[Lily]

Hi there!

My colleagues at the RAC spotted our discussions about driving in the rain and anti-glare glasses, and they shared some news that might spark an even brighter debate.

As reported on the BBC, many drivers are saying modern LED headlights are too bright:some even describe being “blinded” by oncoming cars at night. The government is now reviewing headlight design as part of its upcoming Road Safety Strategy.

According to the RAC, three-quarters of drivers say night driving feels harder because of glare. Our senior policy officer, Rod Dennis, summed it up perfectly:

“We don’t want to go back to worse headlights... it’s about finding what’s bright enough.”

If you’re struggling with glare, the College of Optometrists recommends:

🧽 Keep your windscreen and glasses clean (seems pretty logical to me!)

👀 Focus on the left-hand edge of the road, not directly into headlights (@olduser, you mentioned this!)

🚫 Avoid “night driving” sunglasses – they actually make it harder to see.

What do you think?

Are modern headlights too dazzling, or are they just helping us see better?
Night driving glasses: yes or no?

[Rolebama]

They are not just too bright, there are a lot which need proper adjustment. I have noticed more and more instances of oncoming traffic dazzling me when I am on a left-hand curve. There is also a marked increase of those who just don't seem to understand the concept of a dipswitch.

[Drivingforfun]

Adjustment seems to matter much more with LED lights than with old-fashioned lights. I'm guilty as the first* car I had with LED lights I didn't know why I kept getting flashed at – I could see, what's the problem? I lowered them and people stopped flashing at me, but I couldn't see. A bit of trial-and-error and now it's good.

*Of course the next time I picked up a car with LED lights, I remembered to change them on day one, but decided I couldn't be bothered and wouldn't be doing any night time driving any time soon anyway. I did change them after the first time I went out for a night drive and got politely reminded 😊

[Rolebama]

It seems quite surprising to think that my first car, a Mini, had a pair of 25W self-focus headlamp bulbs. Yet more so when I remember taking it to Dorset through the night, with no street lights, on the A30, at speeds of up to 70mph. Or riding around Europe with a 6V 25Wbulb on my BSA A10, at speeds of up to 90mph.

[olduser]

Originally Posted by Drivingforfun

Adjustment seems to matter much more with LED lights than with old-fashioned lights. I'm guilty as the first* car I had with LED lights I didn't know why I kept getting flashed at – I could see, what's the problem? I lowered them and people stopped flashing at me, but I couldn't see. A bit of trial-and-error and now it's good.

*Of course the next time I picked up a car with LED lights, I remembered to change them on day one, but decided I couldn't be bothered and wouldn't be doing any night time driving any time soon anyway. I did change them after the first time I went out for a night drive and got politely reminded 😊

Your being unable to see on dipped lights can be explained - you were driving too fast!

When I started driving, when on dipped headlights we slowed down, the approaching traffic could be exploited to illuminate the road until the opposing driver got too close then we would have to slow down.

Filament bulb head lights could not give a sharp beam due to the size of the bulb, (for a parabolic reflector the light source should be infinitely small) so the light beam gently faded out towards the edges. On dipped beam a different bulb or filament is used, which is not at the focal centre of the reflector, positioned to direct the beam downwards but to the left, and spread out more. (There were a few cars that actually moved the reflector to achieve the same effect.) This defocusing gave the resultant light beams even more width of fading at the edges on dip.

LED's can give from 1.5 to about 3.5 more light for less watts input with a smaller light source. Smaller light source = better focus = strong light beam right to the edges = greater contrast between being in the beam and out but the eye takes time to adjust from light to dark and visa versa.(it's the retina that takes time the iris moves quickly)

Add to this, more higher cars (SUV's) with head lamps nearer the level of a standard car's driver's eyes, longer travel and softer suspensions allowing the cars attitude to change in pitch mode, and the pitch being affected by the loading of the car, all results in the light beams pitching up and down excessively.

The cure might be to link the dip setting to the vehicles pitch to work automatically but this would have to be fast in operation, and there is a need to stop the driver being able to adjust the the dip setting, 'cause drivers do lift the dip so the can drive faster on dip.

[olduser]

Not sure how I managed to get two versions.
Admin can you delete the 15:15 version please.

[Drivingforfun]

I do actually adjust my speed when on headlights!!

I always applied "always be able to stop in the distance you can see" in every scenario, not just going round blind corners. Same for fog and other stuff! I'm not sure if that was the spirit of the rule but it makes sense to me

[olduser]

Originally Posted by Drivingforfun

I do actually adjust my speed when on headlights!!

I always applied "always be able to stop in the distance you can see" in every scenario, not just going round blind corners. Same for fog and other stuff! I'm not sure if that was the spirit of the rule but it makes sense to me

I was referring to changing speed on dipped beam but yes if as you say you are adjusting your speed to stay within the breaking distances you will automatically be changing speed.

Mentioning this was prompted by being the passenger in hospital transport cars, most of the route is on well lit busy roads, up to 60 MPH feels comfortable on dipped beams even in the unlit sections due to the oncoming traffic illuminating our road ahead.

Should the drivers take to the B roads to avoid the traffic, they will try to drive at the same speed for some time then they will slow until their top speed falls to around 40 MPH on dipped beams, which feels comfortable again. (I am ignoring the bends) Using the violence of braking as a yardstick, it would seem they maintain speed until they frighten themselves, and only then do they adjust.

The one exception is a middle aged lady, she adjusts the moment she leaves the A roads.

[Drivingforfun]

To me it seems a good example of speed limits having to cater to the lowest common denominator

Spending lots of time on country lanes, I find it at the same time refreshing and unnerving seeing national speed limit signs between villages. I like being treated as a grown-up that can trust their judgment, but worry about a city-dweller thinking "it's legal (well, not speeding, at least) to drive at 60mph on this single track road with limited sight of the road ahead so it must be safe"

Perhaps @Rolebama will know the road I'm referring to but the A505 between Baldock and Royston is one that I question a lot. It's NSL with lots of speed cameras – I take a bit of a weird satisfaction passing people at 70mph past the speed cameras who slow down despite the NSL signs... but there are quite a few dips in the road affecting visibility and at the bottom of the dips are junctions into villages on both sides (so people crossing the opposing 2 lanes of traffic; or slowing down in the right hand lane) – it's still 70mph but often to me doesn't seem appropriate unless it's very clear of traffic

[Santa]

My 2015 car had LED lights (all but the number plate lamp, for some mysterious reason). It has an "Auto" mode (Which I leave on all the time) that is self-levelling and automatically dips when it detects an oncoming light. They also took round bends, which is a neat trick, just like my father's DS19 did back in the 60s.

Last winter, I was making daily evening drives on some unlit country lanes near Worcester. No one flashed me.

[Rolebama]

@Drivingforfun I can't say I know the road well, but have used it a few times. I agree with your comment about people braking for the cameras. Same on the A1 just north of Biggleswade, either direction.

[Drivingforfun]

@Rolebama yeah I know about those ones. The people braking for those are usually at least actually speeding before they break, though 😆

Except for the motorcyclist who happily set off the camera with his middle finger raised toward it – I hope for his sake he was sure that it was a front-facing one

[Lily]

@Santa that's quite handy, maybe they need to introduce regulations so all cars have this "auto" mode. If your car is from 2015 the technology has existed for over a decade, maybe it's more expensive and some cheaper models don't include it to cut costs.

[Santa]

@Lily
I'm sure you are right. As said above, it's important to have headlights correctly adjusted.

One problem is that people put the wrong bulbs in to make poor lights brighter. If they don't match the reflector, they may well be dazzling. (An MOT failure, I think?)

[Rolebama]

FWIW: Some years ago, my daughter bought me an HID light kit for Xmas. I had the 406 at the time, and it was labelled as a straightforward exchange. First thing I noticed was that the kit contained an H4 conversion, but the 406 had H7s. There was also a note in the paperwork about a self-levelling kit needed, so I was referred to my dealer. They assured that there is no kit available, and never has been.
This makes me wonder how many of these types of kits were sold, and how they were fitted.

[Santa]

My car is a 2015 Mondeo and as i said, has LED headlights. Cheaper models were fitted with very poor lights - described by some as two candles. Someone in the group dedicated to the marque offers a conversion kit that not only works, but is legal as well.

[HarryH]

I wrote a reply and something went wrong my end and don’t think it went! I get increasing frustrated driving at night when on coming vehicles headlights are out of alignment or are a dazzling white light. They might see better but I cannot! It’s just dangerous! Government and manufacturers need to sort this urgently.

[Rolebama]

Went out last night to have a drive round and visit the ATM. Isn't it amazing how many drivers blind you with maladjusted 'fog' lights on clear nights? Yet last night, which was decidedly foggy, not one of the oncoming cars had them on!