How can some car headlights be legal?

[rippedoffagain]

I hate my drive home along a national speed limit but slightly windy road. Its fine in daylight but when its dark, its just pure stress. Why? Because I spend a significant chunk of it practically blind. Why? Because oncoming traffic, some of them have headlights so bright that quite literally I can not see anything at all except their lights. The road just sort of vanishes.

Surely it can't be right that the only way you can guess where your lane is is by guessing that you need to stay about 3 ft to the left of the oncoming laser canons?

I wish I was just on about idiots that leave main beam on, but I'm not. It seems about 30% of the cars on the roads these days have normal lights that just blind oncoming traffic.

I thought maybe it was just me, but a lad at work mentioned it today, and his car is newer and higher up than mine and he is younger than me too, so I can't put it down to age.

The thing is, they seem to just keep getting more and more powerful as cars 'advance'. I want brighter headlights for my car, but not that bright. I think its a good thing that headlights on new cars are brighter than in the 'olden days', but you can take it too far. I can't see how it adds to safety or comfort if you are literally blinded every time you attempt to drive at night, ie the very time you need to use your lights.

[60041]

A significant number of drivers are buying "off road use only" headlight bulbs off the internet, often as much as 100w when the normal maximum is 55w.
These days they can get away with it because of the almost total lack of traffic police on the roads, whereas lighting infringements were fair game to the police 20 years ago

[green van man]

Not sure that 100 w headlights are illegal as the limits were increased a while ago.

Agree that there is a problem, especially with newer auto dipping cars, there always seems to be a 2 second delay between the time you see them and they see you. Perhaps I should stop dipping in anticipation of oncoming traffic and wait till their sensors see me before dipping then we will both be blinded.

Paul.

[Thanatos]

The newer hids are a lot brighter then halogen bulbs I have the same issue so was looking for a pair of yellow lens glasses that cut the glare out.

[rippedoffagain]

Originally Posted by Thanatos

yellow lens glasses that cut the glare out.

Does that work? I.e. blocking out the worst of the oncoming lights without impeding your vision of the road?

[Thanatos]

Yeah they do really work had a pair years ago and broke them need to get another pair but get the ones from an optician they may be more expensive but are a lot better

[Mike_Brace]

One of the biggest problems I find are the cars equipped with HID (high intensity dip). Whilst the design gives a very sharp cut off which should stop dazzle especially when equipped with the mandatory self leveling system. However what is overlooked is the fact that the roads have bends and hills. Get one of these cars coming over the brow of a hill and these lights will be at a height to blind oncoming drivers. If the car happens to be going round a left hand bend at the same time you are met by the full power of these lights and there is no chance of seeing anything. A couple of times I have made an emergency stop as I don't know where the road is going despite trying to focus on the nearside where my lights have dipped towards.

From on occasion having driven some of these cars I find there is a bright pool of light in front but it is hard to see anything beyond that. I would much sooner have my conventional H4 headlamps in my 240.

Another issue is with HID that are mounted high - one of the worst being the Range Rover - and when they tailgate you the interior of the car is flooded by an intense light. Even if they don't follow you just have them pass you on a motorway the kick up of the lights totally blind you by illuminating your mirrors. If you drive a lhd car as I have in the past the problem is even worse.

I remember when they were first introduced and sold on the improved visibility without blinding other drivers. Since they have modified the cut-off to be flatter because of dazzle problems. I feel this is a gimmick that the manufacturer's introduced as a selling point and off course railroad it through for approval as a safety feature!!

[Bill_56]

Originally Posted by Thanatos

The newer hids are a lot brighter then halogen bulbs I have the same issue so was looking for a pair of yellow lens glasses that cut the glare out.

The trouble I'd anticipate would be whilst tinted glasses may reduce glare when glare was present, they might impede visibility when there was no glare, just normal oncoming traffic with socially responsible and properly adjusted head lights?

More worryingly perhaps, they may impede 'natural' night vision, such as from moonlight, which would lead to an over reliance on main beam headlights and then a period of 'readjustment' each time you have to dip.

But I'm open to persuasion on the basis of any well reasoned argument

[Thanatos]

The anti glare glasses cut out the blue colour of light there's really no extra need for full beam I found

Yeah for there upsides there's the equal downsides one bring the lenses are polarized which may not sound bad but driving and seeing the rear screen spotty at night can be disturbing.

[Bill_56]

Another thing that ought to be mentioned, was in one of the manuals, 'roadcraft', 'IAM', or ROSPA is, try to avoid the natural reaction which is to 'look' directly into the thing which has attracted your attention. Doing so just makes things worse.

looking away won't help much if the oncoming vehicle is basically unloading a focussed beam of undisciplined light straight at you. But for the more normal scenario of badly adjusted headlights, or fog lights that are on when they should be off you'd be surprised how often, once you discipline yourself to stop looking at them, they cease to be a problem.