A driver took to Reddit to vent about the size of modern trucks — especially the position of their headlights — and how they can create dangerous situations.
In the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, the user showed themselves parked directly across from a newer truck model, with the headline "All these new truck headlights are eye level in my wagon."
"These new truck headlights are one of the most mildly infuriating things ever," they said, "Not only are they brighter than ever, they are fkn eye level to anyone not in a big ass truck. Dangerous."
Sure enough, a parked truck's headlights were directly in the middle of the poster's windshield, creating the potential for blinding the driver if they were on the road.
The continued growth of trucks has been a major issue in recent years. Rather than getting smaller and more efficient, pickup trucks have been swelling and getting heavier, making them far less efficient than their predecessors. But on top of the environmental impact, these massive trucks are just plain unsafe.
According to a Consumer Reports study, modern pickups have significantly worse front sight lines, with blind spots big enough to hide pedestrians and even smaller cars. In fact, an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report showed that vehicles with higher front ends and blunt profiles — like, say, a modern pickup truck — are 45% more likely to cause fatalities in collisions with pedestrians.
They are the subject of the ire of other drivers as well, being mocked for their size, criticized for their inability to fit in parking spaces, and called out for the danger they pose to pedestrians.
The commenters on this post were quick to join in the criticism.
"It sucks so bad we've hitched all our transportation to autos and they're so poorly regulated we're in an arms race with other drivers," one commenter lamented after someone noted they'd been forced to get a bigger car just to be safe on the road.
🗣️ Which of these factors will be most important to you when you make your next car purchase?
🔘 Cost 💰
🔘 Performance 💪
🔘 Appearance 😎
🔘 Environmental impact 🌎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"I hate that the Federal Government let this fly by," another said. "I just experienced that last night with a SUV at eye level behind me. Lit up the whole interior of my car. It's so stupid!"
"I drive a low car and it sucks. They're always aimed right at me," a third Redditor wrote.
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