Modern headlights "blinding drivers", say RAC

[slade1]

Have a look at lightmare.org

 

[MancMike]

Have a look at lightmare.org

My god that looks like a blast from the past. Lovely retro website.

I guess the answer to the question it's asking though, is that the benefit of more powerful, brighter lights punching further down the road outweighs the occasional and momentary dazzling effect it could have on other motorists which are an unknown quantity anyway.

What's important is that the light is well controlled, and I think that tech is improving all the time, with LED matrix lights that can completely omit light being fired at an oncoming vehicle's windscreen, etc.

The real "lightmare" is aftermarket "upgrades", and idiots driving with full beam on because those are the headlights, right?

 

[190]

For me it's all about overall visibility. Headlight glare destroys visibility and excessively bright headlights more so. The only time brighter headlights are of value is illuminating a dark unlit road. When busy urban roads are lit by street lamps excessively bright headlights reduce overall visibility. Does anyone remember when it was the norm to drive on sidelights when the road was lit by streetlights to a certain standard. Do you remember if cars kept crashing into each other because of lack of visibility ? They did not because visibility was adequate and not destroyed by glare. The uncontrolled and apparently unregulated race to see who can have the brightest lights is madness. Excessively bright incandescent lamps were banned for the good reason that they reduced safety yet excessively bright new technology lamps seem to be permitted. The regulators seem to have lost control.

 

[WDB124066]

^ Accommodating the lowest common denominator I think they call it.

FWIW I drive with side lights on with a full moon at night out in the country especially in summer - anybody know why? Never had a problem.

 

[slade1]

Auto lights come on far too soon, my CLK has them and I don’t use this feature. I have eyes and switch on when required.

 

[renault12ts]

Auto lights come on far too soon, my CLK has them and I don’t use this feature. I have eyes and switch on when required.

It's not about what you can see...but who can see you. I have my lights on full time during the winter months.

 

[Chrishazle]

I take it 1 step further - my car does not have DRL's, so my only option is dip beam on whenever ignition is on/engine running. OK, I don't need the lights in daylight, but it does make me more visible to other drivers, which is why I activated that option.

 

[190]

Auto lights come on far too soon, my CLK has them and I don’t use this feature. I have eyes and switch on when required.

Mine too. It's a nuisance that they come on in broad daylight when I put the car in the garage.

 

[slade1]

It's not about what you can see...but who can see you. I have my lights on full time during the winter months.

What is required Is common sense which appears to be sadly lacking these days. DRLs, why are try so bright, also why do they stay on with the head lights? As far as I can see on the internet they do little or nothing for road safety. Car manufacturers love them, styling gimmicks. Late 70s 80s and early 90s I did around 35K a year and never had a problem in seeing my around or been seen.

 

[renault12ts]

What is required Is common sense which appears to be sadly lacking these days. DRLs, why are try so bright, also why do they stay on with the head lights? As far as I can see on the internet they do little or nothing for road safety. Car manufacturers love them, styling gimmicks. Late 70s 80s and early 90s I did around 35K a year and never had a problem in seeing my around or been seen.

Given the number of drivers who fail to put their lights on when appropriate I'd rather have auto headlamps.

 

[Stoker]

It's the b****ds who flick to high beam when you are just 2 or 3 yards from passing that really annoy me.
I was taught to close one eye when blinded by oncoming headlights and open the cloased one after passing the blinfding light.
2 or 3 yards is not enough time to react to this.
Never decided whether this is bad manners or deliberate.
Jim

I can confirm that Police Advanced Motorist Instructors advise looking down and slightly left to avoid direct blinding by oncoming driveers

 

[Stoker]

^ Accommodating the lowest common denominator I think they call it.

FWIW I drive with side lights on with a full moon at night out in the country especially in summer - anybody know why? Never had a problem.

It is worth noting that there is never a time for driving with only sidelights catered for either in the Highway code or in legislation
If you require lights whether as a precaution or necessity. you should use dipped beam

Over here in Northern Ireland the biggest problem I encounter is dipsticks with fog lamps on either thinking they look like DRL's or cool
The intensity of fog lamps in normal use cause annopyance and confusion in abundance

Stoker

 

[WDB124066]

I don't use fog lamps because it is very rare that I experience fog.

Try driving at night, on a full moon in summer, with your head lights on dipped beam on the roads I drive on, and soon you won't be able to see out of the windscreen irrespective of how much summerfit you use. And considering our air is some of the clearest in the world, under a full moon with no clouds is a quite a bright place to be.

 

[Rashman]

I remember a while back, I took the car out.
Hadnt driven it for a while and I put all the lights on, just to get a current going through them and working.
So I had headlights on and fogs.
Pulled into a petrol station, where there was also a police car fueling up.
I fueled up and went in to pay.
Came out and the police car was now parked by the entrance of the shop.
I walked out and the policeman in the passenger seat called me over.

Queue sarccy copper:

“Is it foggy?”, he asked.
“No”, I replied.
“Well why have you got your fog lights on?”, he asked.

I went on to explain and he told me I’m dazzling other drivers for no reason and to turn them off.

Really?!
My fogs are more dazzling than all these DRL’s?

Joke.

He drove off.
I left the petrol station and merged onto a motorway just up the road, where the same coppers were waiting, on the hardshoulder.
Probably took a guess at which way I was heading and wanted to catch me with fogs on again.
I had my fogs off.

I drove past and they fell in behind me and then flanked me for a mile or so before driving off ahead.

Yeah, real policing going on there.

 

[renault12ts]

Two things:

1. Do you really need to exercise the lamps on your car?

2. You could have said that there are very few cars coming the other way whilst on the forecourt of a petrol station.

 

[cheddar]

I suppose it would keep damp from forming in the lights if the car is rarely used.
Especially if it’s just been washed.
We see a lot more ‘steamed up’ lights on cars now with xenon and LED technology, they just don’t produce as much heat as halogen lamps did.

 

[Rashman]

Two things:

1. Do you really need to exercise the lamps on your car?

You’d think not, as I used to, but I was told that circuits shouldn’t really be left without a current going through them for prolonged periods of time.

I was also reminded of this by someone who has a mint Cosworth that’s been in storage for last 20yrs.

When I let my car tick over periodically during the winter, I usually fire up all the electrics, just to get them working.

 

[shyam27]

Yeah, I've been on both ends.

Whilst driving new cars, in particular new Mercedes, I always find the HID's have a flat line at the top which only ends on the surface of the road so it doesn't even let you see very far!

And when I'm driving around in other cars, usually low little hot hatches, I feel like I'm being blinded by all these bastard HID's on new cars.. it can be fatal on them B roads! They need new regulation on them!

 

[slade1]

Yeah, I've been on both ends.

Whilst driving new cars, in particular new Mercedes, I always find the HID's have a flat line at the top which only ends on the surface of the road so it doesn't even let you see very far!

And when I'm driving around in other cars, usually low little hot hatches, I feel like I'm being blinded by all these bastard HID's on new cars.. it can be fatal on them B roads! They need new regulation on them!

Particularly the high rise cars, Range Rovers etc.

 

[190]

Yeah, real policing going on there

I think they were reasonable to give you a warning as given you had technically committed an offence, they could have booked you on the spot.