night time driving

[id5]

Originally Posted by jack taylor

Hi, I moved from the uk 13 years ago so I am out of touch with current MOT regs. Here is Spain headlight beam alignment is part of the ITV [ MOT]. Is this not part of the MOT. Spain has gone mad with its regs. Should glasses be worn then a spare pair must be carried in the car together with water, a reflective jacket, triangle and a complete set of bulbs.
I do a fair amount of night driving and I must say that over here I am seldom blinded by poorly aligned headlights. The problem here is drivers travelling to close behind.

In Spain, the police still stop drivers with bad lights in the UK they don't.

It is not all the fault of the UK police. There are so many cars on the road that stopping one in the wrong place causes traffic problems and the Health and Safety crowd go into meltdown at the same time.

[60041]

Originally Posted by KerPLoD

In short, there was never any problem with standard reflector or projector headlamps. LED, HID, Xenon and all the rest were a pointless way to charge extra money. In the case of new Mercs, BMWs, Audis and Range Rovers it seems to work because I get dazzled by one every journey it seems.

You are absolutely right, the problem started when designers and manufacturers started treating headlights as a styling statement rather than a light source, hence all those ridiculous angel eyes and projector lights that are more for appearance than function. If they want to put a curvaceous front end on a car, by all means do it but use a proper headlight behind a curved glass panel, like the designers of 60’s sports cars did.
The same stupid thinking is now apparent in rear light design; bright rear lights are an excellent idea, but not when they become blindingly so, and the advent of led’s now allows complex shapes and designs that are distracting. As for those utterly pointless animated indicators that Audi are fitting, less said the better; the one saving grace is that most Audi drivers don’t bother using them.

Despite their brightness, I don’t find modern headlights any better than a well set up halogen light from 30 years ago; the active Hid’s on my XC90 were a disappointment, and I find the lights on my V90 only adequate - they are ok, but the range is poor.
The best lights I ever recall having, on any car I have driven, were on a Peugeot 305; they were Cibies with bog standard patterned glass lenses with H4 bulbs and they were like searchlight - lighting up roadsigns over a mile ahead, yet I never once got flashed at by any other road user.

[KerPLoD]

Originally Posted by dingov70

Kerplod , with regards to the old Golf , it may well have had a patterned glass lens . My old Cibie Z beams had an amazing cut off & zero dazzle .

Modern lights have plastic covers that degrade & scatter light output & continue to deteriorate until polished / replaced .
When testing vans I always ensure the top of the beam pattern is defiantely below the top mark of the beam setter , especially if I find the driver has used the internal headlight leveller to lower the headlight aim .

I'm fairly sure it was a Mark IV from the early 2000's with a boggo plastic lens reflector. The owner had just swapped the bulbs out.

As for angel eyes, I love the way they look, but you can still put reflectors inside them. They don't have to be ultra xenon super white insert buzzword here bollocks.

[ThomasG]

Thanks for reminding about these night driving clip-ons (yup. I wear normal glasses too).

I completely forgot that my last pair broke and I will need it very soon.

New ones ordered, hopefully will be delivered in time.

[noscralc]

Originally Posted by 60041

You are absolutely right, the problem started when designers and manufacturers started treating headlights as a styling statement rather than a light source, hence all those ridiculous angel eyes and projector lights that are more for appearance than function. If they want to put a curvaceous front end on a car, by all means do it but use a proper headlight behind a curved glass panel, like the designers of 60’s sports cars did.
The same stupid thinking is now apparent in rear light design; bright rear lights are an excellent idea, but not when they become blindingly so, and the advent of led’s now allows complex shapes and designs that are distracting. As for those utterly pointless animated indicators that Audi are fitting, less said the better; the one saving grace is that most Audi drivers don’t bother using them.

Despite their brightness, I don’t find modern headlights any better than a well set up halogen light from 30 years ago; the active Hid’s on my XC90 were a disappointment, and I find the lights on my V90 only adequate - they are ok, but the range is poor.
The best lights I ever recall having, on any car I have driven, were on a Peugeot 305; they were Cibies with bog standard patterned glass lenses with H4 bulbs and they were like searchlight - lighting up roadsigns over a mile ahead, yet I never once got flashed at by any other road user.

Got to say on the subject of older car lights the wife's 1997 escort has standard glass headlights with standard bulbs and are far superior than the Volvo---perhaps the Volvo being on all day doesn't help. Progress ?????.

[alextw]

It's not only you I'm afraid and honestly there's more that adds to the problem. Anyone else noticed an increasing number of drivers thinking it's ok to drive behind another vehicle with their high beams on? It's dazzling the driver at the front, I know I can dim my rear view mirror but I can't dim the side mirrors (while driving I would normally run a 2 point check in my side mirrors at least 2-3 times a minute when I'm aware there's a car behind me). I would also very often turn the hazards on and slow down untill that a hole switches off his high beams (only if I'm on my own in the car).
PS
I'm also aware of my speed and while not speeding I always make sure I'm not slowing traffic down.

[KerPLoD]

Trouble is - particularly with vans and the aforementioned German and Land Rover cars lit up like christmas trees, it's getting harder to tell if their high beams are even on or not.

[xsaab]

If you are having problems you should get your eyes checked out for developing cataracts.

You should also question as to whether you should be out driving in the dark.....

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by xsaab

If you are having problems you should get your eyes checked out for developing cataracts.

You should also question as to whether you should be out driving in the dark.....

Agree absolutely, 'xsaab'. Which is why I have done precisely that. At my last eye examination a couple of months ago I was told that I have the beginning of cataracts, but that they are unlikely to trouble me for up to ten years.

As I will shortly need to renew my driving licence on attaining 70 years of age, I have recently asked both my Doctor and my Optician if I am medically fit to continue driving. They have both confirmed that I am. (The Optician also said that they have a duty to notify the authorities if they believe someone who is unfit ignores their advice and continues to drive.)

I therefore believe that I am safe to be out driving in the dark. As I said earlier, I avoid doing so wherever possible for my own comfort and that of others. Without abstaining totally, it is difficult to see what more I can do.

Regards, John.

[XC70Bob]

One hazard I am seeing a lot more of is cars with only their day time running lights on at night which means thy have no rear lights on at all.

Recently came across such a car on the m25 with no rear lights it just got lost in the rear lights of all the other traffic until you suddenly came up to it and cough it in the my own headlight beams, even flashing it had no affect lights stayed off, on overtaking it yes it had only DRL's on !!

Its bad enough in town at 30 mph but at motorway speeds it deadly, I wonder how many accidents are a result of this.

Who on earth though only front DRL's was a good idea anyway....