Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be happy about this...re headlight glare..link attached

169 replies

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:23

Finally something is (hopefully) going to be done about these bloody awful and dangerous headlights. I hate driving at night as these lights literally blind me for a few seconds.

BBC link here:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn971jlpvvro

A truck, with two cars behind it have bright headlights in the early morning light

Car headlights to be reviewed after drivers complain of being 'blinded' at night

Concern over the glare from brighter headlamps is prompting the government to review vehicle design.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn971jlpvvro

OP posts:
Wiltedgeranium · 28/10/2025 08:26

Yep. I thought it was me getting older (40s), but it's definitely worse than it used to be. Doesn't help that I'm one of the few people who doesn't drive a big car, so my car ends up floodlit.

I'm used to driving in the dark- from October to feb/ march i leave in darkness and come home in darkness and i do streets, lanes and motorway in each journey. But it increasingly feels like I do it by the skin of my teeth. And when it rains too....

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:28

I also thought it was my age! I drive a little old mini so I already feel vulnerable as it is 😃

OP posts:
Tagyoureit · 28/10/2025 08:28

Finally!! This is great news as some headlights seem to think its their responsibility to light up the entire world!! Its awful driving along seeing spots from having just been blinded!

janehopper · 28/10/2025 08:28

I thought it was my astigmatism 🤣

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:29

janehopper · 28/10/2025 08:28

I thought it was my astigmatism 🤣

Goes off to Google astigmatism 🤣

OP posts:
VenusClapTrap · 28/10/2025 08:30

Not before time. I’ve started actively avoiding night driving because of this. It’s so dangerous.

ItsTheSeasonOfTheStick · 28/10/2025 08:33

It’s not just dangerous for drivers, it’s also dangerous for people who are walking.

My astigmatism definitely makes it worse but something needs to be done, and fast.

Wiltedgeranium · 28/10/2025 08:35

I did a long, dark motorway drive last week at around 6ish, towards a local city. It's a route i don't often do. It was v busy, but the worst bit was trying to change lanes, when the glare behind is so bright that you can't actually see the road ir gauge distance. And I really don't remember that ever being a problem for me.

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:35

ItsTheSeasonOfTheStick · 28/10/2025 08:33

It’s not just dangerous for drivers, it’s also dangerous for people who are walking.

My astigmatism definitely makes it worse but something needs to be done, and fast.

You are absolutely correct . I was walking my dogs the other evening and it was like having a bright torch shone into my face.

OP posts:
SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 28/10/2025 08:36

Ive been complaining about this for yearssss

OhDear111 · 28/10/2025 08:38

I’ve barely noticed this. All newer cars have bright lights. What really matters is when they dip and the angle on the road as the RAC says. I don’t want to go back to glow worms. As we are an aging nation, I’m not surprised more find driving difficult. Are their eyes 100%? Possibly not.

I don’t really see how car lights can be less bright! Not should check angle and dipping time maybe? There are a few retro fitted lights as suggested by the article but automatic dipping can be slow and some cars partial dip too as they are multi beam lights. I find the worst cars are the old ones where drivers don’t dip at all!

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:38

The combination of these head lights and SUVs make driving a little car so dangerous.

OP posts:
StewkeyBlue · 28/10/2025 08:39

Good!
I too have started to avoid driving at night.

Sick to death of the higher up headlights of massive fucking cars shining straight into my small car with their over/bright lights.

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:39

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · 28/10/2025 08:36

Ive been complaining about this for yearssss

Let's hope something is going to finally be done

OP posts:
IsItSummerSoon · 28/10/2025 08:40

I’m genuinely so happy about this! I used to love driving at night back in the day and hate it now.

MrsMurphyIWish · 28/10/2025 08:42

Wiltedgeranium · 28/10/2025 08:26

Yep. I thought it was me getting older (40s), but it's definitely worse than it used to be. Doesn't help that I'm one of the few people who doesn't drive a big car, so my car ends up floodlit.

I'm used to driving in the dark- from October to feb/ march i leave in darkness and come home in darkness and i do streets, lanes and motorway in each journey. But it increasingly feels like I do it by the skin of my teeth. And when it rains too....

Same here! I feeling I’m one of the few people who doesn’t drive a SUV in my area. I work outside of the home so when I go back to work after half term I’ll be driving to and from work in the dark until when the clocks change again. I always feel like I’m looking down at the road rather than around me.

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:42

IsItSummerSoon · 28/10/2025 08:40

I’m genuinely so happy about this! I used to love driving at night back in the day and hate it now.

I feel like every journey I make at night is like playing Russian Roulette

OP posts:
SodOffbacktoaibu · 28/10/2025 08:42

Yep. Been a problem for years. Worse at night but I hate it even during the daytime.

Worst are Teslas I find. Also the sheer size and placement high up when my car is smaller, is difficult. New minis are dreadful and Nissan Jukes because the lights are really high up.

What would also help is not have people drive up my bumper! 🙄 People do not know what a stopping distance is anymore.

And finally, the flash to say thank you is not actually very pleasant. I don't want to be blinded, thanks.

Morning moan over. As you were.

ThatsNotAKnife · 28/10/2025 08:43

Yanbu. Combined with the LED streetlights being turned down and the blinding headlights it feels really risky walking after dark.
I've started wearing a really bright running headlight so I can see and also get my own back a bit. I asked our council to turn the streetlights back up but they won't as it saves money. I walked somewhere with orange (sodium) lights the other day and it was bliss.
I won't go to late gym classes anymore as I hate walking or driving back. It's really got me down tbh.

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 28/10/2025 08:44

Funny how 96% think your are NBU (as do I) but 50% of those probably have these ridiculous lights!

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:45

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 28/10/2025 08:44

Funny how 96% think your are NBU (as do I) but 50% of those probably have these ridiculous lights!

I was thinking the same

OP posts:
Justputsomeyoghurtonit · 28/10/2025 08:47

SodOffbacktoaibu · 28/10/2025 08:42

Yep. Been a problem for years. Worse at night but I hate it even during the daytime.

Worst are Teslas I find. Also the sheer size and placement high up when my car is smaller, is difficult. New minis are dreadful and Nissan Jukes because the lights are really high up.

What would also help is not have people drive up my bumper! 🙄 People do not know what a stopping distance is anymore.

And finally, the flash to say thank you is not actually very pleasant. I don't want to be blinded, thanks.

Morning moan over. As you were.

I violently flash twatty teslas who seem oblivious to the fact they are blinding us all. (sorry if you drive one, I'm sure you are nice, I'm cross with tesla not you!)

I drive a vw passat. One of my car conditions when I bought it was that it didn't come with anti social headlights.

I live rurally and the big offenders are new landovers and teslas.

Ihateboris · 28/10/2025 08:47

ThatsNotAKnife · 28/10/2025 08:43

Yanbu. Combined with the LED streetlights being turned down and the blinding headlights it feels really risky walking after dark.
I've started wearing a really bright running headlight so I can see and also get my own back a bit. I asked our council to turn the streetlights back up but they won't as it saves money. I walked somewhere with orange (sodium) lights the other day and it was bliss.
I won't go to late gym classes anymore as I hate walking or driving back. It's really got me down tbh.

Oh what a great idea re the running headlight! Off to Amazon...

OP posts:
LakieLady · 28/10/2025 08:49

I hate these lights. I live in a small town in an otherwise rural area, so do a lot of driving on unlit roads. They are a complete pain in the arse.

They even manage to be blinding when they're behind me sometimes. The other night my car was so lit up by the headlights of the car behind me that I swear a passenger could have read a book as I was driving along.

olderbutwiser · 28/10/2025 08:50

I suspect I have those ridiculous lights. I used to drive a 15 year old fiesta and was dazzled all the time. Now I have a newer Ev and the lights are so much brighter it was really noticeable. But night driving was sooo much easier. I found the setting to make them point more downwards though which I can tell makes a difference to oncoming cars because I’m not getting flashed any more!