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.

I have astigmatism as well as short sight, contact lenses that will sort that out are (forgive pun) eye wateringly expensive! OP thanks for the kind thoughts but yy I agree, stuffing on an extra layer of eyewear mid journey doesn't sound like a good plan to me either.

YANBU it's dangerous. And total agreement with the pp who said about flashing to say thank you, so dazzling, if you want to, turn your lights o and off don't flash!

“I have astigmatism”

That’s it! I can never remember the name. For years I wondered why when I looked at the moon it was as I had double vision. My sight in daylight is perfectly good but the issue is at night and car headlights really cause me problems with the glare. Once I got my glasses I can see things much more sharply at night, there is now just one moon!! And the anti glare coating does work.

I've been complaining about this recently too. I've come to the conclusion it's because there's more SUV's and 4*4's on the road and the height hits your eyeline in lower cars but I think you're also right here about LED lights.

I too hate this, it gives me really bad headaches. I now have a flip down orange screen in my car which takes the glare out. Much better for night driving

Another one chiming in to say they do seem brighter now - fuddy duddy alert!

Signed the petition. I don't quite understand why there isn't also a set level for headlights, whatever the size of the car. Presumably their function is to (a) illuminate the road (b) signify a car driving to other road users. So unless you're a lorry with massive wheels lights on ie Range Rovers could be lower?

I'm really struggling with this too. I have a 90 minute commute to and from work on a busy motorway and its horrendous and exhausting having to deal with this botj when its dark in the morning and at night. My head is splitting every day. I'm off to look for night driving glasses but wtf should I have too, the newer lights are just not bloody safe.

I have this issue...I look to the side of the road on the ground until passes. Horrible things. They should be banned, they are totally unnecessary.

Totally agree OP, it's been making me feel nervous, especially when on narrow country roads because I can't see for a brief moment. I also thought it was just me and was thinking of booking to see the optician!

I'm another who hates them. Even worse since I've had glasses. I started driving in 2004 and swear lights are more blinding than they were back then :(

Yep, I hate it.

My only route available to get home from work is narrow, twisty, unlit country lanes that are often too narrow for two cars - I hate driving home in winter because I just can't see properly - it's horrible!

Like a PP I am horribly short sighted and have an astigmatism and I just get blinded by these new LED lights. I have no other way of getting home - there's no public transport or alternative route!

I'm increasingly struggling with them too (and agree about awful indicators). I've still got a couple of years of my 30s left and decent eyesight. I have a standard traditional type of car and find the height of the 4x4s much worse for the height of the lights.

I'm in a lumpy county, plus the deteriorating quality of the road surfaces and it does feel like people are flashing lights, or on full beams very frequently.

I find LEDs quite an unstable quality of light. There's a stretch of the M6 near Coventry where the quality of the cats eyes mean I have to drive in lane 1 as being further to the right creates an effect like the star field screen saver of the 90s.

The trend to remove lamp posts makes it all much worse too. It's near impossible to safely use full beams on motorways due to the volume of traffic, meanwhile you're constantly being dazzled by everyone else.

I find the yellow glasses you can buy for just this purpose work brilliantly.

Yanbu. There's been some newspaper articles about this lately.

High 4x4's are the worst. Impossible to avoid being dazzled in a normal height car .

YANBU. I may have flashed someone the other day because I was absolutely convinced they had their headlights on

Yanbu..

And hand's up those who leave their foot on the brakes when they're stopped. That's also dazzling and illegal.

Sorry. Hands.

So glad you posted this and others are in agreement. My Mum, who is healthy and with good eyesight, has been put off driving at night as she is being dazzled by a lot of cars, she drives along country roads between towns which aren’t well lit, so she will be massively relieved to hear that it isn’t just her. She had decided to stop driving at night.

Veni, I drive an automatic. If I don't keep foot on the brake when stopped then it creeps forward. The manual even says to keep foot on the brake to prevent this in stationary traffic.

Yes, I agree. It's horrible.

My car is 20, and its lights are absolutely fine to see by, but when you compare its lights with those of a modern car you can really see how very, very much brighter the modern ones are. My full-beam lights aren't even as strong as modern dipped lights.

You need glasses for night driving! You probably have an astigmatism, like I do. I have 20/20 vision during the day, but need glasses for driving at night.

I think it's the new led street lights that are making the car headlights seem too bright. As streets seem alot darker now they have installed the led street lights, I've found that there isn't anything to filter the car headlights....if that makes sense!

Yanbu, i cannot see how it is allowed?