Why are car headlights so blindingly bright now?

Glaringly bright, blue-hued headlights filled my hatchback earlier this year as I drove 80 miles an hour on the highway between San Antonio and Austin. The headlights shone so brightly that their reflection in my rearview mirror burned my eyeballs, causing me to look away from the road and rapidly slow down. The large luxury SUV behind me began riding my tail — causing an even more intense glare to engulf my car — before aggressively whipping around to pass me.

For a moment, all was fine.