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On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

Why are headlights brighter than they used to be?

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

WBUR

News, On Point, Daily, Npr, Talk Show

4.33.9K Ratings

🗓️ 2 January 2026

⏱️ 37 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If you feel like car headlights have gotten too bright, you’re not alone.

The National Highway Traffic Administration receives more consumer complaints about headlight brightness than any other topic.

How did this happen? And can we fix it?

*** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Transcript

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0:00.0

Support for this podcast comes from Is Business Broken, a podcast from the Marotra Institute at BU Questrum School of Business. A recent episode asks, are boardrooms ready for the new geopolitical reality? Stick around until the end of this podcast to preview the episode.

0:18.0

WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

0:30.6

Ladies and gentlemen, we found it. Even in these divided times, we have found the one thing I believe most Americans can agree on.

0:40.4

Those vehicle headlights are too damn bright.

0:46.2

Oh my gosh.

0:47.8

Finally, someone's bringing this up.

0:50.1

I thought I was the only one.

0:51.8

I thought something was wrong with my eyes.

0:54.6

I did not know there's a place I can go to complain about this.

0:58.1

My wife says, I talk about so much that it's kind of like

1:03.2

Brampa Simpson, like, shaking his fist at the cloud.

1:06.6

Why do they need to have six headlights on a pickup truck?

1:09.4

It's just nuts.

1:12.6

Abnoxiously bright.

1:14.4

Jeez.

1:15.4

It's like alien abduction levels of brightness.

1:18.4

The streets are like traveling Christmas trees.

1:21.3

The same effect as you would if you looked into the sun briefly.

1:25.0

They absolutely blind me.

1:26.8

Totally blinding. Blind. blinding. Blinded.

1:30.3

Blinded. Not to see the lines, the lanes, even for a split second.

1:36.3

I've had to slow down to 30 or 40 miles an hour. Drive with my head tilted to the side.

...

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