2006 Mercedes Benz C Class

MANY NEWER CARS ARE EQUIPPED WITH BLINDING, BLUE-GREEN, HEADLIGHTS THAT ARE A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE PROHIBITED. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBLEMS. FIRST, WHEN SEEN FROM ANY ANGLE, THESE HEADLIGHTS ARE HIGHLY DISTRACTING, IN THAT THEY DRAW ONES EYES FROM THE ROAD AHEAD AND ON EITHER SIDE; THE REASON THAT THEY ARE DISTRACTING IS THAT THEY ARE OF A NOTABLY DIFFERENT COLOR AND ARE MUCH BRIGHTER THAN THE TRADITIONAL INCANDESCENT LIGHTS. SECOND, WHEN VIEWED FROM ANY ANGLE, THE LIGHT "FLARES" ABOUT ONES EYES, FORMING SPIKES THAT RADIATE OUTWARDS FROM THE LIGHT ITSELF, THEREBY OBSCURING ONE'S VIEW OF THINGS ABOVE, BELOW AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LIGHT ITSELF. THIRD, WHEN VIEWED FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, THE LIGHTS ARE OFTEN BLINDING, DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE ROAD IS FLAT OR HILLY, THE RESULT BEING TO OBSCURE ALMOST EVERYTHING AHEAD, ABOUT THE SAME AS TRADITIONAL INCANDESCENT LIGHTS ON "HIGH"BEAM. FOURTH, WHEN VIEWED FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON ROADWAYS THAT ARE NOT PERFECTLY LEVEL, THESE HEADLIGHTS ALTERNATE RAPIDLY, BACK AND FORTH, LIKE A STROBE LIGHT, BETWEEN "STANDARD" AND "BLINDING," A RESULT OF THE FACT (WHICH I ASSUME) THAT THE LIGHTS ARE VERY TIGHTLY FOCUSED, AND THE PROBLEM BEING THAT THE "FOCUSED" LIGHT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS IS REPEATEDLY FOCUSED ON THE EYES OF THE DRIVER HEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE MOST HAZARDOUS ARE ITEMS THREE AND FOUR, BUT ITEM FOUR IS PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE IT COMBINES THE WORST OF ALL OF THE OTHERS - BOTH DISTRACTION AND BLINDINGNESS. CLEARLY, HEADLIGHTS NEED TO BE DESIGNED TO LIGHT THE WAY AHEAD; BUT THERE ARE COMPETING GOALS, WHICH INCLUDE NOT BLINDING OTHER DRIVERS. LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD, WHAT IS GOOD FOR ONE PERSON MUST BE WEIGHED AGAINST ITS NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON OTHERS. THAT IS WHERE GOVERNMENT HAS A KEY RESPONSIBILITY; TO ASSESS THE BENEFITS AND BURDENS AND ARRIVE AT A COMPROMISE THAT OPTIMALLY SUITS EVERYONE'S NEEDS BEST. *NM