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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To object to being blinded by car headlights

111 replies

CrazyOldBagLady · 16/11/2014 02:21

Is it just me or does everyone else have the problem that many modern cars with LED/xenon headlights, although being great for the driver whose road is well lit, blind any other driver that has to stare at them whether oncoming or beaming straight into the rearview mirror? This is a major safety issue for me at the moment, especially in the dark winter evenings.

Disclaimer: I may have been daft enough to buy a two seater that sits close to the ground, meaning that I'm at the right hight to be staring directly into everyone's headlamps.

OP posts:
PetulaGordino · 16/11/2014 02:25

Yes I find the same (and I just drive a hatchback, not a low down two-seater). Much more in terms of rear view than oncoming. I sometimes have to fiddle with the rear view mirror to stop them dazzling me completely.

PetulaGordino · 16/11/2014 02:26

Mind you, you also find there are folk who think that at 100yds behind you full beam is no longer dazzling. It really really is

ChippingInAutumnLover · 16/11/2014 02:26

I am really struggling with it too. I drive down a country road on my way home at night, I'm going against the vast majority of the traffic. It's a nightmare road for deer, it's almost permanently semi flooded all winter and every fuckwit and his mate seem to have those hidious lights. I hate my journey home as soon as the clocks change :( [there isn't another route home unless I go about 30 minutes out of my way]

ChippingInAutumnLover · 16/11/2014 02:27

Oh and yes, mine's a std hatchback.

Tobyjugg · 16/11/2014 02:36

Could not agree more. Hate the damn things.

Original poster
CrazyOldBagLady · 16/11/2014 02:39

I also have to drive down a country road Chipping and at certain times find Im navigating bends down to memory alone. I try to focus on the cat eye line but there are definitely instances where I really can't see anything and feel I could be compromising the safety of myself and others. The worst experience to date was driving at a reasonable speed for the road but had someone in a truck or van behind me flashing his full beam in my face as I was not going at the speed that they wanted me to (was doing 40). I couldn't see anything so couldn't navigate to a safe spot to pull over and let them past, so had to endure their anger for 3 blind miles of unlit, winding county lanes.

This was an exception however, any normal day is just squinting at bright headlights hoping I can remember each bend through mainly memory.

OP posts:
MokunMokun · 16/11/2014 02:45

I had an argument with someone about this the other day. He said it is dangerous to drive at night WITHOUT your lights at full beam. I told him that it dazzles other drivers and is dangerous but he maintained that modern head lights don't dazzle and that I was wrong to drive along the motorway with my lights dipped.

ChippingInAutumnLover · 16/11/2014 02:58

Mokum???? WTAF??? If you know this dipshit please get someone to talk to him!

Crazy. I know exactly what you mean. I've been driving that road to and from work for over three years now, so I know it like the back of my hand which is fucking lucky or I'd have been in the ditch by now. There are chunks of it most nights where I drive by the tree line whilst squinting against the lights with some other uber git up my arse. About two weeks ago I was a cigarette papers thickness away from a head on due to a deer and oncoming lights.

Last winter the road was seriously flooded and you had to take it in turns to pass in a couple of places, people were still over taking at over 60mph, some much much faster. Pitch black, pouring with rain, flooded road signs...the lot. I was a wreck by the end of winter and I can feel it building already.

I'm not a nervous driver either, I've driven all over the world, in snow, ice, 4wd off roading etc

PetulaGordino · 16/11/2014 03:01

Ah Mokun I've overtaken many of them on the motorway. And you curse yourself afterwards when you realise you've got another mile to go with their dazzling headlights before you get shot of them, unless some other unfortunate soul overtakes after you and takes the hit

SaggyAndLucy · 16/11/2014 03:15

Mokun your friend is a dick head!
Modern headlights drive me mad. We have a lot of country lanes round here and every lump or pothole causes the lights to bounce,temporarily blinding oncoming traffic. And what makes it even worse is when they FLASH their full beam at you to say thank you for giving way. This drives me dappy!

giraffescantboogie · 16/11/2014 03:21

I agree

Original poster
CrazyOldBagLady · 16/11/2014 03:30

Anyone who thinks it's ok to drive with headlights full beam when there are other road users oncoming should have their licence taken away!

OP posts:
eurochick · 16/11/2014 03:34

This won't help if you are being dazzled by oncoming vehicles, but if you are being dazzled by lights in the rear view mirror did you know that the little black bit under the mirror allows you to tilt it a bit to stop this? Just push it with your thumb. You can then use it to put the mirror back to where it was by pulling it forward once the blinding tosser is no longer behind you.

I drove low slung two seaters for ten years and this was invaluable. It means you temporarily have no use of the rear view mirror but this is a lot better than having no view of anything!

Original poster
CrazyOldBagLady · 16/11/2014 03:42

Yeah use this all the time and feel a little stupid at not quite understanding how they work Confused

OP posts:
Toadinthehole · 16/11/2014 06:14

I remember being so dazzled that I couldn't see a thing. I simply slowed down and stopped dead in the road. The problem was caused by one of those fucking SUVs which have bright lights at a level that allows them to s shine straight into my rear view mirror. I've had less of a problem in recent years. I suspect the problem was caused by idiots people like Mokun's associate who think it is correct to drive with lights on full beam. That said, the lights on those things often seem to be so bright that I'm surprised they don't break the law.

rumbelina · 16/11/2014 06:37

Dh had a hire car from work for a few months and we used to hate driving it at night as the headlights were so dazzling. We spent ages trying to adjust them but couldn't get them low enough (this was on normal beam, not full)

Absolute pain in the arse and we constantly got flashed by other drivers, quite rightly, so I completely agree!

bonzo77 · 16/11/2014 06:51

YANBU. Also where I live there are lots of foreign cars with lights adjusted for driving on the right. They seem to dazzle too.

cazakstan · 16/11/2014 07:06

I used to love driving but can honestly say that......

I absolutely FUCKING hate driving in the dark now !!!

Was only speaking to dp about this yesterday and he too thinks that this is a major problem. Although he can drive through it.

Surely there must be something we can do about this problem. I really did think that it was only me that found this so unbearable...thought that maybe it was just an age thing.

I seriously think that such bright headlights are unnecessary and that surely pose a dangerous hazard.
To be blinded for even just a few seconds can cause a accident.

SERIOUSLY There must be something all us lovely mners can do Hmm

Bowlersarm · 16/11/2014 07:14

I've stopped flashing now to remind them they're on full beam, I just put mine on too until they dip theirs.

I actually didn't realise it was a national problem, just thought people in our area are becoming lazy and not bothering about other road users.

Unescorted · 16/11/2014 07:28

It happens round our way too.

It seems to be a "how dare you drive on my road" mentality.

I had a hire car the other day that had a polarised rear window that cut out most of the glare - so I guess the car manufacturers are aware it is a problem. It is a shame that they can't come to an agreement about not using the sodding things in the first place so all car drivers are safer.

Iggly · 16/11/2014 07:29

Who can we complain to?

The DVLA?

The car manufacturers?

Cos yanbu. It is dangerous.

londonrach · 16/11/2014 07:36

I agree. It seems the larger 4x 4 are the worse but that might be because they are higher and the light hits my mirrors more. Almost blinded by a van lights two weeks ago on a3 in a queue. Just kept hoping it would move into another row.

cazakstan · 16/11/2014 07:39

Will have to think about this and draw up a plan of action.
Ideas welcome ???

A really good start I think is to get more lovely mums on here to actually admit that it is a problem and one that needs addressing.

Smile
GelfBride · 16/11/2014 07:41

This is a massive beef I have and have considered starting a campaign of some sort. LED lights close your eyes down so you can't see until your sight adjusts and then when it does, they get closed down again. The LED lights have been designed to fix a problem that did not exist as far as I can see. Brake lights are almost as bad. In a queue of traffic and the tosser driver in front is too lazy to use the handbrake, you are getting blinded by LED brake lights. I feel like a far less safe driver when driving at night now and have even resorted to wearing my sunglasses which really helps but is probably illegal. Why the need to have such hellish bright lights?

cazakstan · 16/11/2014 07:42

I get so bloody angry when driving in the dark...admittedly there are an awful lot of fuckwit drivers out there but surely this is car thing...

Was there not some EU thing on car headlights and the use of LED lights...Confused