To want leaving your lights on full beam to be an offence?

[stinkingbishop]

I just passed my test a few weeks ago so maybe I am hyper sensitive because I am still bricking myself every time I go out! Plus I'm not exactly tall, so people's headlights are in my exact field of vision.

But with these dark mornings and afternoons I have lost count of the amount of times I have been literally dazzled - ie the windscreen whites out and I can't see the side of the road/central line. It's really dangerous. It's quite rural here, with narrow and very windy roads, that are mostly (insanely I think) national speed limit.

Are they being lazy? Can they not be bothered to turn them off? Selfish? Do people just forget? My instructor (I'm doing Pass Plus) was saying the other problem is even if they're not on full beam, people who have the new halogen lights are blinding enough anyway, particularly if they're raised because of being on a hill.

Or AIB an unreasonable newbie driver?

I had my first road rage as a result yesterday. I shouted 'pillock!' v loudly. Gosh he must have been quaking in his driving shoes .

Well if we're allowed to moan about pet peeves when driving...
People who brake whenever they approach or pass oncoming traffic. WTF is that about? it's like they panic that a head-on collision is imminent (every time).

And lots of people with only one working headlight or one working rear light. The other day in fog I wanted one of these to definitely use her fog light since regular lights were half gone.

I learned to drive in the dark (autumn birthday) and I still find it easier in some ways. I don't mind main beam as much as flashes, but it is antisocial. Where I used to live, they definitely would pull you over for leaving main beam on ... but I know that mainly because I used to do the mercy pick-up for my drunk little brother at 1am, and you do get pulled over a lot in that situation!

find it weird that you can 'forget' they is a big blue light on the dash that comes on!

there are so many anti-social car lights that blind, worse if 4x4s who drive right close illuminating the whole car. i'd ban them

My fuel light comes on when about 85 miles to go to empty. I find it really easy to forget that because it's just so blooming meaningless about when I really need to fill up. It's like I'm being trained to ignore it.

I drive a BMW (13 years old) and i get flashed at all the time at night - presumably because my normal headlights look as if they are on full beam. I have the beam directed down as far as it will go.

My only way i've found around this is to drive with my half beams plus fog lights on. 99% of my night time driving is around country lanes and i can see the road fine like this, others can see me and i seem not to get flashed at.

So if you see me, that's me with my fog lights on. I can't win!

DH's Merc has self adjusting headlights which don't dip as soon as I would have done. They're horribly bright too. People must hate him in the dark.

AIB an unreasonable newbie driver

Well basically yes - a little bit.
The more night driving you do the more confident you will become.
Use a very good quality screen wash and keep your windscreen as clean as poss - a lot of dazzle and glare is accentuated if your screen is greasy and smeary.
You'll be fine - and as for the 'road rage' you have made a good start. Won't be long till you're giving them the full "WAAAANKEEERR!" treatment.

Yes to the person who said about people braking at on coming traffic. What the hell is that about? I was actually driving behind someone today like that. God, so annoying, braked on every corner too. The rage was rising in me!

*nomorecrumbs Thu 12-Dec-13 09:03:18

YADNBU.

New BMWs, Audis and Mercs tend to be the worst offenders, especially round here. I flash my lights at them (not by putting on the fog lights, but dipping mine on and off) if they're annoying me and gesture that they're blinding! It's so dangerous.

Success rate at getting them to turn them down is only 1 so far! Well done, Range Rover driver.*

Um that might be because they just have bright headlights and dont have their full beams on?! They cant switch their headlights off can they?!

interesting about the self adjusting ones.

those must be the ones that go to dipped, just as you're about to pass the front of the oncoming car.

yes they are very annoying.

I hate people who have their front fogs on when it's not foggy too.

The best advice anyone gave to me when I started driving was to keep my eye on the edge of the road (either the kerb if there was a pavement or the edge of the tarmac on country roads) to avoid the 'rabbit in the headlights' feeling that makes you want to drive directly at the oncoming lights.....

Sounds odd, but it really does work - and you don't get blinded as often...

There are some really good tips on here, thanks y'all. Am about to pick up DS from Uni and will be driving back in the dark, so fingers crossed!

I finished my Pass Plus yesterday (random boast) and talked to him about it again. He confirmed I can't raise my seat (wondered if I'd gone mad) but we've arranged a cushion and it seems to be making a difference.

It already is

yanbu
and I'm finding that many drivers who do dip their lights, wait until they can seethe whites of your eyes before they do so.

I haven't been driving for very long. Today I was very proud that I managed to drive by myself to see a local friend. The driving went fine. However, on the way back people kept flashing me. Turns out I had the lights on full-beam (it was dim enough where I was today to have lights on in the daytime but obviously they shouldn't have been on full-beam). I am so that I didn't realise and very annoyed with myself.