Bright car headlights, dazzling - any options for me?

[gswindale]

The auto-dipping is a problem I find as well.

In fact a few years ago, we went out for a walk over Christmas with family and a family member drove us to a nearby Parkland. Coming back in the dark, I noticed that in fact the headlights seemed to dip more often than not after they'd passed another car on the hills/bends on the way back rather than before - suggesting that either the system didn't work or something was faulty in the setup.

It's not just headlights though - I'm always getting incredibly frustrated by those drivers who seem to want to blind the person behind them at traffic lights or in a traffic jam - once you're stationary and the car behind has also stopped, there is absolutely no need to sit with your foot on the brake pedal - please just use the handbrake and let your engine turn off (if it has that functionality) - you're then slightly less polluting both in terms of emissions and light and also not blinding other drivers.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Om my 20-mile round cycle trip between Burgess Hill and Lewes on 5 November, I had to stop four or five times because of being dazzled by oncoming vehicles. In fairness, the drivers did dip their lights when they saw me, but in some cases it took quite a while before they became aware of my presence, despite lights, reflective jacket etc. I'm always worried about becoming disorientated and wobbling into their path in such a situation.

 

[Tetchytyke]

once you're stationary and the car behind has also stopped, there is absolutely no need to sit with your foot on the brake pedal - please just use the handbrake and let your engine turn off (if it has that functionality)

Many modern cars now have auto-hold on the footbrake. Push the pedal down and the car will hold it on the brake when you take your foot off it, even if the engine stop-start has turned the engine off. That's what mine does.

I still use my electric handbrake if I'm going to be at the lights a while or if it's a steep hill, but that's preference; the car will hold itself on the foot brake automatically.

The auto-dipping is a problem I find as well.

Depends. The auto-dipper isn't as fast as manual intervention- I find I have to intervene on my auto-dipper fairly regularly- but it's a hell of a lot faster than people who forget to dip their full beam.

People forgetting is pretty common in rural areas, I know I've done it plenty of timed.

My pet peeve is people who drive around with their front fog lights on when it isn't foggy. Front fog lights do dazzle.

 

[zero]

I'm always getting incredibly frustrated by those drivers who seem to want to blind the person behind them at traffic lights or in a traffic jam - once you're stationary and the car behind has also stopped, there is absolutely no need to sit with your foot on the brake pedal - please just use the handbrake and let your engine turn off (if it has that functionality) - you're then slightly less polluting both in terms of emissions and light and also not blinding other drivers.

I understand where you are coming from. I have a hybrid so the engine is off when I press the foot brake. The reason I dislike using the "handbrake" is because there isn't a proper handbrake, it's electronic and doesn't respond quickly. When I tried using it, I just got honked because I didn't immediately start moving when the lights turned green.

When stopped at traffic lights it's probably less than once a day that I see a car in front of me not using the foot brake.

 

[DarloRich]

My pet peeve is people who drive around with their front fog lights on when it isn't foggy. Front fog lights do dazzle.

they should be whipped or at the very least given a very hard stare. Indicative of a wrong un.

 

[zero]

My pet peeve is people who drive around with their front fog lights on when it isn't foggy. Front fog lights do dazzle.

I forget where it happened and the exact circumstances, but once I had to hog the rightmost lane for a while because I wasn't able to overtake a middle lane hogger who had his rear fog light on when it wasn't foggy.

 

[gg1]

I forget where it happened and the exact circumstances, but once I had to hog the rightmost lane for a while because I wasn't able to overtake a middle lane hogger who had his rear fog light on when it wasn't foggy.

This is something which seems to have become a lot more common in recent years. There have always been people who used them unnecessarily in light mist or when there's fairly low levels of spray but what's changed is the amount of people who've taken to using them on dry, clear nights.

 

[Ediswan]

I can recall complaints that the then new halogen headlights (3000 K) were 'dazzling' compared to icandescent (2700 K). There were probably complaints when incandescent replaced oil lamps.

I don't like auto-dip either. Maybe one day it will get to use 'AI' and be proactive, like a human driver.

 

[route101]

I have noticed as well. The LED street lights dont help, dark spots and I struggle to see anyone wanting to cross the road at times. Rarely drive on unlit country roads except Motorways and DC.

 

[zero]

I don't like auto-dip either. Maybe one day it will get to use 'AI' and be proactive, like a human driver.

AI has a long way to go before it's suitable for UK roads. In fact I wonder if some of the bad driving I've seen in the past year is the driver assist features trying to be too smart

 

[DM352]

It's not an age thing. Technology has improved to make them brighter, there is an upward trend of people going for bigger SUV type vehicles that put headlights higher and more in the eyeline. There are also those that use overly bright illegal bulbs and LED bulbs in non suitable housings...ie LED bulbs in reflector housings.

That is what is happening in my neck of the woods where LEDs are put in old housing and there is no MOT equivalent unless switching provinces. They get bonus points if you are driving a sedan and the LED modified vehicle behind is a truck or SUV, and they get annoyed why you then slow down because you cannot see.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

I drive a modern car with these “bright” headlights and in the dark, I have occasionally got flashed at where the other driver thinks I’ve got my full beam on but I don’t. I feel bad as I know how dazzling bright headlights can be.
Speaking of which, modern trains and modern railway signals are very bright too and there are plenty of drivers that complain about this dazzling them.

 

[Tetchytyke]

In fact I wonder if some of the bad driving I've seen in the past year is the driver assist features trying to be too smart

Some of it definitely is. Automatic headlights aren’t great at detecting fog, which is why you see so many silver cars driving around in fog with no lights on.

The real problem is that people don’t think to intervene when the car has made the wrong decision. You only have to look the number of crashes involving Tesla’s self-driving system to see that.

 

[Yew]

Driving a traditional-sized hatch back I find that taller vehicles/family trucks seem to have their headlights at my eye level and glare from both ahead and behind.

Yes, I think that we have a combination of two things, modern cars often use "projector" fixtures, with a sharp cut-off, often with an automatic levelling feature, that will put that cut-off as high as will pass an MOT, and higher intensity Xenon or LED bulbs. Combined with the fashion for ever higher "sports utility" type vehicles is causing more issues.


I do wonder if we need to review the regulations for SUV's, as it does seem like their light-fittings consistently cause issues with other road users.

please just use the handbrake and let your engine turn off (if it has that functionality) - you're then slightly less polluting both in terms of emissions and light and also not blinding other drivers.

Many stop-start systems do not turn off if the hand-brake is activated, particularly in vehicles with electric hand-brakes.

 

[Egg Centric]

IME, if you are driving a car that has xenons/led, your eyes adjust and oncoming traffic isn't a problem. The difficulty is driving a car that doesn't. At the moment we seem to be about 50/50 so the worst possible place - presumably this will get better in the next decade or two as anything non-classic will have them.

And I second the recommendation for getting decent lenses in your glasses. Makes a massive difference. Zeiss Drivesafe / Hoya EnRoute for example. Ask an optiician.

 

[Crossover]

I think LED may have a part to play. When my other half got new glasses recently, one of the many options was for a coating that assists with glare from LED headlights, allegedly, alongside the various other coatings that can be applied

Spare a thought for the cyclist - and pedestrians - who get dazzled by full beam by all the drivers who think that they only need to dip them for other car drivers.

The auto-dip/beam are just as bad, as they leave full beam on when approaching pedestrians and cyclists, completely blinding them to the point of forcing them off the road until their vision returns. BMW 4x4s being by far the worst in my experience - both for headlight angle and driver behaviour.

My new car (Skoda Kodiaq) has matrix LED headlights - not something I specifically specified, but came with the car - in theory it should turn full beam on and off automatically, lighting up areas where there are no vehicles whilst allowing full beam on areas where they aren't (such as road signs) - it is quite interesting watching it at play as it lights up random bits of road.

I have currently turned it off though and will get the alignment checked when it goes for service (seems to a common complaint of the new model of the car with them fitted) as I have been flashed a few times when using them. This was most prevalent on the A38 when driving to Derby a few weeks ago and had truck after truck flash me from the opposite carriageway, so something clearly isn't right.

It's not just headlights though - I'm always getting incredibly frustrated by those drivers who seem to want to blind the person behind them at traffic lights or in a traffic jam - once you're stationary and the car behind has also stopped, there is absolutely no need to sit with your foot on the brake pedal - please just use the handbrake and let your engine turn off (if it has that functionality) - you're then slightly less polluting both in terms of emissions and light and also not blinding other drivers.

Many modern cars now have auto-hold on the footbrake. Push the pedal down and the car will hold it on the brake when you take your foot off it, even if the engine stop-start has turned the engine off. That's what mine does.

I still use my electric handbrake if I'm going to be at the lights a while or if it's a steep hill, but that's preference; the car will hold itself on the foot brake automatically.

This - my old car did this and my new car does the same. I do try and apply the electronic handbrake if sat at lights and it is dark, but I don't always remember (and the parking brake on my new car isn't in the traditional place and a little more awkward to get to as you have to lean forward to apply it)

I do sometimes wonder if it is beyond the wit of man to have the auto hold extinguish the brake lights once the car is stopped if the pedal isn't being pressed.

 

[cb a1]

I do sometimes wonder if it is beyond the wit of man to have the auto hold extinguish the brake lights once the car is stopped if the pedal isn't being pressed.

Back when I was still driving, I would always use my hand-brake when stopped as dazzle from brake lights was very tiring and could trigger visual migraines. However, if I were the stationary rear vehicle on a high speed road, I would have my hand-brake on AND my foot brake on. Only when another driver was stationary (or near stationary) behind me would I take my foot off the brake. I was taught this by an advanced driving instructor to reduce the chance of being rear-ended.

I've no idea how an AI is trained to drive a car. I would hope that they would only train their system on advanced defensive drivers rather than the general public!!

 

[gswindale]

Back when I was still driving, I would always use my hand-brake when stopped as dazzle from brake lights was very tiring and could trigger visual migraines. However, if I were the stationary rear vehicle on a high speed road, I would have my hand-brake on AND my foot brake on. Only when another driver was stationary (or near stationary) behind me would I take my foot off the brake. I was taught this by an advanced driving instructor to reduce the chance of being rear-ended.

That's pretty much what I do - especially now it is dark - make myself as visible as possible, but once I'm sure the car behind is stopping behind me (or has stopped), then foot off the brake so as to be considerate to the driver behind.

 

[ChrisC]

It is also very easy as you get older to get out of the habit of driving in the dark, especially in locations on unlit country roads. Then after a long period of not doing so the lights can seem unusually bright and dazzling. Since I retired I have kept very active and regularly have very full and busy days but I’m not going out very often on dark winter evenings. Most of my meet ups with friends are now during the day, I go out for meals at lunchtime instead of evenings and even my theatre visits are often to an afternoon matinee performance. When I go to visit my sister who lives around 50 away, in winter I tend to go after it’s light in the morning and return home late afternoon before it’s dark. The whole 50 miles is almost all on winding unlit country roads. In fact, journeys in most directions from where I live are on unlit roads.

I’m only in my late 60s but I’m beginning to realise how little I do go out in the evenings during winter. Lack of regular experience of driving in the dark could have some effect regarding tolerance of bright oncoming lights. Not driving related, but as there are no buses where I live after 7pm, even going out by public transport is not an option. If it’s a nice dry evening, even cold and frosty, I do sometimes go for a walk down the village if just to post a letter.

 

[Crossover]

Back when I was still driving, I would always use my hand-brake when stopped as dazzle from brake lights was very tiring and could trigger visual migraines. However, if I were the stationary rear vehicle on a high speed road, I would have my hand-brake on AND my foot brake on. Only when another driver was stationary (or near stationary) behind me would I take my foot off the brake. I was taught this by an advanced driving instructor to reduce the chance of being rear-ended.

I've no idea how an AI is trained to drive a car. I would hope that they would only train their system on advanced defensive drivers rather than the general public!!

I was taught (nearly 20 years ago) to not sit with foot on the brake in dark weather to avoid dazlling cars behind. I had never thought of keeping them lit if at the back of a line of traffic but it does make sense. That said, if stopped at lights in the dark, if there is nothing behind me, I will often leave it on the auto-hold and not apply the parking brake, but just out of laziness, I guess

 

[Ediswan]

... However, if I were the stationary rear vehicle on a high speed road, I would have my hand-brake on AND my foot brake on. Only when another driver was stationary (or near stationary) behind me would I take my foot off the brake.

I do the same, but slightly different if there is nothing behind when I stop. I take my foot off the brake and keep an eye on the rear view mirror. The brake lights come on when and if a vehicle comes into view behind. Changes of scene attract attention.

 

[birchesgreen]

I find it worse when a car behind me has high beams on as they reflect in my mirrors, meaning it's harder to see ahead.

I had that a few weeks ago, all i could see in my mirrors was a wall of white light, it was like i was driving out of heaven.

Worst thing though are the large electronic advert boards that are popping up which flash white light.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I can't blame any specific manufacturer, but I suspect "auto dip" is a big issue here. I don't believe that the auto bit is as intelligent as it should be and I have no faith in anyone who relies on these auto features to over-ride their car's decision!

The thing with "auto-dip" as with so many automated features in cars, is that they aren't as reliable as a human that's paying attention. Sure, some humans fail to pay attention when operating a vehicle, but the way to deal with that problem is to remove those humans from behind the wheel or to retrain them.
Auto-dip will only dip when it detects the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. A human paying attention will see the beams of the oncoming vehicle around bends, and dip their headlights before they cause a problem for other road users.

One slight positive of brighter headlights, is that the extra glare has (by my observations) reduced the speeds that traffic moves at after dark. Whether those unintended ends justify the means is another matter.

I understand where you are coming from. I have a hybrid so the engine is off when I press the foot brake. The reason I dislike using the "handbrake" is because there isn't a proper handbrake, it's electronic and doesn't respond quickly. When I tried using it, I just got honked because I didn't immediately start moving when the lights turned green.

When stopped at traffic lights it's probably less than once a day that I see a car in front of me not using the foot brake.

I've noticed this too (the holding on the foot brake thing). One positive is that if you can't see the traffic signals due to a bend in the road or being blocked by street furniture, the brake lights going off indicates that the traffic signals have changed.

 

[E27007]

It's not just headlights though - I'm always getting incredibly frustrated by those drivers who seem to want to blind the person behind them at traffic lights or in a traffic jam - once you're stationary and the car behind has also stopped, there is absolutely no need to sit with your foot on the brake pedal - please just use the handbrake and let your engine turn off (if it has that functionality) - you're then slightly less polluting both in terms of emissions and light and also not blinding other drivers.

The rule concerning brake lights is found in the Highway Code, when stationary in a queue etc, brake lights on until the vehicle behind has stopped then brake lights off.

 

[The exile]

66; as I alluded to no known eyesight issues and I'm checked regularly. Never had any bother before these new lights came in. If someone left their full beam on, a polite flash would remind them and they'd switch back; but today's lights appear on full beam permanently. I'm sure they're not?

56 - need reading glasses but otherwise no eye problems but also dazzled by modern headlights. They might make the person sitting behind them feel safer, but I’m sure they’re actually making the roads more dangerous.

It is also very easy as you get older to get out of the habit of driving in the dark, especially in locations on unlit country roads. Then after a long period of not doing so the lights can seem unusually bright and dazzling.

At this time of year almost my driving is in the dark- so it’s not because of not being used to it. There’s also the sensation of thinking there’s an emergency vehicle behind on a bumpy road - the mind subconsciously registering “flashing” and “blue” - neither of which is actually true.

 

[Ediswan]

The rule concerning brake lights is found in the Highway Code, when stationary in a queue etc, brake lights on until the vehicle behind has stopped then brake lights off.

Which rule is it ?

 

[66701GBRF]

Which rule is it ?

Highway Code Rule 114

In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.

Lighting requirements (113 to 116)

You MUST ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk

 

[AM9]

The Kuga isn't a big SUV and there is nothing wrong with owning one (or any other SUV) in my opinion. Just pointing out that (even the smaller) SUVs will have headlights higher than traditional non SUVs. The Kuga is no different in that respect as can be seen when compared against a Focus for example.

Actually, the higher the headlights are, the less glare there is for oncoming drivers as the angle from horizontal is greater for illuminating the road at the same distance ahead very low headlight beams are set almost parallel to the road surface. High headlights are only a problem when sitting in a queue behind.

 

[66701GBRF]

Actually, the higher the headlights are, the less glare there is for oncoming drivers as the angle from horizontal is greater for illuminating the road at the same distance ahead very low headlight beams are set almost parallel to the road surface. High headlights are only a problem when sitting in a queue behind.

That’s not my experience

 

[AM9]

That’s not my experience

It is mine, apart from (obviously) wrongly aligned lights, the worse glare that I've experienced has been from low sports profile cars where the design puts aesthetics over safety - for others!