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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to ban over-bright headlights

46 replies

mmmdonuts · 01/10/2013 21:31

AArrghhh it's that time of year again, when some drivers usually of the high-spec car-driver kind are complete dicks on the road and turn on their high beams when it's barely dark.

I am so tired of being blinded either in my rear-view mirror, or even worse, head-on. I know I shouldn't but I've had to tip up my rear-view mirror as seeing the beams there is so distracting and hurts my eyes - I can see the headlights perfectly well in the black reflection of the mirror from the roof, if that makes sense.

Why don't the highway police/council take more action on this? Some of the headlights are so dazzling you can barely see the road, and it would be one way of raking in money from drivers who can clearly afford to piss away money on stupidly bright xenon bulbs

OP posts:

Topseyt · 01/10/2013 22:08

I must admit that I don't have the best night vision anyway, and I find oncoming car headlights blinding whether they are on full beam or dipped.

I think that car headlights are getting brighter and brighter these days anyway. I get a complete whiteout from them and become disorientated on the road.

For that reason, I rarely drive after dark now. Good thing I am not big on the going out at night.

MidniteScribbler · 01/10/2013 22:09

I use my fog lamps at night on country roads because they illuminate the sides of the road and I can see the furry creatures hanging out in wait for me to drive past so they can take a leap out in front of me. If you've ever had a 200lb kangaroo land on your bonnet when you're going 100kms an hour, then you'll understand.

pointythings · 01/10/2013 22:10

Can I just add my piece about the drivers where I live (mostly Americans in left-hand drive vehicles they have shipped over from the US)?

Get your beams adjusted, will you? It's simple. You either buy stickers so that they throw correctly, or (if you're here for 2-3 years) get them adjusted by a mechanic. My eyesight and I thank you.

grimbletart · 01/10/2013 22:10

The blue font on that Lightmare site is the computer equivalent of blinding full beam! It hurts the eyes to read it. Perhaps it was deliberate....

MurderOfBanshees · 01/10/2013 22:11

It is a horrific website! Very 90's, but he is right about those xenon light being a nuisance.

nickelbabe · 01/10/2013 23:23

midnight I think most people mean rear foglights.
front fovlights are often called "drivers' lights" and are very useful as you say for unlit roads

whois · 01/10/2013 23:24

YANBU

Although I'm not sure the really bright ones are full beam - some of them are just really bright normal headlights.

Pisses me off on the bike as well as dickheads coming the other way in the bike lane with a super bright strobe light on the front. Great. We can see you. But you've just blinded everyone body else! Dicks.

Susten · 22/09/2015 21:01

Yes this is the time of the year when we must once again become accustomed to bright headlights. i find it necessary to stop when an oncoming car has these lights fitted. Its not just the boy racers with retrofits where bad adjustment is the problem - also new cars. I was told today the new BMWs headlights default to mainbeam and respond to to the headlights of other cars headlights to dip? Can this be true? If so what about pedestrians?

Andro · 22/09/2015 21:37

I knew about the rearview mirror adjustment because I learnt to drive in October...it was necessary to know for me but if you only learn in full daylight I can understand people not knowing.

Op, yanbu at all! Undipped lights and xenon bulbs are frankly dangerous.

OctoberCupcake · 22/09/2015 21:44

I agree, but please don't always assume! I drive a bog standard 6 year old Polo and the lights are ridiculously bright. The first winter I had it I was being flashed all the time; eventually I went to my garage and the guy manually adjusted them to point as far down as they will go (he had to take them apart to get them that low) which seems to have helped.

I still hardly ever have to use my full beam though.

Can I have a moan about people mini drivers mostly who leave their fog lights on all the goddamn time?? WHAT IS THE POINT?

margeys · 22/09/2015 21:54

There isnt a switch on my mirror.

Pipbin · 22/09/2015 21:59

Why are we waking up a 2 year old thread?

Bolograph · 22/09/2015 21:59

There isnt a switch on my mirror.

Some cars now have automatic dimming on the rear view mirror.

margeys · 22/09/2015 22:02

My car isn't fancy enough to have that. It is simply a plain mirror.

TheCraicDealer · 22/09/2015 22:03

They're probably running lights October. You can't turn them off. I got my car new in 2012 and spent the first two years being flashed at regularly and having rows with gate guards at army camps who thought I'd just made this legislation up.

Autumnnights1 · 22/09/2015 22:05

YADNBU. These cars with over bright, florescent almost, head lights are very dangerous.

sproketmx · 22/09/2015 22:05

Deffo. Though sometimes it's technology to blame. On my eh hubby's car it thinks it's human meaning it turns it's own lights on in the dark, puts beams on when it thinks it's really dark and puts window wipers on if it thinks it's raining. It's always putting beams on in multi car parks because it perceives them to be very dark and has smeared shite all over the window when it got sprayed in the slurry thinking it was rain. On saying that if someone behind me is irritating me I slam hard on the brakes and introduce them to my tow bar

LumelaMme · 22/09/2015 22:07

Number 1: I thought I was having problems with bright headlights because my eyes are getting old and knackered. It's a relief to know it's not just me (and DH, whose eyes are also getting old and knackered).
Number 2: Little switch? On the mirror? That's my mission tomorrow. sure you're not all making it up?

mygrandchildrenrock · 22/09/2015 22:16

It's not so much a switch as a little tiny lever. I honestly think all cars have it. Just been told by OH it's proper name is an anti-glare lever.

sproketmx · 22/09/2015 22:18

It's underneath the mirror. Not all cars have it. My old escort never so you just have to dunt it out your road a bit. I never use the rear view anyway

LadyLu87 · 23/09/2015 00:17

This makes me want to get stabby too (LOVE that phrase).

I ride a motorbike and every time this happens I have to actually take my hand off the levers I really need to be using (front brake and rev) to cover my eyes because its so blinding that it hurts, and I also can't actually see anything else. Really dangerous and ridiculous

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