Motorway is pitch black

I think it's good. Light pollution is extremely bad for the environment and wildlife, and there must be huge savings in energy costs.

Then there is actually quite a significant proportion of people who drive with full beam on when they shouldn’t. I don’t buy the whole brighter modern headlights are the problem thing - I know when a light is pointing directly at my face..

I know, I can’t (or perhaps that should be can) believe the number of posts suggesting to put full beams on. I’ve driven on motorways in the wee small hours every day of the week. There are always other vehicles in my experience. You’d be dipping them every few seconds, assuming you are aware about not dazzling other drivers.

It’s against the law and the Highway Code to use full beams in the way these posters have advised. For the law, it’s The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 regulations 24 and 27. Effectively you’re causing a headlamp to be used in a manner that will cause undue dazzle or discomfort to others.

Highway Code Rule 114:
You MUST NOT

• use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users…

I started driving in the 1970s and headlamp alignment has been part of the MoT for as long as I can remember.

The parameters for checking it were changed slightly in 2016. No new equipment was needed.

Headlight alignment has been part of the MOT test since 2016.

I suspect the worst offenders are the brand-new cars which are MOT exempt and therefore not actually checked until they are three years old.

I agree. On this stretch the lack of lighting, broken cat’s eyes and worn lines means it is very difficult to see a decent distance ahead. So it is difficult to see which way the road goes and all the junctions.

It is a spot where many people suddenly slow down in the dark as at 70mph they can’t see their required lane or junction in time. Others flick their full beams on in a panic. The slowing down and full beams create their own issues. Several posters have pointed out that you should slow down if you have an issue, but obviously on the motorway that is less than ideal.

I’m smiling wryly at the poster who has a car with lane monitoring alarm “cars have lane alarms now (sic)” and is so busy in their own world that they haven’t considered that that’s not the case for many drivers. Similarly, the amount of posters mentioning the super headlights that cars have these days- firstly not everyone has a newer car, and secondly these headlights are part of the problem!

I'm quite happy driving on unlit motorways except just after parts that are lit. Changing from well lit to unlit is more challenging.
I'm 71, and have always found this, even when driving 60,000 miles per year for work

I find this far less of a problem on motorways than other roads, because there’s more separation. You can always stay over in the slow lane and you don’t have to deal with it at all.

For those saying that motorways have never been lit, I’ve just driven on the M6 north from Birmingham and there’s definitely lampposts all the way until just before J12 but they weren’t all switched on. I think op was referring to this stretch of motorway. There’s junctions every couple of miles, it’s relatively busy and you’re mainly joining from built up areas with streetlights so the darkness is noticeable. I know it so well that it doesn’t bother me but I can see how it could affect drivers who don’t use it frequently.

I reckon a fair proportion of the people who don’t have a problem with driving at 70mph on a completely unlit motorway have headlights set at a high enough angle to blind other car drivers…

I agree - people who blind others with poorly adjusted headlights should have more self-awareness. Can checks of headlight angle not be made as part of a car’s service or MOT, so that they can at least be set at an appropriate level for the vehicles when not fully loaded (ie the majority of the time)? Tbh, I think some people are so stupid, they don’t even realise they can adjust the angle themselves.

I don’t like it in the dark either . I think it’s because on coming traffic has lights so blinding in the dark yet seem less stark when the motorway is lit .

That's just bad driving. It doesn't mean every stretch of road in the country should be illuminated.

I'm sure this is true for some but I think a lot of the people who appear to have their full beams on are in fact just driving modern cars with poorly-adjusted ultra-bright LED headlights. Ex-H had a Tesla and we realised the first time he drove it at night that the dipped headlights were set way too high, and were dazzling onlooking traffic. He adjusted them but I think a lot of people don't realise or don't care.

Except that a lot of people don’t dip them. I reckon the always-full-beam plonkers are probably the same people who are always-middle-laners - they just can’t cope with being expected to be alert and capable of responding to changing situations.

Yes this, it was so predictable, not to mention the 'OMG, get off the road if you're falling asleep at the wheel' response to me highlighting the fact that motorway driving is well known for having whats called in the trade highway hypnosis as an effect.

Be alive to it, or you wont be alive.

Denying that motorway driving at night has this effect or not knowing about it is dangerous.

Obviously you dip them when there is an incoming vehicle. This is basic stuff.

Agree with most other posters. You have headlights!

Also motorways have always been dark except for major junctions and interchanges. We definitely don't need more light pollution!

This. Lights used to be unsual.

And that the gem of advice is "just put your full beams on" and dazzle drivers coming in the opposite direction.

the inevitable slew of "you shouldn't be on the road" posts from the more experienced than thou brigade

Haha I love this. I do find on MN that there's a view that everyone should be able to drive and it's rubbish not to. But also, everyone who drives (therefore, everyone) should be a naturally brilliant driver in all road conditions, or you "shouldn't be on the road". But then you would be a rubbish non-driver.

Its been 17 years since they did this. If the OP has not noticed they probably should not be driving

Have you tried switching your headlights on?

I drove recently on a dark motorway when the mist came down suddenly, proper bounce your headlights back mist. It wasn’t my driving capacity that terrified me but the people still doing typical motorway speed in the blindness. Probably not even 50% used fog lights either. Genuinely shook me up. I slowed down myself, but then realised the risk of being hit was probably higher than hitting anyone.

My friend's son wrote his car off hitting a bull that had escaped from a field late at night. When the police turned up, they were livid with the farmer. They'd warned him 3 times about the bull getting out.

I regularly drive across the Ashdown Forest, where there are loads of deer. One thing I've learned is that if you see one, there are bound to be more following behind, so I always slow down as soon as I've seen one.