I am blinded by headlights when I drive after 4pm. Help

[Greedybilly]

I know it's really common these days to hate night driving/be blinded by headlights.
My question is has anyone tried those anti glare sunglasses and did they help?? Thanks

I feel the same as do many people I know. I really think it is the LED headlights. I do have astigmatism but my prescription hasn't changed for a long time and I wear contact lenses or glasses, but it's still too dazzling.

I've had astigmatism for years, but have never needed glasses (do for reading now, but still very good distance vision).

I've always been told that astigmatism is caused by having a slightly 'rugby' shaped eyeball, not that one eye is more short sighted than the other.

Astigmatism can be corrected by glasses even if your vision is otherwise unimpaired.

I have astigmatism and find driving with contact lenses a lot better than glasses and no headache after the drive home from work.

Better being told off online than killing somebody because you can't see where you're going, isn't it?

Seriously, you need an eye test before you get behind the wheel again.

It sounds like astigmatism. I have astigmatism and I don't need prescription glasses.

My glasses have a green tint thats anti glare. I also have astigmatism and I find it impossible to drive at night without my glasses.

My vision isn't bad, I was prescribed them purely for the night vision issues.

Absolutely you need to get your eyes tested and it wasn't snide but very direct and quite a helpful comment.

You don’t need to have any conditions with your eyes for this to be an issue, it’s because people have ridiculously bright LED lights and have the beams shining straight forward instead of dipped-
its seriously dangerous!

This is a known problem with some modern cars
Write to your MP
There was talk a while ago about car manufacturers using different bulbs to reduce the risk to oncoming drivers
There have been accidents because of this
tap to read

Rest of the article from Oct 2025

Agree
This is not a case of us all getting our eyes tested

I have astigmatism (in both eyes I think), and I have glasses costed with some anti glare stuff. All is fine until it’s rainy weather, and I do struggle a bit at night in that instance. I do however drive an SUV so whether that helps other lights not blinding me, with being higher up, I don’t know. Also very aware that I am likely part of the problem with my car 😅😂

A really good anti glare, and I keep aware and check my mirrors etc but my focus is more downward and I glance to
the hard shoulder or down to the white line when really dazzling lights are approaching.

im tall so sit higher in my tiny car (Fiat punto) and use the sun visor to keep the dazzle of oncoming lights out of my eyes if possible.
we have many motorways near me that no longer have lighting on them that I find much worse so I will often Choose a route that avoids motorways. I try to avoid peak
hours as well if I can.

yellow glasses and the like did nothing for me.

Someone once told me that the thing to do when you are faced with bright headlights coming at you is to look slightly towards the kerb instead of straight ahead. It does help.

A bit dangerous. You won’t see someone crossing etc in front of you.

Ok, but you're obviously driving again now and I imagine if you crashed into someone because you can't see properly they'd find that pretty unhelpful too.

First stop is optician as this is quite common if you need glasses , can remember the term for what it's called something to do with the lens being a strange shape so it makes lights at night stronger

I've always had to look at the kerb, I wear contact lenses for distance (-10) but have minor astigmatism and driving glasses to wear over the top which have a bit more correction, anti-glare and astigmatism correction and really help with reading road signs and markings. However even with these I get dazzled in my little low car. I don't want to buy a big car and it is a real PITA. I have a sight test every year and contact lens checks 2x so am fully up to date prescription wise but nothing completely sorts it.

I tried the yellow glare glssses and found them to be useless.

Since I’ve had my cataracts done in both eyes I can confidently drive at night and glare no longer bothers me.

Get your eyes tested!

It's not the car owner's fault though, is it? It's not like you have a choice of lights when you buy your car.

And no, I'm not one, I have a nine year old Civic, these lights are right in my eyes, I also have astigmatism, short and long sighted, floaters from previous torn retina and a hole in my macular. I'm legal to drive, but the lights are a real pain.

Myopia is caused by rugby ball shaped eyeballs.

Exactly. I put my full beams on when I come up against a particularly big glaring tank. If they’re going to make my life difficult, I’ll do the same to them!

I have an anti glare lense in my normal glasses and it is brilliant. I can now drive at night no problem at all.

Reassured to read here that I am not the only one. It’s worse in the rain too.

I’ve taken to avoiding any roads over 30ph as I can’t cope with the glare on dual carriage ways and driving at speed. I have to drive out of my way down a convoluted back route that adds 10mins to the school/college run as it’s the only way I feel safe driving at night.