To object to being blinded by car headlights

[CrazyOldBagLady]

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.

[flanjabelle]

Yanbu at all. I have been really struggling lately.

[mumofboyo]

Yanbu
I hate driving at night for this very reason.
It gives me a massive headache because I'm constantly having to adjust from darkness to dazzling, especially when going up/down hills. I'm neither a new nor an inexperienced driver and yet I feel more nervous driving after dark now than I did after first passing my test. I bought glasses with a special coating on that promised to reduce glare but they made little difference.

[MillieMoodle]

YANBU, I'm so relieved it's not just me. My eyesight is bad and I have really strong glasses which I have to wear all the time. I thought my eyes were getting worse as I am finding it harder to see driving home from work in the dark. Definitely agree that lights are far too bright!

[LilMissSunshine9]

omg I really thought my eyesight was getting worse as darks comes along but I had a recent checkup and all was fine. I have been dazzled by those lights so much so once I took a few seconds to get my sight back properly. It was really scary.

Also noticed it about street lights too as a mn said earlier - I thought it was just my eyes not seeing things properly as I walk down my road from last year when I didn't have a problem. Alas I noticed they have changed the lights.

Its not so much driving on the motorway when its dark that bothers me its the local around town drives where the cars are always close together and more of them that I find I hate driving at night.

[Mummyinamask]

Omg I thought it was just me. I am getting really fed up with driving. Lights and just awful, hostile drivers going too fast and driving selfishly. It's getting really bad - but assumed I was turning into an old fart!
I'll know for sure when I start to do 'test runs' to new places . . .

[niminypiminy]

Hate these lights too. I cycle at night coming home from work and am often blinded by car headlights - it's really dangerous. Cyclists who have ultra bright LED lights also have the same effect - glaring bright lights shining straight into your eyes.

[WitchWay]

I've been driving for over 30 years & I agree that headlights are getting brighter, but I also think that people just don't bother to dip their lights in good time these days.

[SistersOfPercy]

Can I just point towards DRL's being the bigger danger. Many cars fitted with daytime running lights do not have automatic rear lights. So when you happily get in your car on a dank morning or with a little fog and think 'i don't need to put my lights on I have DRL's' actually, you do.

I've lost count of the cars I've seen lately in thick fog merrily pootling along who have no rear lights on at all but front Drl's are blazing. They are dangerous.

[taxi4ballet]

YANBU. I do a lot of night driving, and HATE it. The super-bright brilliant blue-white lights are the worst. Especially when the other car is behind you so you are driving in the shadow of your own car, and they are following slightly to one side so their lights are shining right into your wing mirrors.

Why do cars have lights so bright they not only dazzle everybody else on the road, but light up half the countryside as well?

It's not much fun on a long straight stretch of road to have an emergency vehicle behind you for ages either, until they eventually catch you up, overtake and are then in front of you for about three miles. Is it me or have these emergency vehicle blue lights got much brighter as well?

[SistersOfPercy]

Incidentally, most pre 2014 cars with drl's can be disabled in the system menu. They only became compulsory in February I think this year so the option to turn them off is no longer on newer cars. If you have an earlier car it's not illegal not to use them if you don't want to.

[ddubsgirl77]

Oh god yes! We have smax & before that a galaxy so slighter higher up cars and still have this problem!