NHTSA Complaint #10948670 — 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA

MY ISSUE CONCERNS THE EXTREMELY BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS (ESPECIALLY AFTERMARKET HALOGEN) THAT ARE ALLOWED TO BE INSTALLED ON CARS AND WORSE ON SUV'S AND PICK-UP TRUCKS. THESE LIGHTS ARE BLINDING IN NORMAL HIGHWAY NIGHT TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN OPPOSING DRIVERS USE THEM AT THE HIGH BEAM LEVEL. IT IS WORSE WHEN A CAR DRIVER IS OPPOSED BY A SUV OR A PICK-UP TRUCK WHOSE LIGHTS ARE MOUNTED ABOUT ONE FOOT HIGHER THAN THE ONES MOUNTED ON A TYPICAL CAR. MY WIFE'S ACCIDENT WHEN SHE ENTERED THE LEFT TURN LANE OF A HIGHWAY WITH A SINGLE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION WITH A DEDICATED LEFT TURN LANE AT THE INTERSECTION. AS MY WIFE'S CAR SAT IN THE LEFT TURN LANE, IT WAS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE A SUV OR PICK-UP TRUCK WITH EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHTS THAT BLINDS YOU FROM SEEING ANYTHING BEYOND THE PLANE OF THE HEADLIGHTS. WHEN THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL TURNED GREEN, THE OPPOSING VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. MY WIFE EVENTUALLY DECIDED TO EASE SLOWLY OUT. STILL UNABLE TO SEE, SE WAS EVENTUALLY INTO THE INTERSECTION WHERE SHE WAS HIT BY A CAR IN THE THROUGH LANE. THESE HALOGEN LIGHTS ARE NOT NECESSARY FOR MOST DRIVING. THE HEIGHT DIFFERENTIAL OF HEADLIGHTS BETWEEN CARS AND SUV'S IS ABOUT ONE FOOT AND IS DANGEROUS. IT ALSO VERY BAD ON COUNTRY ROADS WITH NO CENTERLINES OR NO EDGE LINES. IF YOU ENCOUNTER A VEHICLE ON THIS TYPE OF A COUNTRY ROAD AND THE ROAD AHEAD CURVES - LOOK OUT - YOU HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF RUNNING OFF THE ROAD. ANOTHER THING THAT MAKES THIS ISSUE WORSE IS OLDER DRIVERS WHO HAVE HAD CATARACT SURGERY. THIS INCREASES THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHTS. IN THE INTEREST OF TRAFFIC SAFETY, ALL VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS ON PASSENGER CARS, SUV'S AND PICK-UP TRUCKS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME HEIGHT. AND THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE LIGHTS SHOULD HAVE A MAXIMUM VALUE. I KNOW THAT THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY WILL PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM BECOMING REALITY. BUT IT IS A NEEDED CHANGE. THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE. *TR