A question for Texas drivers

[LVSteve]

Went to Texas for Christmas. Driving about at night I noticed that it seems to be a requirement to have badly adjusted (too high) low beams or failing that drive with high beams on permanently. Wish they gave you a guide to local customs at the rental car counter.

 

[gman51]

Welcome to Texas. Yep it takes a lot of effort to dim the bright lights. Cars made for sale in Texas should have a fog horn that sounds off when bright lights are on when a car is approaching.
Southern hospitality doesn't seem to apply to dimming bright lights.
To funny people can text and drive but OH NO they can't seem to dim their bright lights.

The other thing you might notice is turn signals are not used or only turned on as they make the turn. Don't blow your horn at another driver because you might really see what road rage is all about.

On the other side after driving in Boston I said I will never complain about driving in Houston again.

 

[moralem]

We do that so you won't think about moving here.

 

[JohnRippert]

I think pretty much all the newer cars out these days have their lights set too high at the factory. My personal custom for those that drive with them on at all times is to turn mine on when they get about 10 car lengths from me. When I was growing up you pulled over to the shoulder at speed when someone driving faster than you came up behind on a two lane road. I still wave at people as they pass, and get returns. Unless you are out in the boonies there is no such thing as common courtesy on the road much any more.

 

[LVSteve]

I think pretty much all the newer cars out these days have their lights set too high at the factory.

That was certainly the case with my 2005 Xterra and the Ford truck my buddy bought last year. Do all the car makers employ cross eyed village idiots to align the lights at the factory?

 

[armadillo]

I sure don't see a lot of that around here. Sounds like every car you met had their brights on - where were you in Texas, I'd like to avoid that place.

 

[Bro. Dave]

The rural area in which I drive is infested with suicidal wildlife. Bright lights help with the brake stomping occasionally required. Sometimes I meet so few oncoming vehicles that I forget I have my high beams on until I get a friendly reminder flash.

The high density urban areas, like the DFW metroplex, have a completely different set of rules. My contention is that they speed up when it rains because you can change lanes faster when you hydroplane!

Sadly, like common sense, common courtesy has become uncommon among some folks.

 

[gman51]

I find more of the bright lights take place out on the back country roads.
The politicians had to pass a law about the left fast lane is for passing and people lolly gagging in the fast lane can now be ticketed. About time because it happens a lot.

 

[LVSteve]

I sure don't see a lot of that around here. Sounds like every car you met had their brights on - where were you in Texas, I'd like to avoid that place.

The DFW Metroplex.

 

[hardcase60]

The politicians had to pass a law about the left fast lane is for passing and people lolly gagging in the fast lane can now be ticketed. About time because it happens a lot.

A law which is pathetically ignored.

Each metro area of Texas seems to have it's own unique driving culture. In Houston it not using the turn signal when changing lanes. In Austin it's unnecessary lane changing at high speeds. In DFW it's driving with the brights on all the time. In San Antonio it's speeding to the tail end of a line of traffic then slamming on the brakes. As stated above rain makes the whole thing a horrible mess. Don't even talk about watching people drive in snow and ice. Because after the crash they laugh while be interviewed by some equally mentally challenged reporter. hardcase60

 

[vonn]

I find that a lot of those "bright"lights are caused by my old eyes that can't handle night time driving as well as they used to! That said I just read a recent article from one of the government bow wows that headlights need a major redesign on almost every vehicle out there.

 

[muddocktor]

You know, I really haven't seen too much of the driving with the brights on without dimming them when I'm working out by Midland. People are pretty about dimming their lights without having to be flashed pretty well out there. When I go to and from Midland at the start and end of my hitch at the rig I am driving through the DFW area on I-20 in the daytime though.

One thing I'm really loving about working there though is the fact that even on 2 lane highways Texas has a 75 mph speed limit set.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Testing the angle and brightness of the headlight beams used to be part of the annual state inspection. They did away with that requirement, I don't know, 15 years or so ago.

Modern headlights never get out of adjustment, barring an accident. And many unscrupulous inspection stations were charging almost everyone for readjusting the beams when they didn't need it.

Now days, with all the super bright halogen, xenon, LED headlights, they all seem super bright, even on low beam.

 

[4011]

Seems to me everything is bright these days but me.

 

[Old TexMex]

What Bozz said^
And, Texas has a lot of pickups, amd the headlights are higher above the road surface. I haven't encountered the "non dimming" behavior. I have been flashed more than a few times while I had low beams on, in both my F150 and Subaru Crosstrek.
The "Drive Friendly" campaign includes moving to the shoulder lane to allow drivers to pass. Unfortunately, there are states where that's against the law, probably because their roads aren't as good as Texas hwys. Snowbirds tend to earn the title "roadbinder" when they generate a long line of traffic by not easing it over and letting the people on their way to work go on.

 

[mrchuck]

On my pick-up,I have mounted on the rear bumper, 2 "back-up lights which are halogen road lamps.
Super bright for backing up in really dark places.
Also, sometime used when one of these drivers drive up on my bumper and flash their high's on.
They drive around e giving me the thumb's up!

 

[Tinhack]

Or... It could simply be that everyone had a trunk full of luggage and/or gifts that caused the front to lift and lights shine high.

Note: Most Texas Safety Inspection Stations don't check headlight alignment anymore. Especially in rural areas. If the lights come on, it passes.

 

[LVSteve]

Modern headlights never get out of adjustment, barring an accident.

Assuming they were set properly at the factory. Recent experience has shown that isn't necessarily so.

 

[the ringo kid]

We do that so you won't think about moving here.

In Steve's case--we can make an deferment.

 

[the ringo kid]

Went to Texas for Christmas. Driving about at night I noticed that it seems to be a requirement to have badly adjusted (too high) low beams or failing that drive with high beams on permanently. Wish they gave you a guide to local customs at the rental car counter.

Also--get used to the world's worst drivers while your at it.