To think night driving is getting more dangerous

I thought it was my eyes that had deteriorated so badly as night driving has become so problematic. And when there's rain and it's dark I go blind. Severos times I've had to stop the car. And I avoid motorway driving in the dark now.

‘They terrified me’ (of cyclists and scooter-riders) - what does this MEAN??? Obviously you aren’t genuinely afraid of them - they have no way of inflicting hurt on you, while you, safe in your metal box, can kill them.

what you mean is ‘they startled me and reminded me that when Im driving I’m doing something that has the potential to cause tragedy; I don’t like that reminder; I’m going to blame someone else.

HID or led headlights are automatically adjusted by the car, the little thumbwheel that is used to adjust the lights down if you have passengers and/or extra weight in the back is fitted to cars fitted with older halogen type lights.

The stickers are to alter the direction of the beam so that youre safe to drive on the opposite side of the road.
The EU also has and runs cars with LED bulbs, so there will be the exact same thing happening over there.

It's not the headlights that are causing daily issues, it's the brightness of the "normal" lights.

Totally agree op, I think people should be made today wear something luminous at night and car headlights dimmers.

It's incredible that as soon as you get on a ferry you have to put special stickers on but here any laser like lights are apparently OK

If they can impound a car because of no tax/MOT/insurance, then bikes/scooters shouldn't be a problem

Bikes, scooters, and motorcycles can be hidden indoors. It's harder to do that with cars.

All cyclists/scooterists/e-cyclists must always wear some form of reflective clothing, either top or bottom half, that is easily visible and not covered up (by a backpack/just eat food-box etc)

When cars are required to be luminous yellow and fitted with back-reflecting panels, I'll accept that argument.

There's a lot of drivers out there who can't even not hit something luminous yellow and shiny, as these bollards found out. It's the driver's responsibility to use their eyes.

All cyclists/scooterists/e-cyclists must have have sufficient lights (both front and back, provide more than adequate light to the direction of travel, and are clearly visible to others) on their bike/scooter/e-bike

This is already law.

All cyclists/scooterists/e-cyclists must always wear a helmet

Helmets don't work properly at typical road cycling speeds, they don't protect the rest of the cyclist, and they don't make the motorist less likely to hit the cyclist.

These modern headlights are so dangerous. There was a debate about it on Jeremy Vine. I agree too about pedestrians and cyclists. I avoid driving at night at all costs.

Yellow overglasses go over your prescription glasses.

I really think there needs to be a law restricting headlights because they are becoming so dangerous.

Perfectly reasonable.
Although some genuinely do seem to believe that those with LEDs should embrace being deliberately blinded by actual headlights (which are more potent than running LEDs) as some sort of self flagellation for <checks notes> driving a road legal vehicle that cannot be modified to suit those with more delicate dispositions.

LEDs blind me too, you learn to deal with it.

I agree. These new style lights are blinding. I find them painful. Also where I live the white lines on the road never seem to be repainted and are difficult to see at the best of times, let alone when someone is coming in the other direction with blinding headlights. We were taught at driving school to focus on the white lines at the edge of the road if we were blinded by oncoming headlights but that doesn't work any more either!
One problem here is that people drive with their full beams on all the time and don't put them down even when flashed at. I don't know if it's people just being selfish twats or if it's people with headlights on automatic and the automatic sensors don't react appropriately to oncoming headlights and dip the full beams.
Something really needs to be done about this because it is very dangerous. I think that automatic headlights should be banned - at the very least for full-beam/dipped, but preferably for all lighting - if people are not capable of operating headlights themselves, eg. switching them on for going through tunnels, at dusk, full-beam/dipped, then they should not be driving at all.

Completely agree!!

Headlights are ludicrously bright these days and dark clothed pedestrians everywhere without a care in the world!

It's frightening!

I was fully in support of the changes to the law in respect of drivers/cyclists/pedestrians etc. but they didn't go far enough. The following should have also been made law.

All cyclists/scooterists/e-cyclists must always wear a helmet
All cyclists/scooterists/e-cyclists must always wear some form of reflective clothing, either top or bottom half, that is easily visible and not covered up (by a backpack/just eat food-box etc)
All cyclists/scooterists/e-cyclists must have have sufficient lights (both front and back, provide more than adequate light to the direction of travel, and are clearly visible to others) on their bike/scooter/e-bike

Failure to comply with the above would mean the police can impound your bike/scooter.

If they can impound a car because of no tax/MOT/insurance, then bikes/scooters shouldn't be a problem

This doesn't solve the issue of LED lights on cars, but at least it would make these road users more visible to those in cars.

Headlights are too bright, and energy saving street lights are too dim. There are a couple places near me that still have older style lights, and the difference in visibility is really noticeable. Poor road markings and more street furniture just adds to the problem. I try and avoid driving in the dark as much as I can now. I think it's really difficult to see pedestrians and cyclists (even ones with lights) in poorly lit streets. We do have a lot of deliveroo cyclists who seem fond of dressing in black, having no or poor lights, and like zigzagging through the traffic which doesn't help either.

Then there are those who have SUVs and should in my opinion have to pass a test in one before owning one (most would opt for a smaller car than another test I think).

I drive an SUV and would consider myself a good, safe driver. I have been driving 12 years and never an accident, speeding ticket or anything. I can park my car safely and sensibly within spaces and know how much space I take up.

After reading this thread, I paid attention to the number of cars with bright headlights on the way home and it was actually saloons and hatchbacks that were blinding me.

@Carnewb

There's nothing I can do about it, I'll say it again, if someone flashes me because they think I've got main beam on, I will quickly flash back so they know I haven't.

Think we will just have to agree to disagree.

Around 25% of people are unfit to drive, some through medical reasons, others by conduct. Then of the 75% there are those who have not had a recent eye test and are more likely to suffer from limited night vision than in the daytime. Then there are those who have SUVs and should in my opinion have to pass a test in one before owning one (most would opt for a smaller car than another test I think).

YANBU OP.

Mine cannot be adjusted. Believe me I have checked at the main dealer.

This is why all round inc windscreen tints are becoming more common in modern cars. To mitigate glare and improve privacy.

My only useful suggestion at the moment for those who do find that they are blinded on the roads would be putting a (legal) tint on the front screen if they are seriously concerned.

This is bearing in mind that as yet legislation doesnt exist, and LED/Xenons are staying indefinitely.

Yes ⬆️

Yes the superbright lights help the driver of that vehicle see better if the road is dark and unlit - but my beef is that in town with streetlights that is not needed so much.
As a pedestrian I walk along city roads in the dark and oncoming cars blind me as their lights are just at my eye level.

I can see to walk on the lighted streets without a torch - there is no reason why a huge SUV needs eye-blinding superbright headlights that light up the entire 2 lane road (and pavement).

To see or to be seen? Both. Preferably without one blinding the other in the process.

Yes I get that. But that’s my point. Unintended consequences to other road users. Manufacturers and legislation should take into account impact on oncoming road users.

Because cars are designed with drivers in mind, and LEDS make for better visibility.

Re adjusting the headlights, DH looked up how to do it on our Discovery Sport but found the knob adjuster thing that was allegedly there, wasn’t on our car. I need to have a look myself in case he missed it.

I’m another one with an astigmatism and even with glasses I’m finding it really hard to drive at night, especially in the rain as PPs say.

i also run a lot in the dark at the moment (marathon training) and always wear hi viz and a light front and back; the front one can be dipped down so hopefully I’m not dazzling anyone. However it really makes you notice how close to invisible other pedestrians can be - even at walking/ running speeds and with a light it’s really hard to see someone dressed all in black until you’re pretty close to them.

As an aside, our local Facebook page regularly has complaints about runners not wearing lights, but also about runners wearing lights so I can’t win!