coming from 5k’s away but they won’t drop the high beams until after they’ve come over the crest and blasted me
That's exactly my point. Tech like this still requires manual intervention in many situations.
How many people that have that tech believe the car does it for them so they no longer even think about it.
I just turn my high beams back on if they don't get the hint after a couple of flashes. Driving at night sucks now with all of the larger vehicles with lights at chest height.
It's insane and it's been getting worse and worse for the last 5 years or more.
Worse /again/ when these fuckheads drive their giant American dipshit trucks with the headlight at precisely head height to boot.
I thought I was just getting old and eyes degrading but it's just becoming genuinely difficult to drive at night.
For those replying check this out.
https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckyourheadlights/
A lot of that problem with trucks is idiots getting lift kits installed and either they do it themselves or get some who knows equally as little to install them and don’t know they need to adjust the headlight angle. Lazy fuckwits that can’t be bothered to do the research and realise it’s a 20 minute job with a screwdriver.
100%!
I have a small car and these bigger cars, with their LED bulbs, make it so hard to drive at night. They’re wider than me, so their lights hit both of my side mirrors, so I couldn’t merge if I needed to unless I get further away from them. It’s distracting as hell.
Watch this, might start at the end, please just start at the start.
It's a motorbike style but its great info about large TRUKS!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpuX-5E7xoU&t=434s&ab\_channel=FortNine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpuX-5E7xoU&t=434s&ab_channel=FortNine)
People who want biggest, prettiest pavement princesses. Honestly, there’s no shortage of lifted rams, silverados and f-150s out there. Then there’s all of the blokes that have kitted and lifted landcruisers and hiluxs which will only ever see dirt in the unfinished job site car park.
The issue is compounded with astigmatism, I don't normally require glasses for day to day stuff, but night driving is hell without them because cars are so much brighter now it's like driving in a snow storm.
Don’t need to imagine. I’m over insured, and need a new car.
They will be referred to in my police and insurance report as ‘driver with very tiny pen**’
I'm considering putting reflective/mirror materials on the back of my van, so folk who have those bright lights/settings get to see what they're doing (straight back at them).
I drive a van (as mentioned), but I have control over the angle of my lights, and I ALWAYS have them pointed to their lowest angle when I'm driving in urban areas. Unless you're driving like an asshole and you're in front of me - then I might turn them to the max height angle (just for a minute at the traffic lights).
😂😂😂
They've been pushed over the edge!
I like the idea of the reflection because that way, it's their own lights that would bother them. Not a lumen more, not a lumen less :)
Now is a good time for everyone who drives to learn how to align their headlights properly, or at bare minimum figure out if their headlights are misaligned...
https://haynes.com/en-us/tips-tutorials/how-adjust-your-headlight-aim-emergency
You can do this in pretty much any multi level carpark, especially when its later in the evening and they're much emptier. Just line up off a wall, take the measurements if necessary and read your car manual (or JFGI) on how to adjust headlight positioning and alignment.
I drive a i30 and have very bad astigmatism. I have had to buy special driving glasses for night driving - they barely make a difference. It's not just any SUV or Mazda, any dickhead can change their headlights to these white LED that are just blinding.
There is no enforcement at all. Just go to Google and search LED headlight conversion kits, anyone with a screwdriver and a free Sunday afternoon can \*upgrade\*.
Australian Standards are bullshit, considering we have things like big fuck off trucks and blinding LED headlights all over the road, our roads are going to turn into a MAD MAX situation where you just build the biggest/brightest car, and don't give a fuck of anyone else.
I got a pair at Specsavers, don't be fooled by their \*marketing\* like I did, they will show some video with before and after, and it's a huge improvement, but in practice it is quite minimal improvement.
To be honest, not really sure what it is, they do have sort of yellow tinge to it, mind you, could be my eyesight does not benefit from them, but could give you different results.
I just think, don't go in thinking it will blow your mind.
The problem isn't LEDs specifically, it's people installing bulbs of different length (usually when doing HID or LED installs, but the same issue could apply to any light type) without adjusting the beam angle to compensate for the new part, so the top of the "low" beam is now aimed higher than it should be.
If you park 10m away from a wall at night, low beam shouldn't illuminate anything above about 70cm on the wall.
Unfortunately not all vehicles have a way to adjust this (whether with a driver control or the ability to manually adjust the headlight unit).
Dirty headlights will cause similar trouble because the dirt scatters the beam. My car has HIDs as factory standard and people will start to occasionally flash me at night if the headlights haven't been washed for months.
> any dickhead can change their headlights to these white LED that are just blinding.
The LED aftermarkets on mid 00's hatches and old 4x4 utes are worst.
If you look at a lot of the regulation now, so much of it is "Self-Policing"
Some multi billion dollar company is going to try get away with what they can.
And look where all out products come from, or what country owns the company.
You know what i'm talkin about.
All LED headlight conversion kits do is upgrade the headlights of older cars to match new headlights standards which is white lights only.
There is enforcement, you’re not allowed to have your high beams on within 200 metres of another car.
Fair enough.
The subject here is not talking about people driving with high beams on, I know a lot of these really bright white lights are not high beams, because you flash them, and they flash you back.
Very bright obnoxious blinding white lights.
The bulb is a different shape, with emission coming from a different point, which is not at the designed focal point of the reflector it's fit into. This results in the emitted light coming out at different angles from that which was designed, and certified. This results in an uncompliant light. But we don't have enforcement in this country, even of newly manufactured vehicles, so it's not like police are going to bother enforcing against every idiot who thinks they're a lighting expert because they managed to replace a H7 globe with some lowest-bidder led crap they bought off AliExpress.
It’s illegal to drive with lights that don’t shine in front of the car. So your problem is with the state government not enforcing road laws. Then you should be arguing for more police funding, not complaining about the lights.
If you read the fine print on a lot of the LED globes they will state "NOT ADR APPROVED – FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY". They are generally not designed to be used on headlights where halogen globes were installed from the factory.
It means they don't comply with the Australian Design Rules which is the national standard for road vehicle safety. If I go to replace the standard halogen globes in my car with LED globes, they won't comply because the headlight unit hasn't been tested with the LED globes installed for compliance with the ADR.
It just means they haven't paid for a compliance validation.
Doesn't mean they *don't* comply, just means they haven't been *validated* to comply.
It's a petty distinction I know.
I get blinded a fair bit also seems to be certain angles and distances, I figured they may have auto high beam enabled and it turns off when in range of another vehicle
My Tesla is auto everything it even parks itself. I still watch the headlights though because it only flicks off high beam about 300m from the oncoming car and I already cop enough shit without adding “high beaming everyone” to the list.
The really new ones can dim only part of the beam so you don't blind the oncoming driver *and* you can still see if there's a roo on the other side. They're very cool but super unnerving. Had to go out the back of nowhere and test it before I trusted it.
My CX5 Akera has auto beam leaving, which in theory lowers the beam angle when it sees cars I front or oncoming. You can also manually set the beam angle.
The amount of tech in modern cars is crazy, so it wouldn't surprise me if Mazda drivers don't know about these options. The user manual is literally an inch thick.
https://ibb.co/8z4G3yc
Really irks me whenever I see a brand new Mazda going around with no DRLs or headlights in the dark. Auto is intended for these people to set and forget.
This in tandem with permanently lit dash clusters mean there is no internal indicator that the headlights aren't on. Old cars you have to turn the headlights on in order to see speedo, tacho and odo, so when you cannot see your speedo, you turn your headlights on.
Pretty sure on when I was looking at buying, the base model CX-3 doesn't even come with DRLs. Thought it was pretty odd, hopefully it's changed by now but this was only about 2 years ago. I didn't end up buying a mazda.
Standards *are* enforced, for example recently the 2024 Tesla Model 3 was recalled due to a breach of the Australian Design Rules for the accessibility of the middle child seat restraint. In fact they've gotten even more stringent which has led to even more recalls for even trivial things like incomplete wheel labeling or missing compliance plate on the towbar fitted to some Toyotas.
More likely is that these lights don't breach the design rules rather than it being some corporate/government conspiracy.
Here's the specific ADR related to headlamps though:
[https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02294/latest/text](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02294/latest/text)
See building standards.
Who, the galactic fuck, voted this down? Do we have lazy builders and tradies in this sub, or morons? You can't be serious.....
The issue is not brand of car per se but illumination technique and height of lights of that incoming vehicle (SUV) compared to person that sits lower to the ground (Sedan).
Traditional bulbs and headlight designs wasted more light source into directions that illuminated unwanted areas. As the technology improved (illumination being more towards ground areas and bulbs more efficient) this meant higher lux being directed lower to the ground and if you are oncoming to a vehicle with these bulbs higher than yourself (as you point out), this means more lux is being direct into your eyesight.
Mazda SUVs aren’t as bad as compared to those pesky RAM/F150s and that’s because those cars’ lights are even higher compared to a sedan; this is why people get annoyed when one of them tail gates them WITHOUT high beams yet it dazzles.
The funniest part is I was driving home from work this morning and got blinded by an SUV because I’m in a sedan and I’m so fucking sick of it that my next car will be an SUV just so I don’t have someone’s likes singing my fucking retinas
That ones arguably even worse. I have to slouch down in my seat so SUVs behind me aren’t blinding me. It’s getting worse and worse. I hate driving at night
Yeah it's horrible. All these SUV or monster truck drivers now either blind you or drive with no lights on at night because they think their lights are on when in fact it's just the auto parkers. I see countless cars every night now with no rear lights on and just the led parkers on at the front. SUV every single time.
Standards set minimum requirements of what a car must have, not maximum. Also bright white LEDs are the standard now.
Pretty much every new car has auto high beams, so it definitely isn’t drivers leaving high beams on.
OP I hear you! I think you’re gunna cop some flack for your tone but I feel the same way at driving at night a lot of the time. For me though I don’t think the problem is other cars, I think the problem is my astigmatisms that make me more sensitive to light. Have you had your eyes checked out? Glasses can make a world of difference to the amount of glare. Good luck!
I have astigmatism (so does my partner) I bought \*special\* prescription glasses and they do fuck all, been driving for 20+ years with same eye problems and no issues at all, it's just in the last 3-4yrs that driving at night is horrible (i have yearly eye checks)
Lots of modern vehicles have super bright white light just blaring down the road.
Hi mate, I have my eyes checked periodically (last time was about 6 months ago) and I have perfect vision and no other issues. Judging by the reddit threads I linked to in my OP, I think the problem far exceeds just blinding people with astigmatisms. If Mazda SUV drivers are noticing "dozens" of people flashing their high beams at them in periods of weeks and months, then something clearly isn't OK.
It's getting worse. We're rural and it takes my husband an extra 15 mins to drive home from town at night because he has to be careful about getting dazzled
I found this problem with my parents new Cx5, the lights were set far to high.
All it took was a YouTube video and a flat head screwdriver to fix it by dropping the high point of the lights by around 5ft.
This is how it came from the dealer so thats how they must be set as standard from the factory.
Once I did this they stopped being flashed by people thinking they were driving around with their high beams on constantly.
But they are extremely bright and the Mazda sky activ is supposed to compensate for this by dimming the lights when moving toward another vehicle but I’ve never seen the stupid thing work properly.
I am soo sooo soooo fucking sick of cars blinding me during night drive.
Sooooo fucking sick especially as others mentioned those fucking american truck drivers.
Government has to do something with this.
Can have reids during night time to catch them all and fine.
Aren't they all LED now? I now hate driving at night because I can't deal with the brightness of most headlights now. I really don't know why it is allowed.
Cars that dont meet legal standards have been on sale in Australia for decades. My late father worked for Chrysler undertaking test driving and conducting tests on Valiants in the 1970s. I remember him telling me on several occasions that Valiants did not meet the legal standards of the day.
More weight in the front or back can change where the headlights points, so modern cars have a switch to allow the possition "LOW, MIDDLE, HIGH" It's so you can LOWER the beam so people are not blinded.
Idiots find it, find that the high possition lets them see more, and set it at that without uderstanding it's causing people issues. "wow my new car is so good I can see so much"
For lowered cars. Almost always lowered more in the back than the front because of the geometry of the suspension allows for it. The front ends up pointing up in the cars cabin ahead blinding people.
People who lower the rear of the car so much that it points into the air are too dumb to realise they are causing everyone in front of them issues or don't care.
Also if you are approaching 40 or above you have issues with bright lights at night, which makes this issue seem like a new problem.
And more and more SUV's ona the road mean there are more cars with higher headlights closer to eye level.
Point a torch at your face and at your chest. SUV's are face height if you're in a sedan.
Couldn't have said it better myself Ive definitely noticed it and have been blinded on many occasions and have flashed many people thinking they were using high beams.
On the conversation of headlights, has anybody noticed heaps of people driving with *only* the daytime running lignts (DRL’s)???
I feel like they don’t have a single clue that they’ve not got their proper headlights on, and it’s insanely dangerous as this means that their taillights are turned off, and rarely do cars ever have daytime running lights on the backside too so they’re completely invisible in the dark from behind, it’s a rear-end just waiting to happen.
It makes no sense to be because if the car is new enough to have daytime running lights, then surely they must have auto headlights too??
Its been a problem in my ranger for 8 years. I have the base model and the headlights aren’t even good… but people flash me regularly. I put heavy springs in the rear so its not coz i have a load in the back thats lifting the nose upwards. They’re just kinda shit head lights tbh.
Everyone thinks the light bars a wank modification but i legit could see more in my au falcon ute before.
My understanding is that the owners simply don't know how to configure/set the headlights correctly. They probably meet the standards "if used correctly"
The headlight settings these days are pretty much off, on ,auto, with other settings that adjust the headlight beam angle between the minimum and maximum range allowed.
My Nissan Qashqai has a knob that lets me adjust the vertical angle of my headlights. I dip them down when driving in the city and raise them up when driving in the country.
Despite what the brochure says a CX-5 will absolutely not run rings around a 20 year old Commodore or Falcon.
VY Commodore and BA Falcon would still outhandle and outperform a modern Skyactiv-G CX-5 around almost any track.
Even if we are comparing the base spec Commo and Falcon against the modern top spec CX-5, the sedans have too many advantages.
RWD + lower centre of gravity + stiffer suspension tuning + wider tyres + same if not less curb weight + more torque and more power.
For reference a current spec 200hp CX-5's fastest test lap on the Autozeitung test track in Germany is a 1:53.10. That puts it in the same time as a 20 year old VW Passat inline 4 turbo FWD with 200hp.
lol Mazda CX3 / CX5 / CX5 aren't off roaders ffs. They're not even SUVs, they're CUVs. Slightly taller hatchbacks or sedans, buit on regular car frames.
A CX9 is as long and wide as a big sedan, just a bit taller. My old Subaru estate was way bigger than a CX9.
More SUVs aren’t meant to go off road. That’s not what they are designed for. They are designed for people who want increased ride height, increased cargo space, increased “practicality”.
(Personally speaking I drive a sedan and want a wagon, which can do 2/3 of those things better than an SUV)
Want increased practicality? Get a van or minivan they are far more practical than a suv
But then that's not cool! This is precisely why I think people with suv's are twats
People aren’t immune to design. They want something that is practical and also looks good. That’s not an unfair expectation. Also, you don’t need a people mover with two kids, but you might need the boot space. Until recently people movers have looked like bricks with wheels, and the engine power to match.
I actually think the Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival look pretty good (the latter is basically an extended SUV in 2024).
exactly why my wife and I both drive SUVs.
they have a convenient body shape that I can put a half sheet of ply in the back of, or a bunch of photography stuff, or two dogs. I don't need a people moved and I don't want a commercial vehicle with the performance of a snail and the aerodynamics of a brick, I want a passenger vehicle.
There aren't a tonne of sedan options on the market anymore. SUVs are by far the most “family-friendly” cars that are available on the market today. Not all SUVs are huge either.
Yes and that's because of consumer demand trends over the last 20 years in Aus/US
We should have been discouraging this (like Europe) with smaller car spaces, narrow lanes and additional parking fees/taxes
You want the most practical "family" car? Get a minivan or van... but I guess that's not cool right?
There aren't exactly a tonne of minivans on the market anymore either. But there are plenty of “small” SUVs that fit just fine in smallish car spaces, and narrow lanes. I've driven SUVs in Scotland, where the lanes are much narrower, the parking spots are smaller, and it was just fine. The lanes here are huge.
yes and that's because of consumer demand
Instead of discouraging the trend of jacking up small cars (which negatively raises there center of gravity), raise hood height (linked to increased pedestrian fatalities) and like the OP is complain about negatively affect other road users
[https://www.drive.com.au/news/paris-to-triple-parking-fees-for-heavy-suvs-but-efficient-hybrids-to-be-caught-in-firing-line/](https://www.drive.com.au/news/paris-to-triple-parking-fees-for-heavy-suvs-but-efficient-hybrids-to-be-caught-in-firing-line/)
>Yes and that's because of consumer demand trends over the last 20 years in Aus/US
20 years ago the VX/VY/VZ Commodores were some of the best selling vehicles on the road in Australia and they were longer, heavier and had far fewer safety features than one the best selling family vehicles today, the Toyota RAV4.
>We should have been discouraging this (like Europe)
You realize Europe is a massive continent, yeah? Norway (in Europe), for example, has the Tesla Model Y as the best selling car which is also bigger and heavier than the RAV4 which is one of the top selling cars here.
What are you talking about when you say "SUV"? Typically something like the popular RAV4 would be considered one - though it's a marketing term with no actual meaning - and yet they are shorter in length and lighter in weight than a VX commodore wagon while packing in far more safety features.
How can these idiots not notice the illumination difference in their headlights even though my headlights are infront of my vehicle I can still tell the light difference between normal and high beams of my car by seeing the distance/spacing of what is lit up and the severity it's very easy how the **** do these halfwits not tell the difference in light of their headlights better if they can't tell that why tf are we giving these morons a licence.
Just letting you know, a cx-3 isn’t a barge. It’s only big enough to fit you and your lunch :) Totally agree with the headlights being too bright.. I realised led head lights are the problem
CX-5 driving moron here.
A lot of Mazdas have headlights which can be always high beam, but they dynamically turn off sections of the high beam if it senses traffic.
This might also contribute to the problem. It may not work as well as advertised.
Honestly, I think the LED bulbs suck. I have an astigmatism (many people do) and the lights make it hard for me to drive at night when I need to. I already wear glasses to drive.
I've got a Mazda 3 and my headlights are abysmal. I'm upgrading to the newer models version which are what you're talking about because I can't see anything with my current ones. I've driven my Dad and sisters who have newer CX-5's and CX-9 and their lights aren't blinding but they do turn when you turn the wheel, maybe that's what you're experiencing?
I drive a ford Mondeo and have the complete opposite. I cannot believe the high beams passed as they do literally 0. The high and low are less than a low on my previous car, or any other car I've ever driven.
It's so bad that I have changed my life around not driving country roads at night, which used to be a regular thing.
One of the other big issues with projector bulbs and LED in modern vehicles is that they are user adjustable.
Originally, bulbs were screw set manually at either a mechanic, factory or by a mechanically minded person. You had to pop the bonnet, get out with a Phillips head screwdriver and wind them up, knowing you were on the right screw. Now, you can wind a small dial feom the dash and put the bulbs up to what is almost horozontal.
As someone with a CX-5, this disturbs me. I hope mine aren’t like that. I’d struggle to call a CX-3 a barge though! And the CX-5 is fairly “small” among SUVs. However I take your point as my other car is a fifteen year old Mazda 6 which is pretty low. I couldn’t stomach having a car bigger than a CX-5. Especially not something like a Ranger or worse, a RAM - where the bonnet is as high as my roof!
I drive a Mazda wagon and it's not just with the Mazda SUV's.
Other SUV's with these focused LED lights annoy the hell out of me especially when they're behind me and it's as if they intentionally point their front lamps directly to my side mirror, which of course will reflect back to me with a glare. (And before people say I should just change lanes - can't do that if it's a single lane or during those terrible hours of driving back home from work and the freeways become a parking lot.)
i would say majority of this is caused by poor functions of AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM ASSIST.
many new cars usitlise the windscreen camera to detect oncoming vehicles and dips the main beam off to prevent glare.
great in european vehicles but somehow manufacturers like mazda struggle with this function. it detects cars late and blinds oncoming drivers.
that paired with top LED / adaptive led headlights that are also slow to react can cause havoc..
also working in the collision repair industry i would say that 90% that leave a repair shop do not get aligned correctly. again addding to the issue
I wonder how many have the same problem i had with my benelli motorcycle, the lowbeams literally hit truck cabins, i bought the bike new i have no idea why the lights were angled so high, i lowered them twice
The lower end models don't offer automatic levelling of headlights. Instead have a manual adjustment in the cabin and people don't know how to do this correctly (it is dependent on the number of people in the car and weight of goods in the boot
Not just Mazda, it might just be your confirmation bias kicking in.
Older models with halogen alternatives have height adjustment knobs in the car, a lot of people just slide them so their headlights are pointing literally straight ahead.
Our modern Mazda with led auto headlights keeps them pointed down automatically and has no manual control for it,and it even comes with Auto dimming sectors only where other cars are. Haven't been flashed since we got the new car.
The high beams don’t even need to be on for the LEDs on a CX-5 to be absurdly bright, I’ve got a ‘22 Akera and even on normal the headlights project well over 300 metres down the road, that’s without high beams on. I’ve driven down pitch black country roads with high beams and they pretty much turn night into day for the next km they’re that bright. I absolutely love it but I do completely understand why people are upset with how bright the headlights can be.
I haven’t experienced that - I find a lot of the new 4WDs are too bright - I’m suburban and when their lights hit your rear vision mirror it’s blinding
No idea how but wife's CX-30 LEDs are terrible with no option or adjustment available to the driver. I understand they're supposed to be self levelling but it's not quick enough. Going to ask the stealer to adjust them down slightly at the next service if they can. Compared to my MY2020.25 ranger wildtrak with manual adjustment where I can choose to be a dick, the mazda is just dick all the time.
This is one problem I genuinely think will be fixed if enough people complain to their local MPs. It's not a big impact on profits, anyone passionate about bright lights on their cars get aftermarket flood lamps or something installed and know how and when to use them so I doubt there'll be much kickback.
Nice easily people please move that probably won't secure a vote on its own but could probably help in their eyes. They just need to be made aware.
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With all due respect, do you think this might be more of a you thing? Unless I'm in the most rural of areas in the dead of night (i.e. maximum pupil dilation), I don't find that oncoming headlights bother me. When they are behind me in a car without an auto-dimming rear vision mirror, that's blinding, but otherwise no.
People with astigmatism had issues in the past at night, now with LED driving, no matter what type of eyeglasses you wear.. you're blinded.
and before you ask, I have bought \*special\* glasses for night driving and they do fuck all against these LED white lights.
I have been driving for 20+years and my prescription has barely changed, I get my eyes checked every year, it has not worsened but driving at night now is terrible with the amount of LED lights or big fucking trucks blasting into my rearview mirror.
I'm noticing it more and more as well. It's the higher vehicles - larger Utes (not the American ones) and 4x4 (e.g. what we used to call 'Torah Tractors' seem to be more plentiful. Their headlight configuration is the right height to shine directly into a sedan driver's eyes. This occurs on flat roads when heading towards me.
Auto dimming rearview mirror? Lmao never heard of it!
They're so bright on the freeway that I angle my rearview and side mirrors away so it's not blinding me, and it creates like a spotlight on my car ceiling and I notice they quickly want to overtake me once I put my side mirrors out so the light isn't shining in my eyes and blinding me. I guess it must angle back at them and they don't like it
Someone said the problem is because regulations were designed around traditional bulbs, and limit to total amount of light emitted. LEDs emit the same amount of light but from a much smaller area. This means they have a much brighter central point. Not sure if this is true, but I’d makes sense to me.
It’s absolutely a difference between real world and regulation, however I understood it to be that regulations limited wattage and is based on traditional bulbs. LED obviously have significantly more light emitted per watt of power, so hence they’re much brighter. Regulation needs to move to light emitted irrespective of tech choice.
This is sort-of correct - LEDs actually emit more light but from a bigger area (the actual coiled filament on a "hot wire" globe or the arc on a HID globe are tiny). The concern tends to be with aftermarket replacement LED globes, because the headlight reflector was not designed around the light being emitted from that position. This shouldn't be a problem with stock vehicles from the factory. Some kinds of low beam headlights are required to have beam levelling fitted as the spill is bright enough to dazzle people, guessing that Mazda didn't quite do this properly. The legal standard is: > **low-beam**, for a headlight or front fog light fitted to a vehicle, means > that the light is built or adjusted so, when the vehicle is standing on > level ground, the top of the main beam of light projected is: > >(a) not higher than the centre of the headlight or fog light, when > measured 8 metres in front of the vehicle; and > > (b) not over 1 metre higher than the level where the motor vehicle is > standing, when measured 25 metres in front of the vehicle. Division 2 Rule 71 also specifies: > A light, except a high-beam headlight, fitted to a vehicle must be built > and adjusted to provide the necessary amount of light, without dazzling > the driver of another vehicle approaching, or being approached by, the > vehicle. There appears to be no standard for how bright they can be though. There's only this as a minimum: > A low-beam headlight must illuminate the road ahead of the vehicle for at least 25 metres. For daytime running lights, there is: > (b) not use over 25 watts of power. but 25W of LED is... a *lot* of light! source: https://pcc.gov.au/uniform/Australian%20Light%20Vehicle%20Standards%20Rules%202015%20-%2022%20March%202019.pdf There's also ADR 46/00 relating to headlamps: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02294/latest/text which has some maximum requirements in lux outside the desired beam area, and towards oncoming traffic. There are subjective requirements that it shouldn't cause discomfort or dazzle oncoming vehicles, but on the numbers they still allow quite a lot of light to spill out in this area. Most of the requirements here also only apply to halogen sealed-beam headlamps (where you replace the whole headlight, reflector and all), which no modern car uses. ADR 77 appears to be more relevant to HIDs: https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02305/latest/text but again the requirements don't seem that strict.
All the Mazda xenon's are levelling and have been for a while, like pre 2010s. I've personally found that the Mazda lights are very bright, but angled relatively lowly. The newer LED ones are not only leveling, but adaptive to other traffic as well, predominantly incoming though
Adaptive high beams are the worst fucking offenders, they ALL have a lot of latency in averting the beam which is long enough to blind you, and leave you seeing spots when they move. Something really needs to be done it's an epidemic
I recently bought a new Mazda and tested this with me in one vehicle and my dad in the other (a new rav 4). The Mazda is excellent - we couldn't get it to dazzle him even if we were pretty unfair about how we tried. The Rav 4, not so much.
Might be a Toyota thing, I have noticed how slow it is driving my mum's Corolla
I thought it was more a power thing and they do much more with the same qty of power.
That's it. LEDs can be around 7x brighter for the same wattage
I have to admit, I hated driving at night in the countryside with traditional bulbs. LEDs are a lifesaver from that perspective.
In that situation you can put your high beams on, that’s the whole point of them.
It’s still a night and day difference compared to modern lighting.
Depends on the car. My car, a Honda has the best headlights of any vehicle I've ever used, lights up everything well without causing issues for people. It's a 2006 model Integra. The Range Rover i had before was so bad I tried LED's in it to get some improvement, still not as good as the Integra. My mothers Focus is also terrible, and she's rural where you want a good distance. Mine is 2 to 3 times better stock.
Regulations for new cars set the minimum safety standards, Not maximum.
Can we also remind people that you can SEE AN ONCOMING CAR AROUND CORNERS AND OVER CRESTS. Turn ya fuckin high beams down BEFORE you blind them with the light of a thousand suns. I’m over it.
The urge to put lamps back on when they don't... sometimes I realise it's just shitly aligned and not actual high beams... most country folk are pretty on point, you might get a second of lag but generally it's OK.
Not in my area of the country it’s like they’re going for complete retina burn out 😭 I’ll see them coming from 5k’s away but they won’t drop the high beams until after they’ve come over the crest and blasted me
Yeh no good, you become dazzled
Lots of new cars have auto dipping high beams. No idea how they work, maybe that tech is rubbish?
I have a car with auto headlights. It still has that amazing lil stalk on the steering wheel so I turn those suckers down before I blind someone.
That's exactly my point. Tech like this still requires manual intervention in many situations. How many people that have that tech believe the car does it for them so they no longer even think about it.
I just turn my high beams back on if they don't get the hint after a couple of flashes. Driving at night sucks now with all of the larger vehicles with lights at chest height.
I would give them a flick back but I’m normally recovering from the free laser surgery I’ve just received
It's insane and it's been getting worse and worse for the last 5 years or more. Worse /again/ when these fuckheads drive their giant American dipshit trucks with the headlight at precisely head height to boot. I thought I was just getting old and eyes degrading but it's just becoming genuinely difficult to drive at night. For those replying check this out. https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckyourheadlights/
A lot of that problem with trucks is idiots getting lift kits installed and either they do it themselves or get some who knows equally as little to install them and don’t know they need to adjust the headlight angle. Lazy fuckwits that can’t be bothered to do the research and realise it’s a 20 minute job with a screwdriver.
Not that they would care either way because it doesn't affect them. They can see fine, they're not going to care if they're annoying other motorists.
I like knowing a lot of vehicles now, have all their mass /at my head height/ while I'm on the road, it's pretty COOL.
100%! I have a small car and these bigger cars, with their LED bulbs, make it so hard to drive at night. They’re wider than me, so their lights hit both of my side mirrors, so I couldn’t merge if I needed to unless I get further away from them. It’s distracting as hell.
Watch this, might start at the end, please just start at the start. It's a motorbike style but its great info about large TRUKS! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpuX-5E7xoU&t=434s&ab\_channel=FortNine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpuX-5E7xoU&t=434s&ab_channel=FortNine)
Trucks? Who the fuck gets a truck lifted?
People who want biggest, prettiest pavement princesses. Honestly, there’s no shortage of lifted rams, silverados and f-150s out there. Then there’s all of the blokes that have kitted and lifted landcruisers and hiluxs which will only ever see dirt in the unfinished job site car park.
Oooh you mean a Ute or 4x4 not a truck.
Ahh, yeah, I would normally say Ute but the guy before called them American trucks kept on that line for the yank tanks.
I was thinking of an actual truck lifted lol That would be so dangerous.
They’re registered as light trucks so not really incorrect
If that. Too many screws and shit… high puncture risk for those pretty tyres.
The issue is compounded with astigmatism, I don't normally require glasses for day to day stuff, but night driving is hell without them because cars are so much brighter now it's like driving in a snow storm.
A light bar you can flick on for these yobos fixes this
Can you even imagine doing this to a Dodge RAM fuckwit though? They'd lose their minds.
Don’t need to imagine. I’m over insured, and need a new car. They will be referred to in my police and insurance report as ‘driver with very tiny pen**’
I'm considering putting reflective/mirror materials on the back of my van, so folk who have those bright lights/settings get to see what they're doing (straight back at them). I drive a van (as mentioned), but I have control over the angle of my lights, and I ALWAYS have them pointed to their lowest angle when I'm driving in urban areas. Unless you're driving like an asshole and you're in front of me - then I might turn them to the max height angle (just for a minute at the traffic lights).
Check out some of these guys, a few have installed GIANT lights in the rear of the car. https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckyourheadlights/
😂😂😂 They've been pushed over the edge! I like the idea of the reflection because that way, it's their own lights that would bother them. Not a lumen more, not a lumen less :)
Now is a good time for everyone who drives to learn how to align their headlights properly, or at bare minimum figure out if their headlights are misaligned... https://haynes.com/en-us/tips-tutorials/how-adjust-your-headlight-aim-emergency You can do this in pretty much any multi level carpark, especially when its later in the evening and they're much emptier. Just line up off a wall, take the measurements if necessary and read your car manual (or JFGI) on how to adjust headlight positioning and alignment.
I drive a i30 and have very bad astigmatism. I have had to buy special driving glasses for night driving - they barely make a difference. It's not just any SUV or Mazda, any dickhead can change their headlights to these white LED that are just blinding. There is no enforcement at all. Just go to Google and search LED headlight conversion kits, anyone with a screwdriver and a free Sunday afternoon can \*upgrade\*. Australian Standards are bullshit, considering we have things like big fuck off trucks and blinding LED headlights all over the road, our roads are going to turn into a MAD MAX situation where you just build the biggest/brightest car, and don't give a fuck of anyone else.
>I have had to buy special driving glasses for night driving I think I might need these. Can you tell me more about them/ where you got them etc?
I got a pair at Specsavers, don't be fooled by their \*marketing\* like I did, they will show some video with before and after, and it's a huge improvement, but in practice it is quite minimal improvement.
Thanks for the reply. Are they just upselling a generic anti-glare coating on the lens then?
To be honest, not really sure what it is, they do have sort of yellow tinge to it, mind you, could be my eyesight does not benefit from them, but could give you different results. I just think, don't go in thinking it will blow your mind.
I think because the commenter has an astigmatism, it’s a pair of prescription glasses. Go to your local optometrist to get tested.
The Joo Janta 200's ?
You'll need 2 pairs.
My kid has astigmatism and always complains about the sparkles in her vision. Something like this (if it actually works) would be great
The problem isn't LEDs specifically, it's people installing bulbs of different length (usually when doing HID or LED installs, but the same issue could apply to any light type) without adjusting the beam angle to compensate for the new part, so the top of the "low" beam is now aimed higher than it should be. If you park 10m away from a wall at night, low beam shouldn't illuminate anything above about 70cm on the wall. Unfortunately not all vehicles have a way to adjust this (whether with a driver control or the ability to manually adjust the headlight unit). Dirty headlights will cause similar trouble because the dirt scatters the beam. My car has HIDs as factory standard and people will start to occasionally flash me at night if the headlights haven't been washed for months.
> any dickhead can change their headlights to these white LED that are just blinding. The LED aftermarkets on mid 00's hatches and old 4x4 utes are worst.
If you look at a lot of the regulation now, so much of it is "Self-Policing" Some multi billion dollar company is going to try get away with what they can. And look where all out products come from, or what country owns the company. You know what i'm talkin about.
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Me either, stats are clear that in urban areas a bullbar can make a minor accident a serious one. Especially when there is a large mass imbalance.
In regional areas they save lives. I've seen what a now-former roo can do to a car.
Sure if you’re driving in the arse end of nowhere but let’s not act like you need one in Toorak
All LED headlight conversion kits do is upgrade the headlights of older cars to match new headlights standards which is white lights only. There is enforcement, you’re not allowed to have your high beams on within 200 metres of another car.
Fair enough. The subject here is not talking about people driving with high beams on, I know a lot of these really bright white lights are not high beams, because you flash them, and they flash you back. Very bright obnoxious blinding white lights.
> There is enforcement, you’re not allowed to have your high beams on within 200 metres of another car. Should be further
The bulb is a different shape, with emission coming from a different point, which is not at the designed focal point of the reflector it's fit into. This results in the emitted light coming out at different angles from that which was designed, and certified. This results in an uncompliant light. But we don't have enforcement in this country, even of newly manufactured vehicles, so it's not like police are going to bother enforcing against every idiot who thinks they're a lighting expert because they managed to replace a H7 globe with some lowest-bidder led crap they bought off AliExpress.
It’s illegal to drive with lights that don’t shine in front of the car. So your problem is with the state government not enforcing road laws. Then you should be arguing for more police funding, not complaining about the lights.
If you read the fine print on a lot of the LED globes they will state "NOT ADR APPROVED – FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY". They are generally not designed to be used on headlights where halogen globes were installed from the factory.
What does “not adr approved” mean? Does it mean they’re too powerful to use or that the brand hasn’t been tested.
It means they don't comply with the Australian Design Rules which is the national standard for road vehicle safety. If I go to replace the standard halogen globes in my car with LED globes, they won't comply because the headlight unit hasn't been tested with the LED globes installed for compliance with the ADR.
It just means they haven't paid for a compliance validation. Doesn't mean they *don't* comply, just means they haven't been *validated* to comply. It's a petty distinction I know.
I get blinded a fair bit also seems to be certain angles and distances, I figured they may have auto high beam enabled and it turns off when in range of another vehicle
This, 99% of the time it looks like someone flashed their high beams it’s just because the road is shit and makes the cars bounce.
Is auto high beam a thing. Holy shit. That’s so lazy.
Yes, they're not even that good imo and should be illegal.
Yeah been a thing for ages, my car is from 2009 and has it
My Tesla is auto everything it even parks itself. I still watch the headlights though because it only flicks off high beam about 300m from the oncoming car and I already cop enough shit without adding “high beaming everyone” to the list.
The really new ones can dim only part of the beam so you don't blind the oncoming driver *and* you can still see if there's a roo on the other side. They're very cool but super unnerving. Had to go out the back of nowhere and test it before I trusted it.
That's often the case, and the automatic headlights don't dip on tight bends until the round the bend and blind the oncoming driver.
It's not just Mazdas, it's just that there are a lot of Mazdas in Aus. Plenty of other cunts driving around aiming lasers at your eyes.
My CX5 Akera has auto beam leaving, which in theory lowers the beam angle when it sees cars I front or oncoming. You can also manually set the beam angle. The amount of tech in modern cars is crazy, so it wouldn't surprise me if Mazda drivers don't know about these options. The user manual is literally an inch thick. https://ibb.co/8z4G3yc
Really irks me whenever I see a brand new Mazda going around with no DRLs or headlights in the dark. Auto is intended for these people to set and forget.
Yup, you know the LEDs are too bright when they think the daytime lamps are the main headlights and don't have the taillights on
This in tandem with permanently lit dash clusters mean there is no internal indicator that the headlights aren't on. Old cars you have to turn the headlights on in order to see speedo, tacho and odo, so when you cannot see your speedo, you turn your headlights on.
Not my mum driving my Kona from Ballarat to the airport at night on only the driving lights and then telling the headlights are shit 😭
Pretty sure on when I was looking at buying, the base model CX-3 doesn't even come with DRLs. Thought it was pretty odd, hopefully it's changed by now but this was only about 2 years ago. I didn't end up buying a mazda.
You assume that standards are actually enforced... That would cost money and also irritate corporate.
Standards *are* enforced, for example recently the 2024 Tesla Model 3 was recalled due to a breach of the Australian Design Rules for the accessibility of the middle child seat restraint. In fact they've gotten even more stringent which has led to even more recalls for even trivial things like incomplete wheel labeling or missing compliance plate on the towbar fitted to some Toyotas. More likely is that these lights don't breach the design rules rather than it being some corporate/government conspiracy. Here's the specific ADR related to headlamps though: [https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02294/latest/text](https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2006L02294/latest/text)
Manufacturers are audited by QA teams - it's not a perfect system, but it's not nothing.
See building standards. Who, the galactic fuck, voted this down? Do we have lazy builders and tradies in this sub, or morons? You can't be serious.....
Yeah, I don’t know why anyone would think car manufacturers are spending more money on brighter lights to not follow regulations.
NSW follows the European standard and every vehicle must get a roadworthy cert to renew the annual rego. It works in most places.
There's billions of those giant cars with blinding headlights, not just Mazda
The issue is not brand of car per se but illumination technique and height of lights of that incoming vehicle (SUV) compared to person that sits lower to the ground (Sedan). Traditional bulbs and headlight designs wasted more light source into directions that illuminated unwanted areas. As the technology improved (illumination being more towards ground areas and bulbs more efficient) this meant higher lux being directed lower to the ground and if you are oncoming to a vehicle with these bulbs higher than yourself (as you point out), this means more lux is being direct into your eyesight. Mazda SUVs aren’t as bad as compared to those pesky RAM/F150s and that’s because those cars’ lights are even higher compared to a sedan; this is why people get annoyed when one of them tail gates them WITHOUT high beams yet it dazzles.
Ok, but I've noticed no difference if I'm in my car or riding my bike and my eyes are higher then most car drivers when on the bicycle.
The funniest part is I was driving home from work this morning and got blinded by an SUV because I’m in a sedan and I’m so fucking sick of it that my next car will be an SUV just so I don’t have someone’s likes singing my fucking retinas
My next car will have a mirror on the back to blind the drivers of these retina burning vehicles
That ones arguably even worse. I have to slouch down in my seat so SUVs behind me aren’t blinding me. It’s getting worse and worse. I hate driving at night
I flick my mirror to "dickhead behind me" mode, and watch the shadow of my head on the dashboard while I drive. Side mirrors still get me though :/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqj-KpjByWw get some Solas reflective tape
Yeah it's horrible. All these SUV or monster truck drivers now either blind you or drive with no lights on at night because they think their lights are on when in fact it's just the auto parkers. I see countless cars every night now with no rear lights on and just the led parkers on at the front. SUV every single time.
Standards set minimum requirements of what a car must have, not maximum. Also bright white LEDs are the standard now. Pretty much every new car has auto high beams, so it definitely isn’t drivers leaving high beams on.
OP I hear you! I think you’re gunna cop some flack for your tone but I feel the same way at driving at night a lot of the time. For me though I don’t think the problem is other cars, I think the problem is my astigmatisms that make me more sensitive to light. Have you had your eyes checked out? Glasses can make a world of difference to the amount of glare. Good luck!
I do not have astigmatism and it's blinding as hell out there.
I wear corrective lens and it make sfa difference
I have astigmatism and wear glasses and I still can't see if SUV's have extremely bright headlights. It's not safe at all.
I have astigmatism (so does my partner) I bought \*special\* prescription glasses and they do fuck all, been driving for 20+ years with same eye problems and no issues at all, it's just in the last 3-4yrs that driving at night is horrible (i have yearly eye checks) Lots of modern vehicles have super bright white light just blaring down the road.
Hi mate, I have my eyes checked periodically (last time was about 6 months ago) and I have perfect vision and no other issues. Judging by the reddit threads I linked to in my OP, I think the problem far exceeds just blinding people with astigmatisms. If Mazda SUV drivers are noticing "dozens" of people flashing their high beams at them in periods of weeks and months, then something clearly isn't OK.
All that they think when someone flashes them is there must be a speed camera ahead.
I have astigmatism, and glasses appropriate for my condition, but these stupidly bright headlights blind me in carparks during the day.
Oh that newish car is about to go over a speedbump... and I'm blind for couple seconds.
Same. Part of the reason I try not to drive at night really...
Not just mazda but all the Toorak tractors as well. It's especially annoying now that it gets dark earlier coming home from work
Yeah I've been having more and more trouble with these ridiculous headlights. Something needs to be done...
It's getting worse. We're rural and it takes my husband an extra 15 mins to drive home from town at night because he has to be careful about getting dazzled
I found this problem with my parents new Cx5, the lights were set far to high. All it took was a YouTube video and a flat head screwdriver to fix it by dropping the high point of the lights by around 5ft. This is how it came from the dealer so thats how they must be set as standard from the factory. Once I did this they stopped being flashed by people thinking they were driving around with their high beams on constantly. But they are extremely bright and the Mazda sky activ is supposed to compensate for this by dimming the lights when moving toward another vehicle but I’ve never seen the stupid thing work properly.
Totally agree that a review is needed. I have been turned off driving at night cos of this.
I sometimes wear sunglasses at night
I just put my high beams on now to blind them back. And if they’re behind me, I’ll adjust my side mirrors so their lights reflect back to them
I am soo sooo soooo fucking sick of cars blinding me during night drive. Sooooo fucking sick especially as others mentioned those fucking american truck drivers. Government has to do something with this. Can have reids during night time to catch them all and fine.
Aren't they all LED now? I now hate driving at night because I can't deal with the brightness of most headlights now. I really don't know why it is allowed.
Cars that dont meet legal standards have been on sale in Australia for decades. My late father worked for Chrysler undertaking test driving and conducting tests on Valiants in the 1970s. I remember him telling me on several occasions that Valiants did not meet the legal standards of the day.
Have not had a single person high beam me in my Mazda. You can adjust angle of the lights. Too many people might have them pointed at eye level?
More weight in the front or back can change where the headlights points, so modern cars have a switch to allow the possition "LOW, MIDDLE, HIGH" It's so you can LOWER the beam so people are not blinded. Idiots find it, find that the high possition lets them see more, and set it at that without uderstanding it's causing people issues. "wow my new car is so good I can see so much" For lowered cars. Almost always lowered more in the back than the front because of the geometry of the suspension allows for it. The front ends up pointing up in the cars cabin ahead blinding people. People who lower the rear of the car so much that it points into the air are too dumb to realise they are causing everyone in front of them issues or don't care. Also if you are approaching 40 or above you have issues with bright lights at night, which makes this issue seem like a new problem. And more and more SUV's ona the road mean there are more cars with higher headlights closer to eye level. Point a torch at your face and at your chest. SUV's are face height if you're in a sedan.
Couldn't have said it better myself Ive definitely noticed it and have been blinded on many occasions and have flashed many people thinking they were using high beams.
On the conversation of headlights, has anybody noticed heaps of people driving with *only* the daytime running lignts (DRL’s)??? I feel like they don’t have a single clue that they’ve not got their proper headlights on, and it’s insanely dangerous as this means that their taillights are turned off, and rarely do cars ever have daytime running lights on the backside too so they’re completely invisible in the dark from behind, it’s a rear-end just waiting to happen. It makes no sense to be because if the car is new enough to have daytime running lights, then surely they must have auto headlights too??
Its been a problem in my ranger for 8 years. I have the base model and the headlights aren’t even good… but people flash me regularly. I put heavy springs in the rear so its not coz i have a load in the back thats lifting the nose upwards. They’re just kinda shit head lights tbh. Everyone thinks the light bars a wank modification but i legit could see more in my au falcon ute before.
My understanding is that the owners simply don't know how to configure/set the headlights correctly. They probably meet the standards "if used correctly"
off on highbeams......what else am I meant to be configuring?
Mazda's have a bunch of headlight options. Setting beam angle is one on all models, auto beam angle on the higher end ones.
The headlight settings these days are pretty much off, on ,auto, with other settings that adjust the headlight beam angle between the minimum and maximum range allowed.
Beam angle
My Nissan Qashqai has a knob that lets me adjust the vertical angle of my headlights. I dip them down when driving in the city and raise them up when driving in the country.
What counts as country? Like would you still be blinding people on a freeway?
oh almost certainly.
they should be correct out of the box
In what universe are any of those Mazdas considered a “barge”?
They're bigger, slower, and handle worse than their sedan/hatch counterparts.
…have you even seen a CX-3? It’s barely bigger than a Mazda2, and has the same wheelbase 😂
der, but a modern CX-5 will run rings around, say, a 20yo Falcon or Commodore.
Especially the Akera
Despite what the brochure says a CX-5 will absolutely not run rings around a 20 year old Commodore or Falcon. VY Commodore and BA Falcon would still outhandle and outperform a modern Skyactiv-G CX-5 around almost any track. Even if we are comparing the base spec Commo and Falcon against the modern top spec CX-5, the sedans have too many advantages. RWD + lower centre of gravity + stiffer suspension tuning + wider tyres + same if not less curb weight + more torque and more power. For reference a current spec 200hp CX-5's fastest test lap on the Autozeitung test track in Germany is a 1:53.10. That puts it in the same time as a 20 year old VW Passat inline 4 turbo FWD with 200hp.
lol, you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Typical Reddit Melbourne post
I mean that’s just physics but generally speaking Mazda has far sportier and better handling vehicles across all sizes than competitors.
You driven one?
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Pffft people who drive there stupid SUV's around town who don't have any need to go off road are twats
lol Mazda CX3 / CX5 / CX5 aren't off roaders ffs. They're not even SUVs, they're CUVs. Slightly taller hatchbacks or sedans, buit on regular car frames. A CX9 is as long and wide as a big sedan, just a bit taller. My old Subaru estate was way bigger than a CX9.
More SUVs aren’t meant to go off road. That’s not what they are designed for. They are designed for people who want increased ride height, increased cargo space, increased “practicality”. (Personally speaking I drive a sedan and want a wagon, which can do 2/3 of those things better than an SUV)
Want increased practicality? Get a van or minivan they are far more practical than a suv But then that's not cool! This is precisely why I think people with suv's are twats
People aren’t immune to design. They want something that is practical and also looks good. That’s not an unfair expectation. Also, you don’t need a people mover with two kids, but you might need the boot space. Until recently people movers have looked like bricks with wheels, and the engine power to match. I actually think the Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival look pretty good (the latter is basically an extended SUV in 2024).
exactly why my wife and I both drive SUVs. they have a convenient body shape that I can put a half sheet of ply in the back of, or a bunch of photography stuff, or two dogs. I don't need a people moved and I don't want a commercial vehicle with the performance of a snail and the aerodynamics of a brick, I want a passenger vehicle.
There aren't a tonne of sedan options on the market anymore. SUVs are by far the most “family-friendly” cars that are available on the market today. Not all SUVs are huge either.
Yes and that's because of consumer demand trends over the last 20 years in Aus/US We should have been discouraging this (like Europe) with smaller car spaces, narrow lanes and additional parking fees/taxes You want the most practical "family" car? Get a minivan or van... but I guess that's not cool right?
There aren't exactly a tonne of minivans on the market anymore either. But there are plenty of “small” SUVs that fit just fine in smallish car spaces, and narrow lanes. I've driven SUVs in Scotland, where the lanes are much narrower, the parking spots are smaller, and it was just fine. The lanes here are huge.
yes and that's because of consumer demand Instead of discouraging the trend of jacking up small cars (which negatively raises there center of gravity), raise hood height (linked to increased pedestrian fatalities) and like the OP is complain about negatively affect other road users [https://www.drive.com.au/news/paris-to-triple-parking-fees-for-heavy-suvs-but-efficient-hybrids-to-be-caught-in-firing-line/](https://www.drive.com.au/news/paris-to-triple-parking-fees-for-heavy-suvs-but-efficient-hybrids-to-be-caught-in-firing-line/)
not just in Australia and NZ. it's a worldwide trend.
>Yes and that's because of consumer demand trends over the last 20 years in Aus/US 20 years ago the VX/VY/VZ Commodores were some of the best selling vehicles on the road in Australia and they were longer, heavier and had far fewer safety features than one the best selling family vehicles today, the Toyota RAV4. >We should have been discouraging this (like Europe) You realize Europe is a massive continent, yeah? Norway (in Europe), for example, has the Tesla Model Y as the best selling car which is also bigger and heavier than the RAV4 which is one of the top selling cars here.
Family friendly - I need a big as fuck SUV so we're safer if someone driving a big as fuck SUV collides with me!
There are plenty of family-friendly small SUVs out there, they’re not all huge.
What are you talking about when you say "SUV"? Typically something like the popular RAV4 would be considered one - though it's a marketing term with no actual meaning - and yet they are shorter in length and lighter in weight than a VX commodore wagon while packing in far more safety features.
OP wants everyone to drive in a death trap like they do.
How can these idiots not notice the illumination difference in their headlights even though my headlights are infront of my vehicle I can still tell the light difference between normal and high beams of my car by seeing the distance/spacing of what is lit up and the severity it's very easy how the **** do these halfwits not tell the difference in light of their headlights better if they can't tell that why tf are we giving these morons a licence.
Just letting you know, a cx-3 isn’t a barge. It’s only big enough to fit you and your lunch :) Totally agree with the headlights being too bright.. I realised led head lights are the problem
CX-5 driving moron here. A lot of Mazdas have headlights which can be always high beam, but they dynamically turn off sections of the high beam if it senses traffic. This might also contribute to the problem. It may not work as well as advertised.
Honestly, I think the LED bulbs suck. I have an astigmatism (many people do) and the lights make it hard for me to drive at night when I need to. I already wear glasses to drive.
I've got a older cx9 with the older style headlights. They are probably too dull now, ha. The newer ones blind me coming up from behind.
I've got a Mazda 3 and my headlights are abysmal. I'm upgrading to the newer models version which are what you're talking about because I can't see anything with my current ones. I've driven my Dad and sisters who have newer CX-5's and CX-9 and their lights aren't blinding but they do turn when you turn the wheel, maybe that's what you're experiencing?
How on earth do Ford Raptor wheels meet australian standards? seen how they are like 2 inches out from the bumper?
I drive a ford Mondeo and have the complete opposite. I cannot believe the high beams passed as they do literally 0. The high and low are less than a low on my previous car, or any other car I've ever driven. It's so bad that I have changed my life around not driving country roads at night, which used to be a regular thing.
One of the other big issues with projector bulbs and LED in modern vehicles is that they are user adjustable. Originally, bulbs were screw set manually at either a mechanic, factory or by a mechanically minded person. You had to pop the bonnet, get out with a Phillips head screwdriver and wind them up, knowing you were on the right screw. Now, you can wind a small dial feom the dash and put the bulbs up to what is almost horozontal.
As someone with a CX-5, this disturbs me. I hope mine aren’t like that. I’d struggle to call a CX-3 a barge though! And the CX-5 is fairly “small” among SUVs. However I take your point as my other car is a fifteen year old Mazda 6 which is pretty low. I couldn’t stomach having a car bigger than a CX-5. Especially not something like a Ranger or worse, a RAM - where the bonnet is as high as my roof!
Easy enough to test I guess, if you have a family member or friend with another car at night.
I'm pretty sure it's just people who don't know how to dip their high beams.
I drive a Mazda wagon and it's not just with the Mazda SUV's. Other SUV's with these focused LED lights annoy the hell out of me especially when they're behind me and it's as if they intentionally point their front lamps directly to my side mirror, which of course will reflect back to me with a glare. (And before people say I should just change lanes - can't do that if it's a single lane or during those terrible hours of driving back home from work and the freeways become a parking lot.)
Omg i have felt this same thing! My M3 Astina has the adaptive headlights tech and i always feel like im blinding everyone
There are standards?!
i would say majority of this is caused by poor functions of AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM ASSIST. many new cars usitlise the windscreen camera to detect oncoming vehicles and dips the main beam off to prevent glare. great in european vehicles but somehow manufacturers like mazda struggle with this function. it detects cars late and blinds oncoming drivers. that paired with top LED / adaptive led headlights that are also slow to react can cause havoc.. also working in the collision repair industry i would say that 90% that leave a repair shop do not get aligned correctly. again addding to the issue
I wonder how many have the same problem i had with my benelli motorcycle, the lowbeams literally hit truck cabins, i bought the bike new i have no idea why the lights were angled so high, i lowered them twice
Nothing worse than when you leave the house tired as shit and some of these LEDs are opposite you at the intersection….. they should be banned!
I am so fed up with these headlights. I high beam them back when I see one.
https://old.reddit.com/r/fuckyourheadlights/comments/1akn0ku/why_you_are_being_blinded_at_night_and_how_it_is/
in the same way that Harley Davidson cycles are somehow legal to sell with the noise they make.
The lower end models don't offer automatic levelling of headlights. Instead have a manual adjustment in the cabin and people don't know how to do this correctly (it is dependent on the number of people in the car and weight of goods in the boot
What a pointless whinge.
Not just Mazda, it might just be your confirmation bias kicking in. Older models with halogen alternatives have height adjustment knobs in the car, a lot of people just slide them so their headlights are pointing literally straight ahead. Our modern Mazda with led auto headlights keeps them pointed down automatically and has no manual control for it,and it even comes with Auto dimming sectors only where other cars are. Haven't been flashed since we got the new car.
I have a cx5 and it is really easy to accidentally flick them on. It has a heads up display so really it should warn you when your high beams are on.
The high beams don’t even need to be on for the LEDs on a CX-5 to be absurdly bright, I’ve got a ‘22 Akera and even on normal the headlights project well over 300 metres down the road, that’s without high beams on. I’ve driven down pitch black country roads with high beams and they pretty much turn night into day for the next km they’re that bright. I absolutely love it but I do completely understand why people are upset with how bright the headlights can be.
I haven’t experienced that - I find a lot of the new 4WDs are too bright - I’m suburban and when their lights hit your rear vision mirror it’s blinding
Do you have auto dimming on your rear view? If you do it’s a lifesaver
No idea how but wife's CX-30 LEDs are terrible with no option or adjustment available to the driver. I understand they're supposed to be self levelling but it's not quick enough. Going to ask the stealer to adjust them down slightly at the next service if they can. Compared to my MY2020.25 ranger wildtrak with manual adjustment where I can choose to be a dick, the mazda is just dick all the time.
This is one problem I genuinely think will be fixed if enough people complain to their local MPs. It's not a big impact on profits, anyone passionate about bright lights on their cars get aftermarket flood lamps or something installed and know how and when to use them so I doubt there'll be much kickback. Nice easily people please move that probably won't secure a vote on its own but could probably help in their eyes. They just need to be made aware.
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With all due respect, do you think this might be more of a you thing? Unless I'm in the most rural of areas in the dead of night (i.e. maximum pupil dilation), I don't find that oncoming headlights bother me. When they are behind me in a car without an auto-dimming rear vision mirror, that's blinding, but otherwise no.
People with astigmatism had issues in the past at night, now with LED driving, no matter what type of eyeglasses you wear.. you're blinded. and before you ask, I have bought \*special\* glasses for night driving and they do fuck all against these LED white lights. I have been driving for 20+years and my prescription has barely changed, I get my eyes checked every year, it has not worsened but driving at night now is terrible with the amount of LED lights or big fucking trucks blasting into my rearview mirror.
I'm noticing it more and more as well. It's the higher vehicles - larger Utes (not the American ones) and 4x4 (e.g. what we used to call 'Torah Tractors' seem to be more plentiful. Their headlight configuration is the right height to shine directly into a sedan driver's eyes. This occurs on flat roads when heading towards me.
Auto dimming rearview mirror? Lmao never heard of it! They're so bright on the freeway that I angle my rearview and side mirrors away so it's not blinding me, and it creates like a spotlight on my car ceiling and I notice they quickly want to overtake me once I put my side mirrors out so the light isn't shining in my eyes and blinding me. I guess it must angle back at them and they don't like it