Are the headlights getting brighter and brighter?

Are car headlights getting brighter and brighter with better technology? Am I getting to be an old crotchety man? Or is it the astigmatism in my eyes?

It could be all 3. I’m getting to the point now that I don’t prefer to drive at night. I can see just fine, and I am totally safe to drive after hours, but the enjoyment of driving when there are fewer people on the road has been eclipsed by my knowledge of cars colliding with deer and deer colliding with cars, and the headlights.

It used to just be when you were driving a car, and an SUV or truck would be directly facing you, that you were blasted in the face with their low-beams. Now, however, all cars and trucks seem to be lighting up the pavement and opposing drivers with their halogens, bi-xenons, LEDs, etc.

I think the science is pretty clear that LEDs especially are good at focusing light, including blue-er light, in a certain direction. That blast of focused light, along with the concentration of blue (which causes the most fatigue and distortion), really hits hard. During the day, brown sunglasses can cut the blue wavelength of light, just like polarized lenses can cut the horizontal waves of light. I’m waiting for car manufacturers to incorporate active windshields with morphing filtering capabilities. That’s terrifying to think that someone could hack the glass software and make you driving at 70 mph with an opaque windshield though, so maybe not.

Regardless, driving at night should be enjoyable. Do you think the headlights are getting brighter and brighter?