Ridiculously bright headlights - AIBU or should they be banned!?!

[pooh2]

I drive a lot for work and as the nights have drawn in and I'm driving more in the dark I have noticed an increasing number of really bright headlights. I think they are LED ones? Some of them have a bluey tinge. I cam't understand how they are legal on the roads, they are way too bright for urban areas. Surely it's just not me who thinks this?

[ThePoloHole]

YES YES YES

I hate them

[Princesspond]

God yes, driving home the other night on dark roads I felt totally blinded.

[GlitterGlassEye]

Yes! I keep thinking I'm being flashed to pull over.

[DodoRevival]

No, not just you.

Especially bad if you're in a standard car and approaching dazzling headlight owning car is a big high up sort.

[Topseyt]

Not just you at all.

I have noticed this and I hate it. I hate driving at night because of the glare from oncoming headlights. They are definitely getting brighter and brighter, even on dip.

I look towards the kerb on my own side to avoid looking directly into them and always have to dip my own rearview mirror if one is behind me. I am still blinded by them.

They are dangerous. I am wondering whether or not to take the plunge and order some anti-glare glasses, if they would fit over the prescription ones that I need.

[bluetongue]

Are they worse than they used to be?

Hate driving at night as being dazzled by headlights is enough to bring on a migraine the next day. Don't even get me started on the misuse og high beams ....

[MissVictoria]

Are they Xenon headlights? really bright white lights with a blue tinge?
Those are pretty darn expensive bulbs, i mod my car in GTA with them because of how bright they are :P

[accendo]

Do they have a blueish tinge? If so they are called HID (high intensity discharge lights) there are laws that state that they must be self leveling so if you go over a bump they don't blind oncoming drivers. Our kia carnival platnium came with them, the models below the platinum don't have them as they are quite expensive.
www.caradvice.com.au/278125/headlights-explained-halogen-v-hid-v-led-v-laser/

[accendo]

The amount of brightness and light they throw out is amazing compared to our old car, very handy on dark rural Australian roads where roos and wombats are a very frequent and dangerous sight.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

They tried to flog me these as an upgrade on my new car. I said, "but they're awful and everyone hates them" car salesman, "but now it will be you pissing everyone off". I declined.

[Toadinthehole]

Hate them.

Very useful on rural roads at night but bloody stupid in towns - just like the SUVs they're fitted on.

I once got so completely blinded in an Auckland street by one behind me that I had to stop dead in the road. I literally could not see a thing.

[crje]

I've noticed them too
They are awful.
Very dangerous imo

[ThePoloHole]

I can't see how they are legal. Even on normal beam they are blinding

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Bright flashing bike lights also give me migraines so I don't understand how they're legal either.

[giantpurplepeopleeater]

YANBU.

I hate them.

I live fairly rurally, so not many street lights andlots of twisty roads and they can be very dazzling when you come up on them unexpectedly.

But then there are also a lot of people round this way that seem to think its cool/ appropriate/ acceptable to also have the front fog lights on ALL THE TIME. Its my bloody pet hate and I wish something could be done about it!

[Munstermonchgirl]

YANBU, I always suspect that drivers who go for this type of spec (i.e. Look after myself and sod every other road user) tend to be anxious/not very capable drivers.
It's like the bull bars that were all the rage a while back among people driving huge tanks round town and having no clue how to manoeuvre into parking spaces

[ClarissaDarling]

Bloody hate them! And I've already paid for the anti glare coating things on my glasses and they still bother me. Will have to look at the glasses thing mentioned up thread.

[thatdearoctopus]

Agree about the flashing bike lights. How are they allowed? I get that the cyclist wants you to notice them and, presumably, not crash into them, but I would say that that's infinitely more likely if a driver is blinded by the blasted flashes.

[RoganJosh]

I don't think the flashing bike lights are actually legal.

[ItsTimeForDuggee]

YADNU I used to love driving at night but now I hate it because of these stupid lights. If I have to drive in the dark long distance I now always end up with a migraine bought on by stupidly to bright lights

[NancyDonahue]

The worst thing is a high vehicle with the horrible bright lights driving too close behind my tiny car and when they go over bumps it looks like they're flashing

I got the night driving glasses as I drive every night. Although the yellow lenses do soften oncoming headlights, they make everything else darker so I rarely use them.

[dementedma]

I drive rurally on unlit roads and have neatly gone off the road twice after being blinded by people with those sodding ultra bright lights.

[ExitPursuedBySpartacus]

I thought it was my age.