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.

Definitely worth trying the yellow tinted glasses. My husband drives long hours and swears by them for night driving. Hope they help you.

The RAC agrees - www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/nearly-one-in-four-drivers-think-most-car-headlights-are-too-bright/#:~:text=The%20full%20intensity%20of%20your,a%20significant%20road%20safety%20risk.

Bizarrely, I did the exact same route yesterday evening and thought the same thing. And it’s a route I know fairly well too.

I have this problem too. Some of the newer white car lights are too bright, they're blinding and dangerous, can't understand how they're allowed.

The tinted lenses, is it possible to get these with subscription glasses?

I won’t drive at night because my eyesight simply isn’t good enough, luckily I would rarely need to.

Automatically? The car dips the headlights or the driver?

Bit yes the problem is height of cars and ultra bright lights.

Me as well. If it's raining and the roads are unlit I may as well be driving with my eyes closed. Hence, I rarely drive in the dark anymore.

Common problem as you get older. I now wear glasses for driving and had an anti glare coating added. I even wear them as a passenger on long journeys at night as the glare makes me feel ill otherwise.

I remember my dad always wore clip on yellow lenses over his glasses many, many years ago.

@Soothsayer1 Yes I think you are right about not doing it until I work out why the sudden drop in ability/comfort level. like I say the last year I have started disliking night driving but still managed ok, but last night was first time I actually thought shit I can't do this, and considered staying at hotel.

At one stage it was so bad that coming off a slip road I almost went off the road to my left as I was dazzled and trying to get the centre white line on my left as I thought it was edge of road.

A PP listed many things contributing to it so I think I need to look at those, my car is an older model, but just sailed through MOT.

It is comforting to know I am not the only one, so thank you everyone who replied.

I also live very rurally like some others, and not driving at night would mean in winter I wouldn't even be able to go to the nearest supermarket which is 10/15 mins drive on unlit country road.

I am very fortunate that if it came to it I could get a newish second hand car so maybe the lights might be better. I guess I can dazzle everyone else then🙄

My car doesn't dip headlights automatically. It is up to me. Is it a recent thing?

@Wildernesstips Yes thats what frustrated me, I thought if im like this on a route i know what on earth am I going to be like going anywhere new!

You should maybe speak to your optician; astigmatism can be corrected by glasses, they may suggest a different pair for driving.

@RampantIvy My car doesn't as its an older car, so I have to lightly pull the lever towards me. Maybe its the same as yours?

If a car dips the lights automatically it will have 'Auto' lit up on the dash next to the headlight symbol. You can turn the feature off so you may have disabled it without realising.

Another one saying it might be cataracts. I developed fast growing ones in my early 50s. After surgery my eye sight is now perfect and night driving no longer a problem. I had no idea how bad my cataracts were.

Our car does it automatically.

I don’t think many people,drive with their high beams on, everyone coming the other way would be flashing them constantly.

@Gonegrey31 do you mind me asking if your day vision was affected at all?

is it the LED lights?
so bright
worse thing though still the potholes!

What’s the difference between self levelling lights and dipped lights?

when I’m driving on a dark road and there’s no other cars I put my main beam on then I turn it off when I see a car in the distance.
do some cars do this automatically?

I still think it’s the bulbs themselves bring too bright. In Halfords they sell ultra bright lights!

This is me also!

I had astigmastim and laser eye surgery. They are a call starbursts and haloes. It's horrible!

Some of the new "superbrights" headlights are awful. I find the worst are those really powerful cyclist lamps . They are so dazzling it's blinding.

@RampantIvy I've been had a car that automatically dips from full to dipped. It's a special feature in some cars -MIL does its and a fancy car.

Not necessarily. Auto in many cars just means that the lights come in when it’s dark.

High-beam assist is less common as it needs the car to be able to tell if anything is coming the other way, so it knows to dip.

They certainly seem to be , i get blinded by some in the daylight these days .
Like bloody search lights !

Yes so think it must be the lights themselves being too bright.

@WednesdaysNameIsFullOfWoe Ah I didn't realise this, makes sense though.
I sometimes drive a relatives car which automatically dips and I accidentally turned the feature off and thought the 'auto' corresponded to this.

I find this too and my eyes are fine as checked by opticians (due to family history of glaucoma not any eyesight issue).
for me I think it’s the relative height of me / my car and others. I’m short (5’2”) in a traditional car. Now most cars are higher their lights shine right into my eyes.
I also have a campervan and it’s not an issue in it.

I am 72,worn glasses for mild short sight from 30, for driving, watching TV. Astigmatism just means the eye is slightly oval shape instead of being round. I had one for years, now both eyes. Night blindness since my 40s. Only drive on well lit roads,or ones I know really well. Regular eye tests, because most people get longer sight over 40,and need reading glasses,my script improves each time. Over the years well known high street opticians sold me yellow glasses,anti glare lenses, night vision glasses. None helped. Then one suggested contact lenses, she put them in, I could see down the road....but couldn't read the packaging in shops,and worse, couldn't see the dials on the car dash! I have very pale blue eyes, the problem is slow reaction after pupils dilated because of glare,and rod and cone deficiency. I was persuaded by Specsavers to fork out for reaction lenses, when I went through trees in daylight they caused problems, they didn't reac quick enough. I found people didn't believe me, ironically I worked nights
Same route 15 years. Trick is to look at the curb with oncoming traffic. Yes,(DH vehicle tech) leds are much brighter.