I can't drive at night

[Ilovechintz]

Just got home from seeing a friend, journey took much longer as I had to keep slowing down because oncoming lights of traffic were blinding me.

Last year I have not liked driving at night, this evening was first time in a few months and it seemed so much worse. Anyone else feel like this?

I was on the A303 and A358 which I found hardest, then on the M5 which was ok.

I have astigmatism and had no idea that it was a factor in finding headlights too dazzling.

Yes, I agree, this needs sorting. After all the shouting, the point is, many many drivers are struggling.

I remember when driving was fun! And I never had super bright headlights - never needed them for town or country driving.

I do a lot of night driving and I think that there are a few different things going on.
.The lights on your car could be an issue.
One of the vehicles that I drive has hopeless lights, it’s a big 4x4 and the bulbs are all legal standard, but they just don’t penetrate the darkness well.
.The lights on other cars could be an issue.
Some cars have super powerful and absolutely blinding lights.
.How your interior mirror is set.
It can be really easy to forget to snap it into the night driving position and you end up with too much light hitting it.
. How conscientious a driver you are.
You see so many drivers hammering it in heavy fog or around blind bends. It’s like visibility doesn’t matter to them.
More careful drivers really do want to see where they are going.
. Badly lit roads.
Made much worse by lots of oncoming traffic.
Also made worse by dazzling security lights or flood lights near roads.
. Where your focus is.
Some drivers who seem to do better with night driving say that they mainly focus on the white line marking on their left.
This allows them to follow the contour of the road at a steady speed.
Other drivers hate doing this and prefer to scan the whole road and anticipate what other vehicles are likely to do.These are arguably the drivers who make better observations, but they struggle more in darkness.
. Eyesight.
A really variable thing.
I know a Surgeon with perfect eyesight and a top of the range car who hates night driving and a 84 year old with all sorts of eye problems in a tiny old car who drives everywhere at night!

Yes, I noticed this on recent trips on the M6, M4 and M5.

All the lights seem to be blindingly bright and permanently on main beam. A lot of them are that blue/white too, but theyre not as bad as the blinding white lights.

It reminds me of Christmas fairy lights, where once, there was a warm glow but now, theyre like surgical spot lights!

I had my eyes tested just the other day and theyre perfect (20/20).

I can't drive at night as I have severe astigmatism, and I don't feel safe.

In an emergency I could probably drive a mile or two if it was a road I use regularly but otherwise I simply will not consider it.

if you dont feel safe surely it makes sense not to?

Same. Bright, bright lights at eye height dazzle me. I can't judge how far or fast the cars are behind me so switching lanes is dangerous. Well-lit London streets are ok but otherwise I can't see the edges of the road, turnoffs or the road layout at junctions.
I hardly drive at night now.

We need gentler, lower headlights that light the road and don't glare into oncoming drivers' eyes and better, lower street lighting. (But I'll try the glasses as in winter it's virtually impossible to avoid the dark.)

I'm 38 and not keen. Do have astigmatism but my glasses are meant to correct it and I have anti glare on my glasses
Motorways I don't mind as much at night, I find them the easier to drive on
My car headlights do seem pathetic compared to other people (I have a 2014 Vw polo) so maybe that doesn't help?

Nope won't drive at night unless local. Used to in my salad days but nervous now. I don't believe in 'facing your fears shite!' I think best listen to your inner sensible.

I've started to hate it too, as of last year. I was reading up on perimenopause, and apparently it's a lesser-known symptom. This would tie in timings-wise for me. Also spoke with a friend the other week and she reported the same thing.

Don’t your glasses correct for it though?

I find that if I don’t drive at night for a long while I find it more difficult to adjust than if I do it regularly .

Don’t your glasses correct for it though?

No. I have varifocals with anti glare. I'm fine during the day. It's got worse the last few years. I'm picking up new specs next week but based on experience, there won't be much difference.

I wonder this too, I think the bulbs are brighter then they were and many cars are higher now so if your sitting lower the lights are in your sightline. Dipped headlights used to light the road surface back in the day. My eyes are definitely worse now though too

They dip to the level of the road? Not accommodating the height of a smaller car compared to a suv?

Ive wondered this a lot. I know they’re meant to self level but to what?

That's interesting as I saw an optician about this and he suggested switching to contact lenses as the anti glare glasses haven't helped me.

He also said it's worse for me as I have blue eyes, something to do with pupils contracting, has anyone else been told this?

Oh that's really interesting, maybe it's this for me too.

I agree that lights seem so bright these days...almost blinding.

I’ve had to pack in night driving, after ending up on the wrong side of the road approaching a roundabout. I just couldn’t see the lane markings. Thankfully there were no other cars on the road and I managed to correct in time, but still.

It definitely ties in with the menopause for me. Very annoying.

That's not what dipped headlights means. Dipped headlights is the term for ordinary standard lights. Most people drive around at night on roads without streetlights with their headlights on main beam. So that posters lights are automatically adjusting from main beam (angled higher) to dipped headlights (angled lower) when they sense an oncoming car. But if she's driving an SUV the headlights will still be in the eyeline of anyone driving something smaller. The headlights aren't actually lowering their position on the car, they're still going to blind people.

I'm 38 and have this problem. I only passed my driving test in 2021 and it's been like that for me since I started night driving. I wear contact lenses and have astigmatism. I'm due an eye test soon so I'll mention it when I go.

I have a pair of these too. I’m still not keen on driving at night especially if it’s raining but these do help.

Get an eye test. You could have an astigmatism.

I struggle with it too. I find turning the rear view mirror so I can't see it helps. Then I don't get blinded from the car behind. I use the wing mirrors instead.

I hate driving in the dark and although I sometimes have to I'm never relaxed . I feel headlights are brighter especially on new cars, there's so much traffic on the road now and I also think councils are not lighting the roads as much which does give a bit of respite from pitch black . I also have noticed less people dipping their full beam when they drive which can be dazzling .
Hate it