Motorway at night

[missyksmt]

I've always been told that when driving on a motorway at night which has no lights, only cats eyes, that you can't use full beam. I used the motorway last night in heavy rain, and the cat eyes were absolutely useless. Am I just blind as a fucking bat or do you need to use full beam? Had to come off. Absolutely terrified me. Never again.

I’ve just ordered some night driving glasses, thanks for the reminder. I’ve got lots of long distance meetings to drive to this autumn and I’m dreading the dark drives home.

Get headlamps checked. Maybe they're too dipped. Bulb gone?
Yoi can get brighter bulbs
My actual headlamps needed a clean with a whizzy brush thing/tool. Made so much difference

It’s probably the rain. I’m fine in the dark on a dry night on a motorway but it’s much different in the rain. Especially when it sits on the road and doesn’t drain away

Get your lights checked. I had a similar problem. Thought it was my eyes. Turns out it was my headlights!

I’m not sure why you thought this was a question for mumsnet. A few of the answers have shown that some road users either don’t know the rules or don’t give a shit about them. It’s already been pointed out that the information you need is in the Highway Code. Please take the time to read it. The fact that you didn’t know not to use full beam when there is oncoming traffic is quite worrying.

I also hate driving on unlit motorways and there is a huge section of the M4 where it becomes so dark that it is almost hazardous. I would never drive with full beam on the motorway as that is also dangerous and could potentially cause an accident.

See www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/driving-in-adverse-weather-conditions.html

You can use full beam on a road when you need to. Just dip your headlights if anyone is coming towards you or you are coming up behind someone.

You really need to be aware of things like that if you're driving, especially on a motorway. Just check the relevant section in the Highway Code before you set out.

Last night I'd have added fog lights too if visibility was bad enough. You have to be seen.

Quite a lot of traffic was coming towards on the other side.

Right, then you need to keep your headlights dipped.

The rain was really heavy last night - maybe it was just too heavy to drive in safely and see clearly?

Ffs 🙄

If you couldn't see in heavy rain but are fine normally, it doesn't sound like it's an eyesight issue; it's a rain issue. All you can do is slow down to a safe speed and, in the circumstances you describe, having lights on full beam would be OK.

If it was traffic coming towards OP on a motorway, they wouldn't have been affected by OP's headlights - there's no way the beam would be directly in their eyes.

Ladies with all due respect, I've figured this out now. I don't really know how many more times I need to read "you can't use full beams" I'm very aware of this now and it was my initial instinct, that's why I came off the road. Google did have some conflicting information but yes. I know not to use full beams unless there is no oncoming traffic. In my case there was so I came off

I've had loads of tips about my eyes and headlights which I will investigate. Will I drive on an unlit motorway again at night - will i fuck.

Ironic that you're telling someone off about impairing sight when you haven't used yours to read OP's post properly.

Seems like Minis have different automatic headlamps settings and they can be set to either come on automatically with a sensor, or come on automatically all the time, or be turned o on manually. It's possible your settings have accidentally been changed so only side lamps came on automatically, or the sensors may be faulty. Good idea to get garage to check.

Incredible lack of reading comprehension and bizarre hostility on this thread.

OP: I didn't put on my full beams and left the motorway as soon as I could.

Batshit people: OMG you could have blinded someone with your full beams! You should have pulled off the motorway as soon as you could!

OP, you can probably check and adjust your lights yourself - however getting an actual expert to have a look if you don't feel confident is a good idea.

I'm a very confident driver, but I prefer not to drive on unlit motorways - the contrast between the lights and the darkness is so wearing, and then you have the thickos driving up behind you with their full beams on...

For those who have mentioned specials glasses, I have an astigmatism and was increasingly having difficulty with glare from incoming headlights.

Last year I bought a pair of glasses (from Boots optician) with special anti-glare coating, especially for night driving. They look like normal lenses (no yellow) and are an absolute game-changer. No glare. No diagonal lines. They are probably the best thing I have bought for years and I highly recommend them.

The problem with doing this is that it's still unlikely to help you see better. All you'll be doing is reflecting your own lights straight back at you and you still can't see.

I'd say every "stupid" driving rule has been brought in because someone did that exact same "stupid" thing and ended up having an accident/killing someone.

Heaven forbid we should do things that actually keep people safe...

There's dipped - and there's dipped. You can alter the angle of dipped headlights.

It is because when you have a heavy load, the back of the car is weighed down and the front lifts up. So you can alter the angle of the lights downwards. When you are in the car on your own with no luggage in the back then you don't want the lights altered like that, you want them on a higher setting. That's what needs checking.

There are a lot of people who have perfect daytime vision, but struggle with dusk or night-time. It well known. Oddly, routine eye tests don't check for this. I have 20/20 vision (actually the optician told me I have better than 20/20 vision, but I have no idea what that means!). But I struggle at night and I hate dusk. I have some special tinted glasses that the optician recommended - and now I have no problems if I am wearing them.

It is for precisely this reason that I would never buy a car without Xenon or LED headlights. They are like night and day compared to standard halogen headlights. I would much rather have a top of the range Toyota or Honda with Xenon or LED lights than a low spec BMW or Audi with halogens.

Just be careful to make sure they are actually LED headlights and not just LED marker or daytime running lights.

blinding every other fucker on the road, but ok.

Who is, @MarillaCuthbertIsSurprised?

Everyone who drives cars with those white LED lights blinds everyone else and that's when they don't even have full beam on! They are dreadful and I have no idea why they are allowed.

Driving on motorways in the dark isn't easy at the best of times, although cats' eyes are usually brilliant. Add torrential rain and it's going to be very difficult. I can understand why you found it awkward. And ignore all the snarky remarks about the Highway Code. We "all" know not to blind people with our high beams (if only) but a mainly empty motorway is a slightly different proposition to a country road with regular oncoming traffic and it's not unreasonable to ask the question.

It was a response to the post above mine.