To hate LED headlights!

[CherryValley5]

Don’t get me wrong, I love them in terms of my own visibility, it’s fantastic, especially on dark country roads but they absolutely blind other oncoming drivers to the point that I don’t think it is safe or fair. Any newer car coming towards you at night these days is dazzlingly bright. Just switched to a new car (Audi, so notoriously bright headlights..) and I constantly get flashed by people thinking that I have my full beams on. They’re rightfully annoyed but I can’t do anything about it!

@bluecomputerscreen I've switched mine off for that reason. They also wouldn't switch off if a cyclist was coming against me so they would be blinded. I just use them manually now.

Hate these bright lights too.
Dangerous and blinding.

Completely agree

I can't believe they have been allowed in the first place. It's actually quite staggering how unsafe they are. Hate them.

My latest pair of driving glasses from SpecSavers has a special coating on them to create some protection from glare and the harshness of modern head lights. They gave me a demo of "with" and "without" the coating and there really was a difference, so it might be worth considering if you wear glasses for driving. You'd need to get the lenses of any current glasses changed obviously, as it's part of the manufacturing process.

There are actually a lot of people driving round who have an astigmatism and aren't wearing their corrective glasses/contacts, these people usually experience the glare/dazzling. Or they just don't know there is a problem with their vision.

Personally I don't have any issues with LED headlights, nor does anyone else I know.

The matrix lighting on my car is game changing, lights up every inch of the road and intelligently dips the beam in areas where pedestrians or other vehicles are, amazing technology.

In fact I find it quite amusing sometimes following older vehicles down unlit roads that have halogen headlights, the Matrix lights cloak their car and light up the road around them, it's brilliant.

LED headlights are auto levelling. It's a mandatory requirement, there is no adjustment.

Yanbu. Even DS who has just started driving hates them. He assumes people are driving with full beams. Its not just my old eyes that struggle with them.

No, if they’re less than 2000 lumens then they don’t need auto levelling. Every car I’ve owned or driven with LEDs has had it though.

@DoctorLove do you have a particularly big 4x4? If so your seating position might be high enough that you're outside the worst of the glare.

No, hatchback. VW Polo GTI.

In fact I find it quite amusing sometimes following older vehicles down unlit roads that have halogen headlights, the Matrix lights cloak their car and light up the road around them, it's brilliant. It may be amusing for you but it's disconcerting for the driver in front.

There are actually a lot of people driving round who have an astigmatism and aren't wearing their corrective glasses/contacts, these people usually experience the glare/dazzling. I have an astigmatism and still experience dazzling with my up to date corrective prescription. You are lucky not to. Don't be too sniffy, suggesting that it's people who aren't wearing their glasses who have a problem.

What do the self levelling lights level too though?
If they're in a suv does he technology take into account the height of lower cars?

@DoctorLove I bet the drivers cloaked in your car's lights don't find that amusing. That bright light is most likely affecting their rear view mirror inside their car and, also, they can't view the road behind them ver well because all they see are some super bright lights.

I agree the technology is very clever and our own cars have these lights but it's a pain in the arse for everyone else.

They adjust the light level based on load on the car.

Yes, a lot of cars have them come on automatically. In some European countries, you legally have to have some lights on whether it's night or day so it's becoming standard.

Yes I'm panicking about driving in the dark this winter

But then that is likely still not at the right height for lower cars compared to SUVs.

If the colour temperature was different it might help. More yellow instead.

Yes I was looking into those

That is helpful

Another optician recommended Cocoons that wrap around your glasses but I'm nit sure and think proper glasses may be better

The glasses would be £300 due to vari focals so it is quite a cost

I thought I had a new problem with my eyes or it was an aging thing or something until I asked some friends. I got a fright the other day when this ridiculous SUV pulled out behind me and their lights went straight into my rear view mirror and I couldn't see a thing for a moment. I live in a city so there's no need for any of this - there are streetlights everywhere. It's so dangerous and definitely triggers my migraines too :(

Yes they're bloody awful and I've flashed lots of newer cars thinking they had full beam on. Occasionally they have flashed me back so I was truly blinded! Nightmare.
I'm in an older, normal car so I get headlights in my rear view mirrors and back window too.
Horrible for wildlife as well.

Yeah, I can’t really drive in the dark any more, which is really problematic October to March.

OMG! So so dangerous!

This. I had to get the garage to adjust mine. It's the angle not the brightness.

I have to drive in the dark but I really don't want to anymore