To think night driving is getting more dangerous

Bright headlights, dim street lights and poorly maintained road markings and cats eyes is just a perfect storm.

People always say about having an astigmatism but it isn’t that. I’ve had one all my life which is uncorrected by my contact lenses. Driving at night has become noticeable worse in the last few years. My astigmatism has not changed.

So true, have thought this myself. Headlights seem to be more blinding, too many young people on bikes, electric scoters with no lights weaving across the roads, someone up your arse wantinĝ to speed by you in weather conditions that for most of us would remind us to drive more cautiously. Used to quite enjoy driving at night in whatever conditions buy now extra wary and more stressed.

Just read all the way through the RAC article, it’s a bit wordy. This bit is interesting:

Government collision statistics shows that since 2013, there has been an average of 280 collisions a year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor. Of these, six a year involved someone losing their life. The actual number may be higher if an investigation was unable to determine whether or not a collision was directly or indirectly caused by the glare from another vehicle’s headlights.

Here is the petition, they buried it near the end! Not many people rushing to sign, it seems

That's the stupidest thing I've ever read.

Please don't do that.

I was 'knocked down' on a zebra crossing, on a retail estate so basically a big carpark (max 5mph) by a laughing man, a year ago. Although his van only grazed my leg and hip, I fell and broke my finger and wrist. I had four months in plaster, physio, the lot. I turned down an operation to further straighten the join, which had been 'manipulated' back into position. If you fancy some pain, try that one. I didn't 'step out', I was already on the crossing when he drove at me.

Please do not step out in front of drivers, especially if you don't think they'll stop.

Yes same here

It only seems to be this year for me

When cars with super bright lights go over a bump in the road it looks like they’re flashing you when they’re not

Yes I’ve noticed this too. There’s a particularly poorly located speed bump near me, just before a busy junction. I’ve seen people turn right across the path of an oncoming vehicle as they think the other car flashed them to go.

Headlights are far too bright these days, can't see a damn thing!! And when the driver flashes these dazzling headlights, I feel like I've had a sodding x-ray!! All I can see are the blood vessels in my eyes 🙄

I thought there was something wrong with my eyes in the last year or so - increased light sensitivity or developing cataracts or something. Headlights are so bright now, and worse on SUVs where the lights are higher up.
I notice it far more on rural main roads at night without street lighting. It’s getting to a point where I don’t really feel safe driving due to the oncoming headlights and high speeds.

I’m learning to drive and dread going out at night. The car I will be driving after my test has a weird windscreen that turns lights into stars anyway, so that plus being blinded will be really scary.

When cars with super bright lights go over a bump in the road it looks like they’re flashing you when they’re not, so I’ve stepped out in front of cars I thought were letting me cross the road. And in the car you just can’t see a person/animal/cyclist right in front of you which is so scary and dangerous. I don’t understand why this hasn’t been picked up as part of testing cars before they go on sale

The headlights are too bright. Particularly the new ones with strip across the middle in mainly suvs. I don't need to see it.

And don't get me started on main beam drivers on country roads who just keep them on, it's just dangerous.

I've been quite ill for the past 3 years so haven't been driving at all, wasnt out much and probably as a passenger wasnt paying attention. In that time we got a new car.

I've just started venturing out again and after 25 years of being a confident driver, I'm now a nervous wreck at night. The headlights from other cars are SO SO noticeably brighter in the 3 years I've been off the road that's everything said above is true. I'm dazzled by other cars, I know my car has the same headlights but they are shit to actually see with on dark roads.

You can buy them cheaply on Amazon if you don’t need a prescription.

If you do, you can order prescription lenses which are tinted yellow, for night driving. The yellow reduces glare from approaching headlights. Mine are varifocals and I keep them in the car.

The other day at night I saw a guy on an e scooter on the road, dressed in black, nothing reflective on, no lights. Unbelievable.

Also I've noticed so many delivery bikes ...they are always in a rush and taking risks.

Those bikes are a liability. Are they insured

I hate driving at night too and headlights are so bright

Walking2024, I'm a very good driver but I don't go around victim blaming more vulnerable road users

Avoid going out af night !

It doesn't surprise us, it physically hurts.

Round me I think its the fact that the streetlights don't emit as much light either. So the pedestrians dressed all in black step off the pavement and can't ve seen at all because they have stepped out of the tiny focused spot of light from the streetlamps. Before they switched to LED the street lighting would have shown them up even off the pavement, now pedestrians have to be directly beneath them to be seen.

Live very rurally so no streetlights or even cat's eyes on very narrow roads flanked by 'Cornish hedges' (stone walls hidden inside greenery) - modern headlights are pure hell, and that 'auto' setting doesn't kick in quick enough so you get a split second of painful blinding lights. I've had to come to a total stop a few times cos you just can't see anything at all!

Here's a link to the petition

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/653793

That RAC article quoted a high number of road users saying they found the lights too bright, but surely some of those answering have very bright lights themselves?

Agree that the issue of taller cars makes it worse for those of us in normal cars. And yes, for the poster who finds those of us in smaller cars hilarious, I drive a Corsa, because I can't afford anything else and even if I could, I care about the issue of car bloat (Google it) and what it does to our roads and the environment

Is giving a quick flash back a good idea?

I value being alive over being in the rught

Yes - headlights are too bright. For a while I felt like people were forgetting to turn off their full beams!

Also the street lamps are being switched off too to save money I imagine

I've noticed people speeding has become much much worse both in the day and at night. Night is worse though because I regularly have people cross I'm doing 30 in a 30 and at night they speed round you doing 50. No police or cameras about.

Cars have such bright lights now, including mine, that I no longer drive at night. Being constantly dazzled is exhausting and I don't want to kill someone.