To think night driving is getting more dangerous

They are flashing you because they're being dazzled constantly! Not just a quick flash! Try driving towards a car like yours on a wet night. You should be able to angle your headlights, and if you're constantly having people flash you, you should have learnt to do this a long time ago!
We have a normal sized car and a 4x4. The ONLY reason we have a 4x4 is because we tow horses and we angle our lights down towards the road. Absolutely pointless having bright daft lights and shining into eyes. They're not lighting the road. Learn how your car works.

Glad it’s not just me

I echo the LED headlight complaints but also what a PP said about the shiny road surface. Here in Glasgow, the roads have been left to crumble since lockdown and if the council deigns to fill in the craters, the repairs are being completed using the cheapest, shittiest tar you can imagine. The resurfaced roads are so shiny, any rain hides the road markings but also reflects every streetlamp, traffic light and headlight so it's twice as dazzling. For anyone familiar with Mario Kart, I laughed at a meme that said it's like commuting via Rainbow Road.

On my way to and from work, there are lots of stretches with no streetlamps and the pavements are further shaded by overgrown trees and bushes, so pedestrians are invisible until you're right behind them. It's even worse when the temperature drops because the pavements around here are never gritted, so people dressed head to toe in black walk on the road instead.

Yes. Led white lights are more bright and dazzling. Though technically they are within regulation. I think it’s to do with intensity and wavelength.

There are certainly a lot of people who find headlights too bright, both on this thread and IRL.
My current car, and last car both seem to have bright headlights because it seems every time we drive of an evening, someone starts flashing furiously when the full beams aren't on.

Are headlights brighter than they used to be?

*lights

** have

The manufacturers can reduce the intensity of less if they choose to or instead of having the intense white gabe a more yellow tone or alter the shape of the headlights to reduce intensity.

Problem is that led headlights are billed as a safety feature to the driver of that vehicle without regard to oncoming vehicles.

How has it got to the point where consumers are complaining en masse about the safety of a product, that has escaped the scrutiny and attention of governments and regulators in Europe and beyond. It’s unbelievable, it really is.

Ive been complaining about blinding LED car lights for 3/4 years and it seems half of mumsnet have too… so why hasn’t anyone done anything about it yet?!

Shall we start a mumsnet campaign??

The more dangerous your vehicle, the greater your responsiblilities on the road.

It's OK to call for more restrictions on pedestrians and cycliests IF you are prepared to accept a whole bunch of extra restrictions on motorists.

I can think of a few: Lowering the bar for losing your license, and keeping people from driving again for much longer periods. Compulsory regular tests after age 70 or 75. Raise the minimum driving age to 18. Ban on under 21s driving in a car with other under 21yos in it. Vehicle tonnage tax high enough to motivate people to switch to the smallest possible vehicle for their needs. Much tighter speed limits everywhere. More speed cameras everywhere. Legal consequences if you are caught driving while fatigued beyond a certain level...

It's a global problem. Europe, America, Asia etc. They're all mostly going to be the same vehicles, so they're going to have the same LED headlights.

What is happening in other European countries? Surely this can’t just be a UK problem?

Oh yes this is so annoying. Someone just round the corner from me does it and he is in a transit van so the lights are high. It is really blinding.

Are cats eyes no longer being installed?

Also please if you have stopped to wait for someone but aren’t moving. Switch the lights off. Don’t leave them on whilst the car is stopped. It blinds others and it’s really annoying.

Sirzy, so like the pp said you're terrified of hurting them, not of them

Cries in astigmatism too!! I hate driving at night and even more so if it's raining heavily

Thesnakecharmer, so yes to cars, no to joggers?

Agree. I drove today for longer than I normally do and ended up so stressed and grumpy mainly cuz of the highlights blinding me

If the argument us about visibility, what have helmets got to do with it?

We need more and more Street lights and cat eyes too. Some pedestrians have a death wish!!!!!

Well I’m glad of this thread as I thought it was me! As others have said, the state of the roads is also a contributor. Where there are newer cats eyes, both central and at the side, it’s very noticeable how much better it is.

I also hate drivers flashing their lights on full beam to acknowledge/thank you for something. Why is blinding you supposed to be something good? I wish there was a campaign to stop people doing it at night.

I turn my lights to side lights for a second at night to acknowledge people, just as effective but without the danger.

It definitely has got worse (I sure that it's not just me getting older). I miss the cats eyes. The new car headlights are blinding, especially in the rain. My other bug bear is the amount of joggers near us, jogging along on the pavements whilst wearing really bright head torches and red flashing lights on their backs. If the road is on a slight bend, it looks like a bike or a vehicle on the road ahead. And then it transpires that it's a pair of runners jogging along on the pavement! It's just one more distraction that I don't need.

@VitoCorleoneOfMNMafia

My point was that if the Police identified any of my points not being adhered to, they could immediately impound the bike. How many cyclists have you seen without lights as required? I would say loads. And how many have you seen ever being stopped by the police for not having adequate lights? I would say none. It might be law, but it's not upheld by the Police.

When cycling I would also have a proper fitted helmet than none at all. It provides protection that could save your life. Go and work in an A&E dept and an ITU and see the effects of not wearing helmets has on those injured and their families like I have. You would then understand why I think it should be the law to wear them. The law changed for seat belts in cars and motorcycle helmets to be mandatory for good reason, one day we might do the same for cyclists.

No it terrifies me when i come across people riding their bike/scooter on dark roads dressed all in dark with no lights. My normal headlights only have a normal range of picking things up and the lack of them having lights means that I end up having to drive in a reactive rather than pro active way to miss them.

The idea of what could happen terrifies me, not because of my driving but because of their stupidity but even though I know I am doing everything right I would hate to hit someone.