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AIBU?

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Original poster

Anyone else blinded by these new headlights when driving?

204 replies

Totallybannanas · 16/12/2024 19:05

Am I the only one struggling with how bright car headlights have become? I’ve been avoiding driving at night for a while now because of it, but I don’t remember them being this intense in the past. Every car I pass feels like it’s on full beams, and I end up feeling completely blinded. I know my astigmatism makes it worse, but I recently had an eye test and wear corrective glasses. Tonight, I had to make a journey I couldn’t avoid, and I found myself driving at 40mph in a 60mph zone because the car behind me was tailgating and their lights were so dazzling. I eventually pulled over to let them pass. Does anyone else deal with this?

OP posts:
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6
WanderfulTonight · 16/12/2024 23:42

Weirdly, I was going to post about this the other day. I think they're LED lights or something

They're an absolute nightmare. It really feels like they're on full beams.

I have regularly had to flip my rear view mirror and side mirrors to stop myself being blinded.

Something needs to be done about them!

MargaretThursday · 16/12/2024 23:45

I keep getting flashed at and I think it's because my lights aren't leds and people think I haven't got headlights on, just side lights.

MintShaker · 16/12/2024 23:54

Why didn't you just dip your mirror, that's what it's designed for 😄

Branster · 16/12/2024 23:55

Crunched · 16/12/2024 20:30

I do agree, but would be interested in the views of 20-something MNetters. When I mention this problem to young colleagues they look blank so I am concerned it may be a 40+ eye issue. Hope I'm wrong.

Possibly those in their 20s have never experienced roads when car didn't use to be this bright? So to them this is normal.
It is very dangerous.
Street lights are quite dim which I think it's stupid. There's saving energy and there's saving lives. They might as well turn off all street lights, they are useless for cars and pedestrians.
The combination of these two, makes pedestrians and cyclists almost invisible to drivers at times, unless they wear something light in colour or reflective.
I've also seen cyclists with super bright lights which I find to be very distracting.
When I walk my dogs in a pitch black open park adjacent to a roundabout, it's like a disco scene. The lights from cars turning in a particular way light up a really large area of the grass. More annoyingly, they dazzle me as a pedestrian far away from the road. Or just walking along the pavement, I find some of these car lights incredibly annoying. They make the pavement appear darker.

wildfellhall · 16/12/2024 23:57

100% agree, I increasingly avoid driving at night. I just don't feel safe enough, nothing like as safe as I did ten years ago.

I am baffled at how dangerous it must be to be blinding oncoming traffic - it's the dumbest thing you can imagine, we depend on oncoming traffic seeing us coming.

It's absolutely the brightness and height difference. These massive 4x4s & SUVs are shining at my eye level front and back - it's a nightmare.

You can get prescription yellow glasses if you have to drive a lot which apparently helps.

I feel like flashing incoming traffic 4 times an evening and this is for town driving.

But I think our safety isn't that important any more or they'd never have accepted the inevitable fatalities of motorways with no hard shoulder.

Crazy people in charge.

GreenTeaLikesMe · 17/12/2024 00:03

Even if the intolerance is slightly related to age....so what? The reality is that many/most people over 35 or whatever have to drive in the UK. Headlights, therefore, need to be restricted so as to create a level of brightness that over 35s can manage without being dazzled. Otherwise the roads are not going to be safe.

I suspect that rainier weather in the past few years and reduced road lighting may also be contributing to the issue.

But the huge SUV lights are an issue that could be fixed relatively easily.

Franjipanl8r · 17/12/2024 00:08

Yeah I can’t drive at night anymore for the same reason.

hellywelly3 · 17/12/2024 00:09

Glad it’s not just me. When it’s raining it’s even worse somehow with all the reflections.

MargaretThursday · 17/12/2024 04:35

Crunched · 16/12/2024 20:30

I do agree, but would be interested in the views of 20-something MNetters. When I mention this problem to young colleagues they look blank so I am concerned it may be a 40+ eye issue. Hope I'm wrong.

My dd aged 24 and my dd aged 21 both find it as an issue. Both have perfect eye sight (eye test in the last year).
I knew about the petition because dd2 told me it was shared on her uni chat group and loads of people agreed it was an issue

It's not just an age thing.

ntmdino · 17/12/2024 06:32

MintShaker · 16/12/2024 23:54

Why didn't you just dip your mirror, that's what it's designed for 😄

Because, if these asshats are behind you, it's not just your central mirror that's the problem - if your wing mirrors are correctly adjusted, you'll get it from both of those too.

RampantIvy · 17/12/2024 06:47

FoxtonFoxton · 16/12/2024 19:12

Absolutely agree and unfortunately I can't avoid some night driving as I need to pick DD up from work. I also have astigmatism and have tried yellow lenses but it didn't really help at all. We live rurally, and the roads are often unlit and pitch black with no road markings so it's horrendous trying to navigate those with someone driving behind you or towards you with blazing white lights. DH has a brand new 4x4 (commercial for work) and the lights are blistering bright white. Great for him driving, not so much for everyone else!!!

I could have written your post. Once you leave our village there are no street lights at all. I have to pick DD up from work twice a week thanks to our not great rural public transport, and I also have astigmatism. DD often comments on how bright the lights are as well.

Bettergetthebunker · 17/12/2024 06:52

The newest designed are now auto adjusting depending on the road and shape of the cars the other side. It will turn off a section vertically and horizontally to not blind those on the other side. Very strange to watch as a driver though but very clever

shockeditellyou · 17/12/2024 07:04

Bettergetthebunker · 17/12/2024 06:52

The newest designed are now auto adjusting depending on the road and shape of the cars the other side. It will turn off a section vertically and horizontally to not blind those on the other side. Very strange to watch as a driver though but very clever

And bloody useless if you are a pedestrian or cyclist being dazzled….

localhere · 17/12/2024 07:10

I have to have my rear view mirror flicked down all the time because of the SUVs behind blinding me. I've started flashing the oncoming ones as if they have their full beams accidentally on. Also what's with new cars have a cluster of half a dozen head lights arranged in a dazzling pattern? One pair of headlights, one of sidelights is all that's necessary

shizgigz · 17/12/2024 07:12

Yes they're awful. Poor DD is learning to drive and those bright lights send her into a panic at nighttime.

PuzzleMix · 17/12/2024 07:43

I also struggle with this. I've been driving slower than normal because l feel like l can't see with all the oncoming blinding lights. Then l get people up my arse with lights blinding me in my rear view mirror. It really puts me off driving at night...what is the solution?

SettingsInTurin · 17/12/2024 07:46

It really puts me off driving at night...what is the solution?
Legislation.

RainbowDr0p · 17/12/2024 07:47

This is a better article then the one I posted earlier.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74lq35jdego.amp

The lights are blinding because they actually cause a temporary blindness. I remember driving home on a country road a few years ago and experiencing this. Not just being dazzled but not being able to see the road at all, it was terrifying. I'd already looked into it and knew about the astigmatism link so thought it was just me.

This article explains how people have these lights thinking they are safer on the roads but they make the environment much less safer and so they become more at risk too - it's great if you can see all of the road and other cars but if they can't see you then you are done for!). Until I realised that, I had thought about 'if you can't beat them, join them'.

I have driven on motorways and dual carriage ways with my hand up to block the oncoming lights, like you would block the sun! It's bonkers! I have adjusted my wing mirrors to bounce light back at the car behind me too on one occasion. It's rare I am dazzled by my wing mirrors so when that happens it must be a driver error.

Bright headlights shining through a dark and gloomy night

Headlight glare: Berkshire study to shed light on impact

A specialist car will have instruments installed to measure light levels from oncoming headlights.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74lq35jdego.amp

InfiniteTeas · 17/12/2024 07:48

I am constantly moaning about this. I live down country lanes with a couple of steep stretches which makes the problem worse. I have a particular hatred for people who flash their full beams to say thank you. Ffs, thank me by NOT leaving me unable to see past the swimming green blobs. We have multiple passing places in a short stretch, so I can easily be blinded half a dozen times between my house and the main road. I've started reciprocating the 'thanks' in kind and have had a couple of people get very pissed off about it -despite the fact that they'd just done it to me, in higher cars with much brighter lights. The majority of drivers seem to have a staggering lack of self-awareness and common sense.

SuzieNine · 17/12/2024 07:53

DelilahBucket · 16/12/2024 19:09

I wondered if it was down to new street lighting that doesn't light up as well, so we've become more sensitive. Yes car lights are brighter, but I don't think that's the whole problem.

If that were the case it would be less of a problem in areas without street lighting. Trust me it isn’t. Not a street light to be found where we live but exactly the same problem.

Sinkintotheswamp · 17/12/2024 08:00

I wonder if it's affecting cats too? Maybe I've spent too much time on our spotted FB group but there's always posts about cats being hit by cars. I'm sure animals are getting dazzled. (Never had a cat so no skin in the game).

hepsitemiz · 17/12/2024 08:00

ntmdino · 17/12/2024 06:32

Because, if these asshats are behind you, it's not just your central mirror that's the problem - if your wing mirrors are correctly adjusted, you'll get it from both of those too.

Show quote history

You should still dip your rearview mirror. Why not make an easy adjustment that drastically reduces the problem?
My biggest problem is the cars on the other side of the road coming towards me. For the cars behind me, I dip my central mirror and limit my use of wing mirrors.

DeathMetalMum · 17/12/2024 08:01

I struggle with this. Single carriage ways are the worst as the cars are always directly opposite. It's about 65% of cars as well so I know it's not just my eyesight (I wear glasses for an astigmatism). Luckily my journey home from work is 15 minutes max so it is bearable.

I was driving home from work on Friday - slightly different route and a car behind me had full beam on 70% of the time. We were driving through a village where there are only small pockets with no street lighting. There was so much dazzle in my rear view mirror. They did eventually switch them off but it was ridiculous.