My friend Tom (stand up and wave Tom), suggested to me that I do something about headlights that blind oncoming traffic. As I have often been blinded by headlights while driving I agreed. What I subsequently discovered (through extensive minutes of internet research) was quite disturbing, so I feel it is imperative that I address this problem without delay.
Sometimes I have to wonder about the United States of America. I knew that for some reason, America has always considered itself to be too good for the metric system. What I didn’t know, however, is that there are other international sets of standards that America, for some reason, refuses to adopt. The problem with headlights (which I also discovered should properly be referred to as headlamps) stems from this apparent stubbornness. Headlamps are regulated by international ECE standards, except in America where they are regulated by SAE standards. ECE standards specify that headlamps must have a beam with an asymmetric cutoff (depending on which side of the road people drive on in a particular country), which then prevents significant amounts of light from being cast into the eyes of oncoming traffic. SAE standards do not control for this glare. Furthermore, ECE standards adjust the angle of the beam depending on the mounting height of the headlamps. This means that trucks and SUVs that sit higher on the road would have their headlights angled down further. Once again, SAE standards do not control for this factor. The angle of headlamps on American trucks is the same for American sedans. This totally explains why the problem seems to me to be getting worse. More Americans are driving vehicles that sit higher so their headlamps are aimed higher – essentially right in my eyes.
All I can think to say is “Fuck you America!” Tom and I have been suffering needlessly! There are ways to control for glare; you are just too stubborn or stupid to adopt them! No longer!
All headlamps must be manufactured and mounted to ECE international standards.
As always I remain your all-powerful and benevolent Queen of the World,
Marisa
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