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

[Ihateboris]

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

I read this article this morning - at last

Ive had large SUVs tailgating me with these lights and blinding me, I have to find somewhere to pull over and get them in front of me.
Its terrible on motorways as the lights are blinding from behind as well as in front in the opposite direction and the drivers just don't realise

Yes, I've often had to pull over too. It's all very wrong.

It's about time people have been complaining about this for years. Driving at night is exhausting because of the bright headlights in front and behind. I also think there are quite a sizable minority of people that drive with full beams on busy roads because they don't seem to know how to work their lights. For those struggling with lights from car behind dazzling their wing mirror because driver too close I just start breaking randomly and find they soon back off

Xiaoxiong

can't you just put your side lights on if you are driving in a built up area?

Yes, it's intimidating ...I actually feel like I'm being bullied when driving my little car. I know that sounds silly but driving just isn't pleasurable anymore.

Not to be critical, and understand some people are affected, but this review is frankly nothing but toilet paper.

It wont address the millions of cars on the road that have current LED and Laser light headlights - and so while the next generation of vehicles that comply with whatever legislation is eventually laid, there will still be millions of cars out there that affect drivers (in different visual ways).

OEMs have gone down this route precisely because thats what they were mandated to do - although that said, there are still a great many people who even during daylight hours have fucking awful spatial awareness and driving "skills" and shouldnt be on the road - a far bigger issue than headlights.

Meh.

Until DH physically adjusted my headlights people thought I was driving with full beam on, it's just the normal beam on these LED lights.
Also, break checking is illegal and dangerous driving. Much safer to pull over and let them pass!

Wonderful news, but it will only be worth the paper it’s written on if the government actually enforces it with a ban on lights over a certain strength. If they just issue a limp advisory then everyone will ignore them and carry on as is.

I’d ban them in a heartbeat - it may may the road easier for you to navigate, but it makes it 10x more dangerous for everyone else.

I don't brake check, I just slow down gradually till they back off. That's what my driving instructor told me to do. I don't see why they should bully their way past by tail gating and trying to blind me

Hopefully they will include mandatory adjustments to cars currently on the roads? Might just be wishful thinking though

I no longer drive at night either. I thought it was my age/astigmatism!!! But obviously not. I see 'trails' of light for seconds and feel slightly nauseated.

I have the same problem and a couple of years ago I bought some glasses with a special anti-glare coating purely for driving.

They really help (though obviously don’t solve the problem of the headlights being too bright to start with)!

Not likely.

Who is going to pay for it firstly? Owners? No chance.

OEMs? No chance.

The fucked up Government of the day? More chance the first two cough up!

That said, its worthwhile mandating more eye tests for drivers too.

Sorry, you said you start breaking randomly, it sounded like brake checking. If someone is tailgating me I slow down gradually too, if they're going to rear end me I'd rather it be at a slower speed 🤣
FWIW I don't tailgate, i hang well back from other cars. I'm very conscious of my lights although I appreciate most other drivers aren't. I think driving standards in general have dropped.

The dazzle from headlights is genuinely frightening. When you throw in the amount of major roads with zero streetlights now, which would help to disperse the headlight glare, I now just try my level best to avoid driving in the dark.

I actually had to leave my job/career because of these insane neon white lights. Probably partly age too but I swore last winter would be my last driving in pitch blackness with blinding lights and heavy rain, seeing accidents every day. It just started to feel like a real risk.
I'm now working safely from home.
I don't know what the hell car manufacturers were thinking when they switched from the perfectly functional warm white to the horrific neon white.

Does no one actually consider it’s the angle of the dipped beam? Thats the major issue and this should be part of the Mot test. It’s fairly easy to fail a car based on too bright lights and angle of lights.

I certainly don’t agree vast numbers of dipped headlights are made to glare. That’s simply not true. Retro fitting and poor maintenance and an aging population are the biggest issues. I’ve a very modern electric car with multi beam lights. I’ve never been flashed and they dip automatically - but they dip with a clear cut off and are angled in front of me and the verge. It’s really not most car lights. It’s poor adjustment.

@Stormwhatnow

"I don't know what the hell car manufacturers were thinking when they switched from the perfectly functional warm white to the horrific neon white."

Your anger is misplaced.

OEMs change their headlight solutions based on the regulations issued by Government policies.

The same twats doing this pointless "review" are the same ones that previously argued for and mandated for more powerful headlights. OEMs simply complied otherwise they'd be out of business.

@HelplessSoul Yes, it was not that long ago we didn’t want glow worm lights! I certainly don’t. My new car lights are a huge improvement on the 2011 car I still own. It’s not glare, it’s accuracy and allows the driver to see cyclists in front of them on their side of the road and pedestrians.

I agree. We adjusted our lights after we bought this car as we kept getting flashed. On the MOT they put them back to straight ahead. I didn't realise and first time driving it in the dark started getting flashed again. Not sure why they did it, they weren't dipped too low , I was visible and could still see properly in the dark, just wasn't dazzling everyone ahead!

But when you're dazzled from an oncoming car you can't see shit, certainly not a cyclist or pedestrian! There must be a happy medium

Brilliant, I'm sick of being blinded by these lights. Many newer bigger cars have them and they really hit at the wrong place when they are behind as well as oncoming.

Me too!! Kinda glad it’s not just me 😅

This is good news. I now avoid driving at night for this reason.

Whilst blinding everyone else on the road!

This "I'm alright Jack" attitude is exactly what the issue. I'm glad you can see everything crystal clear, unfortunately your lights will be harming others.