Are headlights getting even brighter or is it me?!

[Riskyrice]

Dear god, the season of night driving is always bad, but it seems headlights are getting even worse? Driving home just now was like being attacked by hundreds of torches right in the eye! I've still got white spots.

I do wear glasses and have mild astigmatism, but it's getting to the point where it feels borderline unsafe to drive at night. Is there anything I can do to reduce the dazzling?

I’m not sure who Mildred is and what she’s done in her Hyundai to upset @jaundicedoutlook so much. Poor Mildred she was probably only coming back from Tesco or something.

I drive an old Land Rover Defender and still get dazzled by oncoming cars headlights. Modern cars do seem to have extremely bright lights. I also get this strange thing going on if a dazzling headlight car drives too close behind me that their light beam shines underneath my car and effectively cancels out the effect of my own headlight. Weird and horrible, not to mention possibly dangerous on unlit roads.

Some regulation has to be brought in. But I guess that won't happen until a good few of us die because we've been dazzled. Some lights (and I include brake lights) are so bright you can't see the indicator. I'm an epileptic driver so dark driving really makes me anxious, see also those ridiculous flashing lights that cyclists have.

I believe that a group of taxi drivers started a petition to put a limit on how bright headlights could be but unfortunately it didn't get anywhere.

They are really dangerous. I also live rurally where there is no streetlighting, and I am regularly completely blinded by oncoming traffic, I try not to drive when it is dark.

They definitely have got brighter. There was a campaign about this a couple of years ago. I sometimes have to put my visor down

[quote IreneSmith]@anon12345678901

I think its because there is a lot of hate for SUV's on MN, lol. No idea why.

Despite the fact that a lot of SUVs are usually shorter than modern saloon cars, and are usually a similar width (maybe 1-5 cm more at most). E.g. BMW 3 series is longer than a Volvo XC60.[/quote]
There was a whole other thread on SUVs which set out the problems with them very clearly.

Yes OP, the white lights are brighter and something needs to be done about them.

@teaandtoastwithmarmite

They definitely have got brighter. There was a campaign about this a couple of years ago. I sometimes have to put my visor down

Unfortunately I’m too short for this to work.

I did try pp’s dad’s trick re looking down and to the left. And it did actually help but it strains my eye muscles as I just wanted to look at the bright lights!

@teaandtoastwithmarmite

They definitely have got brighter. There was a campaign about this a couple of years ago. I sometimes have to put my visor down

I'm short so my visor is never up. I need a visor on my visor

I still spotted the falling tree coming down and emergency braked with 10m to spare despite my visor habits!

@BogRollBOGOF

I need a visit for my visor too. Even with the seat at highest setting!

@ChessieFL

How does keeping your distance from the car in front help with the headlights of cars coming towards you?

I'm glad it's not just me 🤣

Yes,some cars do have very bright headlights,, even magnified if you wear glasses.. I have a clip on thing that goes on the sun visor. that is a bit tinted, usually for low sun in the summer, it comes down past the normal visor a bit, so takes the edge off very bright oncoming lights.

I think they are. Especially range rovery type things that are so high up. When they are behind me and I look in my rear view mirror I'm blinded.

@GreenLunchBox, @ChessieFL
My comment about tyres to tarmac helps with brake lights, not oncoming traffic. Looking to the left and visor down is helpful for incoming. It is a pain!

Over the last 3 days I’ve driven around 300 miles - mainly motorway.
In the interest of research I checked what make of car had too bright lights.
Audi
BMW
Mercedes
were the consistent offenders.
And especially SUVs.

Audi’s were painfully bright.

To add annoyance there was an ad for Halfords on the radio saying to get brighter bulbs for winter