Listen to “AAH #778 – Blinded by The Light? Gentex Tackles The #1 Driver Complaint” on Spreaker.
Part 1: Craig Piersma, VP of Marketing at Gentex
[00:03:45] – The Epidemic of Oncoming Headlamp Glare: Craig discusses the growing problem of “blue-white” LED headlamps and the height difference between SUVs and sedans, which increasingly leaves drivers blinded by oncoming traffic or trailing vehicles.
[00:05:12] – The Physiology of the Eye & Glare Recovery: An in-depth explanation of how the human eye reacts to sudden bright light. Craig explains that when the eye is “bleached” by intense headlamps, the chemical recovery of the retina takes time, creating a period of temporary blindness that is a major safety hazard, especially for older drivers.
[00:07:30] – Active Dimming vs. Passive Glass: How Gentex uses electrochromics to match the “dimming” speed with the human eye’s sensitivity, ensuring that the rearview mirror darkens just enough to protect the driver’s vision without losing detail of the road.
[00:22:15] – The Dimmable Sun Visor Innovation: Craig introduces a radical departure from the traditional “flip-down” flap. He explains Gentex’s electronic dimmable sun visor—a transparent panel that can be darkened on demand or automatically.
[00:24:40] – Selective Zone Dimming: A breakdown of how the dimmable visor can be segmented. Instead of blocking the whole view, the system can darken only the specific area where the sun is causing glare (the “Sun-on-Horizon” problem), allowing the driver to maintain full visibility of the road ahead.
[Part 2: Gary Witzenburg on Legends in Motion
Focus: Highlights from his latest book, “Legends in Motion: Inside Stories and Driving Adventures.”
[34:10] – Chronicling 40 Years of Auto History: Gary introduces his 11th book, Legends in Motion, a curated collection of his most significant articles and behind-the-scenes stories from decades of automotive journalism.
[39:45] – The “Golden Age” of Automotive Writing: Gary discusses the unique access he had to industry titans like John DeLorean and Carroll Shelby, and why these stories remain relevant to today’s professionals.
[51:15] – Adventures at the Nürburgring: Gary recounts his potentially treacherous driving experiences on the world’s most famous tracks, testing supercars for Playboy and other major publications.
[58:20] – The Human Element of Engineering: Why he chose to focus on the “visionary leaders” and personal anecdotes of engineers rather than just technical specifications, aiming to entertain both enthusiasts and industry veterans.
PANEL:
Craig Piersma, VP of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Gentex
Gary Witzenburg
Gary Vasilash, shinymetalboxes.net
John McElroy, Autoline.tv
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I’m glad someone else besides myself is shining a light on this VERY legitimate nighttime driving concern. There have been countless times when driving at night to and from my son’s AAU basketball practices 35 minutes away that a minor headache has morphed into a borderline migraine due to those insanely bright-@$$ oncoming lights. Cadillac Escalades used to be the only offenders, but now most car have them.
Please provide the improved eye vision glasses contact information as I have an Aunt that desperately needs help with her vision. Thanks
Gentex . . . thank you, thank you, thank you. LED oncoming glare for me has reached a point where I’ve stopped driving any distance at night. I would buy an aftermarket visor today if it were available. Personally I feel the current LED headlight situation is criminal and dangerous. I know you’ve been a leader in rear view mirrors for a couple dozen years.
And I second Ron’s request, I would look into it for myself even with 20/20 vision.
https://www.esighteyewear.com/
Not only are modern headlights becoming excessively glary, but the latest generation of road signs is as well. Many of them are so reflective that the light from other vehicles bounces back into the driver’s eyes, creating irritation and reducing visibility.