If you're in the US and you've also been idly wondering why "I don't like to drive at night" has become such a common thing to say in the past few years, stand near to a modern LED streetlamp and block it with your hand. In about two thirds of a second, the whole road brightens up as your pupils open.

You're not just getting old; between over-bright streetlights, over-bright headlights of oncoming cars, over-bright instrument clusters, over-bright porch lighting, nobody can see in the dark anymore.

Just in the last decade we've made it much harder and more dangerous to drive at night. Oh, and we also gave up the stars.

@ifixcoinops The problem has indeed gotten worse. Five years ago, I was thinking the problem with the nighttime glare of car head and taillights was because of my aging eyes.No, it's because the lights got brighter.

When I am out inline skating after dark (which is often), I regularly have my left hand ready to block the light of an oncoming vehicles, and that includes the handle bar lights on many bicycles.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/05/business/led-hid-headlights-blinding.html

Blinded by Brighter Headlights? It’s Not Your Imagination.

The rising use of light-emitting diodes and the popularity of pickups and S.U.V.s have prompted complaints about the glare and intensity of headlights.

The New York Times
@roadskater trying to find bike lights for my wheelchair for nighttime safety that weren't ridiculously bright but still sufficiently lit far enough ahead of me was A TASK. Like no I don't need seven million lumens! (And it sure doesn't need to be angled at face height on purpose; alas sidewalk conditions.)
@ifixcoinops