To think headlights are too dazzling?

[IdiotsIdiotsEverywhere]

I hate driving at night and it seems to be worse when other cars are coming in the opposite direction. Driving on a single carriageway this evening on a 60 MPH road and once a few cars pass together I lose complete sight of the road in front of ME!

I've tried switching between contact lenses and glasses & glasses with anti glare but no difference. It's not even the windscreen as using different cars.

Yes, I've really noticed this. It's not so bad in my SUV but when I borrow DH's car, which sits quite low to the ground, I really struggle at times.

Sometimes I just keep going straight ahead for the few seconds until I can see again and hope for the best. That can't be right can it?

Me too!

When they're approaching, where do you look? Where is your eyeline on the road?

Glad it isn't just me.

I saw a couple of petitions but one is now closed, didn't get much support

this is still going

I haven't driven for nearly 15 years but might need to start again and this is pretty off putting (though if I do start again it will be only day time to get my elderly mum out and about).

www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-regulate-how-bright-led-car-headlights-are

Yanbu - I've noticed this too. Just as bad when they're behind you and they dazzle you via mirrors :(

Omg i feel the same ! I thought it was just me me being sensitive to light or something as I'm a relatively new driver. Some lights are really dazzling or I feel like their flashing me or something . It really confuses me! They should be banned as they can cause accidents- especially on dark country lanes/ dual carriageways . I get so scared when going round a bend and one of those dazzling lights come towards. Prettty sure I'm gonna have an accident one day!

I totally agree, OP. They are blinding.

It is especially bad in early evening during rush hour, when you most often get streams of oncoming cars. It is somewhat better late at night when traffic is much lighter.

I hate driving at night. I still have a teenager who doesn't drive yet though, so it will be a while before I can properly give it up and just drive during the day.

However the new leds will be mot fails soon.

Not sure why on Earth you’d think that?

when I drove before, I had no issue driving at night but these lights have changed everything

my late father loved driving and would give everyone lifts everywhere. when these lights came in a few years ago, he said "is it just me.." as you are all doing here. Even as a pedestrian, if you are crossing the road in front of a car with those lights, the first thought is, surely they are making other drivers feel like they can't see! it's crazy.

I'm amazed that those blue-white dazzlers were ever legal. The surely must contribute to accidents at night??

I hadn't driven in the dark for months until last Saturday and I agree some of these new lights are way too bright. It was raining which made it even worse.
The old ones were just fine and if you're on a dark country road then put your full beam on. I had a 4x4 right up behind me at one point and of course the lights were right in the mirror. They do need to be banned as it's dangerous for other road users.

Omg, yes! I was just thinking the same driving home tonight. They are awful. I hate it when it's raining, because, then you have hundreds of the little blinding lights to deal with

They do need to be banned as it's dangerous for other road users

Not going to happen, in a few years you won’t be able to buy a car with traditional halogen headlights, they’ll all be LED or the new laser headlights that are just coming out.

www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-regulate-how-bright-led-car-headlights-are
Signed

I thought it was just me!
I couldn't work out why so many people were flashing me the other day until I realised it was just a bumpy road.

They're actually unsafe. Unbelievable that they've become the standard on new cars when they're so dazzling even when dipped.
I often have to flip my rear view mirror down at night so that I can see the road ahead, as they're dazzling even from behind!
Ridiculous that nothing's being done about them.

Seem to remember reading a report from the RAC which said that the headlights on most modern cars are too bright - and the indicators aren't bright enough.

I thought it was just me too. Some are ridiculously bright. I hate night driving now.

This is is interesting, I assumed it was something to do with my glasses. I refuse to drive in the dark because I can't see the road ahead due to being dazzled.

It’s awful. I’ve been driving 30 years (god that makes me feel bloody old) and it’s only in the last couple of years I have really struggled driving at night with the glare of oncoming headlights, and also when someone is behind me, on an unlit road. We live quite rural and my job as a chef means I’m often driving home quite late on my own. It’s quite unnerving when the vehicle behind is going over a slight bump and it seems like they are flashing their lights at you.

I constantly have my rear view mirror dipped at night now. They can have their glare instead. It's bloody ridiculous.

Luckily I don't drive on dual carriageway etc at night. It would drive me spare

Agreed - I do a lot of driving, and at the moment it's nearly all in the dark, and I absolutely hate it. Because I do a lot of relatively long distance too, I end up with horrendous headaches and short of wearing sunglasses (which would definitely not be safe) I don't know what to do!

YADNBU

I did go to the opticians who said my eyesight wasn’t bad, but they prescribed some lenses for me which really do help driving at night and have an anti-glare coating on them. It has made a difference but I often forget to put them on until I’ve set off and there’s hardly ever anywhere I can safely pull over on my journey home,