[Nick]

There was definitely a tipping point for me in the few years prior to Covid where, as I was driving home from work on a night, the oncoming headlights on the busy, unlit North Yorkshire roads I needed to get home on were noticeable more dazzling than I seemed to remember. I did make an assumption it was the new LED type lights.

To be fair, I don't drive as much at night since Covid but noticed on some recent motorway journeys the same thing.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on the current brightness of modern headlights - a couple of articles for your perusal!

Are headlights too bright? (Source: RAC)
Government launches study into LED headlights following dazzling concerns (Source: Whatcar?)

[Rolebama]

Most definitely, even the govt agree, although they are wittering on about it being down to MOT Testers to sort out. It is not just that they are bright, it seems they are not aligned with the reflectors correctly, so just throw light out in every direction. There is absolutely no way should I be dazzled by oncoming traffic when I am on a left-hand curve or bend, yet every one of these lights does. Sooner they are gone, the better.

[Drivingforfun]

I'm not sure if it's perhaps also down to drivers not setting them properly?

This is just my experience and others' may well differ but when I got my first car with LED lights I (not knowing any better) just started using the car "out the box" and regularly got flashed at a handful of times each time I went out; since realising they need adjusting and are much more sensitive to proper adjusting I very very rarely have anyone take issue with my lights now

[Nick]

I definitely think it's a combination yes - they are definitely brighter, and there is for sure an element of drivers adjusting them at some point, for some reason, that makes them out of alignment. I don't really feel I have any reason to adjust them in normal circumstances so not sure why people would....

[Drivingforfun]

@Nick I'm not talking about getting tools out, but using the wheel that points them up or down. I'm also meaning just once, it's not a regular thing. You're meant to adjust them when you have a heavy load, as it affects the stance of the car and so your lights. However, when you buy a new car it's common for dealers not to even set the tyre pressures right so there's a few bits you need to do when you first pick it up, making sure the lights are not incorrectly levelled is one

[Nick]

Haha, I'm definitely not one for getting tools out for car related things, I've used the headlight wheel thing before but can't really remember why. Having said that I have changed bulbs a few times on old cars, not my current one so far, and it sounds as though can often be a source of misalignment too, if the new bulb isn't seated in the housing correctly.

[olduser]

The last time I took a car for MOT I noticed the headlamp alignment tester was under a heap of stuff in a corner.
With the test over I commented about Headlights not being checked, their response was, "on modern cars headlights are fixed so there is no need to check"

All modern cars I have driven have provision to lower the head lights when carrying loads or passengers in the back seats.
At service they should set it back to the driver only position then set the head lights.

LED's are a smaller light source, this enables the reflector to be more effective but this gives a sharp cut off at the edges of the beam.
That is, at the edges the light goes from black to light with little or no graduation, this fools the eye into seeing the beam as brighter.

Another problem is the effects of anything on the windscreen is exacerbated because the windscreens today are further away from the driver, and sloping.

In the RAC notes, I noticed drivers were commenting on oncoming lights forcing them to slow but presumably the respondent would have been on dipped beams they would have to slow!
Or were they driving too fast on dipped beams.

When I was learning to drive, and complained of bright headlights approaching, I was told to stop looking at them then.
Translated means, look at the edge of the road on your nearside!

[Rolebama]

I have had aligning wheels on my last four cars. I always take them to my garage to have them checked out, as I believe a second look can't hurt. On each occasion we have put lights to maximum height to check them, and adjusted them to be 'neutral' on max height. With each of the cars, this only had to done in the first instance.

As an aside to this, the first car I had with this feature, my usual mechanic was off sick, and I had to take it elsewhere. I opted to wait for it, and noticed everyone being charged £12.50 for an alignment adjustment as part of their MOT. I asked to watch the Test* being carried out on my car, and I could see by the expression on his face that the Tester wasn't happy. I was not charged £12.50.
*It wasn't due an MOT, but that seemed the best way, to me, to have it checked by a stranger. Nor did I pay a full MOT fee as there was no emission testing done.

[NMNeil]

Originally Posted by olduser

When I was learning to drive, and complained of bright headlights approaching, I was told to stop looking at them then.
Translated means, look at the edge of the road on your nearside!

Coming home from work one night a driver coming towards me had his lights on main beam, or brights as they say here. A quick high beam flash from me, and no change. A longer high beam flash, and no change. Full on high beam and still no change. Went back to dipped lights and turned on my overhead blue and reds which got an immediate dipped light response. I pulled the driver over ready to give him an earful but nothing else and found that he had an outstanding arrest warrant. Impounded the car, took him off to jail and claimed 2 hours overtime 🤣

[Bartdude]

@Nick
I normally have a new car every 3 years and from my experience I've had cars that I could raise the dipped beam higher than what I would suggest is the legal limit and would get flashed constantly. I know a work colleague who had the same with his new Land Rover. So should these be checked before new cars are sold? I never have to have my cars MOT'd. Is this another reason cars are constantly blinding other drivers?

[Nick]

All new cars often have multi-point checks done as part of that process, so I assume that is part of it, but couldn't honestly say. If the alignment is part of the MOT test then I guess it could be a place where it's missed for sure - depends if it's been nudged or something before hand.

[Santa]

I think that the main problem is from people who switch from filament bulbs to LEDs with the same reflectors.

I drive a Mondeo with factory-fitted LEDs and auto-dip. I never get 'flashed' Many Mondeos, were/are fitted with poor lights (described as candles by some) and switch then to the very much brighter LEDs.