LED headlights are headache for motorists who seek a fix

QThere may be new LED headlights that are significantly brighter than standard headlights, but I don’t think brightness is the problem. I am more likely to believe that it is poor alignment. I have purchased four off the lot, brand-new vehicles, two of which had poorly aligned headlights. In some states, an annual safety check is performed on all vehicles. I propose: • Headlight adjustment be performed as part of the biannual emissions check.

• A voluntary self-check be performed with reflective standards on walls of auto shops.

• More aggressively, a law be passed that if the following vehicle’s headlights produce a shadow of a safety officer’s head and shoulders, then it is too high and should be realigned.

— Donald Lamos, Redwood City A Donald, you have a legion of supporters and some good ideas recommended by mechanics.

Q The problem with modern, high-intensity headlights is that many passenger vehicles have headlights roughly 24 to 30 inches from the ground. Fairly low.

However, on SUVS and pickups, the headlights can be, and often are, much higher — sometimes 48 to 60 inches from the ground. That means that those headlights must be aimed more steeply downward. Usually, they are not.

To make things worse, SUVS and large pickups are more frequently equipped with very bright headlights, and they often carry heavy loads that tilt the beams even higher into oncoming drivers’ eyes. — Karl Auerbach, Santa Cruz

A I turn to Jeff-the-carman, who says: “This issue is a combination of both very bright headlights and poor headlight alignment. Very few places actually align headlights because the demand for that service is so low. The only time headlight alignment certification is required is when reregistering a car that had previously been declared a salvage vehicle.

“Law enforcement does not typically cite for misaligned headlights. Heck, there isn’t enough staffing on the roads to cite for not using turn signals, illegal window tinting, missing front license plates, tailgating, etc. I wouldn’t hold out much hope on headlight alignment.

“Even though I’m far from a fan of additional government regulation, I love the idea of a more comprehensive vehicle verification, whether annually or alternate years.”

Q How about a compromise? The right-side headlamp can have the super-bright, while the left a standard bulb. The road edge will be highly visible, and the oncoming cars will not be blinded. Not sure if this would work, but it would be interesting to test. — Ann Foster, Santa Rosa

A Your idea is not recommended.