Yes, today's headlights and taillights are quite blinding and are probably overkill on a multi-use path. However, I know for a fact that they have saved my life at least once on the open road, when a texting teenager caught my Metro 150 blinking in the corner of her eye and steered back into her lane. There and then, I decided I can live with having to look away when another cyclist's lights bother my eyes a little.