Torie+D’s+OpEd+Article

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Now that I am driving, especially after the sun has set, I have discovered something that really, really bugs me: headlights. Or more specifically, high beams. I get it, driving to/from Ojai through the hills where there are no streetlights and the threat of animals running in from of your car does present a need for high beams, but don't they teach you in Driver's Ed that you turn the high beams OFF where you are like 300 feet (or something like that) when you are in front of/ behind another car?!? They call them high beams for a reason! They are insanely bright! Other drivers don't want to be blinded! I know I don't! What may be even more annoying than someone not turning them off at all is when someone has the decency to turn them off when they see you approaching, but they turn them back on when they are directly in front of you...AH I'M SEEING SPOTS!! Not only are they annoying, but they are potentially dangerous! Just last week I was driving home from Casitas at night in the rain. As anyone who heads to Casitas by exiting the freeway at Casitas Vista knows, you cross a bridge which is followed by a sharp blind turn with the only thing separating the road from the hill is a metal railing. That night I almost crashed into that railing because someone came flying around that corner with their high beams on and temporarily obstructing my vision and causing me to almost swerve in to the railing High beams+ tight turns+ rain+ darkness= disaster waiting to happen. Please people, don't run other drivers off the road, be considerate and turn off the high beams! ======