If you drive a compact or midsize car, you’re probably used to trucks and SUVs hovering above you on the road. In most cases, this doesn’t really present any challenges that you can’t adapt to.
However, the recent popularity of lift trucks has created potential dangers for countless drivers of these small vehicles. One Reddit user demonstrated this as they struggled to fix an apparent problem with a lift truck.
Photo credit: Reddit
Photo credit: Reddit
“Totally blinded by this lifted truck,” the Reddit user wrote.
They shared some photos that reveal the drawbacks of driving in front of a lifted truck. From the side mirrors to the rear windshield, the overwhelming brightness of the truck’s headlights overwhelms the driver.
“How is this legal?” a Reddit user asked.
Lifting a truck raises the entire vehicle, allowing standard headlights to be aimed higher, shining directly into the eyes of oncoming or front drivers. When equipped with LED bulbs, the headlights are positioned to provide a dazzling experience for other drivers on the road.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has previously addressed this issue as part of its federal motor vehicle safety standards. 49 CFR Part 571 is designed to ensure that vehicle lights provide safe, effective illumination to the driver while preventing excessive glare to others.
“The primary function of headlights is to provide forward visibility to the driver. At the same time, intense headlight illumination may directly illuminate oncoming or leading vehicles,” NHTSA noted in the final rule. “This lighting is known as glare and can reduce the vision of other drivers and cause discomfort.”
In the comments section of the post, many users shared their own dissatisfaction with lifted trucks and elevated headlights.
One commenter joked: “I’ve never been fooled by a photo before.”
“Those late model Ford headlights are terrible. It seems impossible to aim them away from people’s eyes…especially when raised,” a second user wrote. “They always blindside me.”
“I drive at night on average,” a third commenter shared.
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