Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

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peetee
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Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by peetee »

I am getting totally fed up of being dazzled by these new style vehicle headlamps. In fact I would go so far as to say they are dangerous. I have no choice but to drive in the dark at present and every time one of these vehicles approaches me on a rising gradient I loose practically all periferal vision and find myself driving to the left of the lights and hoping for the best. I am forever slowing down and suffering the frustrations of following vehicles. Surely I can't be the only one this bothers?
Back in the days of regular filament bulbs there was a limit on the capacity of main and dipped beam. For new vehicles with LED's those limits are irrelevant but what limits, if any, are there now on headlight intensity?
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NUKe
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by NUKe »

There still is limit on vehicle lights, the problem is it’s on the input and not the output, and it’s the same value as the old filament bulb, but modern lights have a much higher output for the same input.
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Bonefishblues
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by Bonefishblues »

Aftermarket LED bulbs are now rife, being fitted in housings/reflectors that are unsuitable. Should be an MOT fail, not sure if it is.

My current bugbear is why oh why people at night, when one does something courteous, give you a flash of main beam. For the record, I flick my lights off (truly) momentarily to say thanks.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Not to mention the headaches that you get :evil:
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flat tyre
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by flat tyre »

One of the problems I find with the excessively bright headlamps is that the brightness tends to mask the indicators (when the driver has deigned to use them!).
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by Mike Sales »

peetee wrote: I have no choice but to drive in the dark at present and every time one of these vehicles approaches me on a rising gradient I loose practically all periferal vision and find myself driving to the left of the lights and hoping for the best.


That doesn't sound very safe for cyclists, I expect they are hoping for the best too.
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by Slowroad »

It's awful for drivers too! I won't drive at night now if I can help it!
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
The peak on my helmet helps me a little.
TBH also I get the same on narrow even wide cycle paths with handlebar spotlights :(
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Paulatic
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by Paulatic »

Sitting in corner keeping quiet. :o

I’ve been cursing these lights for years they are far too bright.

Changed my car last week and new car (Octavia) has these very lights, I think, I’ve been cursing. Bi Xenon are these the ones which can show blue at a distance? When you switch on they do a little dance and level themselves up supposedly into a non blinding position I’d hope. However from behind the wheel it’s a different story they’ve restored my ability for night driving. Roadsides look like daylight on dip and super clear vision on main.
Apologies in advance for anyone I meet on the road but it looks like this annoying lighting is fast becoming the norm.
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peetee
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by peetee »

Cheers Tim. So there doesn't appear to be a limit of brightness. It's plain to me that drivers of these vehicles are very happy with them - the lights must do a marvelous job. However, they too must have a problem when a similarly equipped vehicle approaches them on the crest of a hill or are they just happy to ignore the issue as the lights are advantageous all of the time and a problem only some of the time?
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by Nigel »

peetee wrote:Cheers Tim. So there doesn't appear to be a limit of brightness. It's plain to me that drivers of these vehicles are very happy with them - the lights must do a marvelous job. However, they too must have a problem when a similarly equipped vehicle approaches them on the crest of a hill or are they just happy to ignore the issue as the lights are advantageous all of the time and a problem only some of the time?


There is lighting stuff in the C&U regulations, which define a vehicle as fit for sale. They're only effectively enforced on brand new vehicles on gaining approval for sale, and may be looked at if a vehicle is involved in an accident having been modified.

So, in practical terms, the control at the MOT is only on beam top cut-off for dipped lights.

Dazzle on a hill crest existed back in the days of filament bulbs. Everyone's ability to adjust to lighting brightness gets worse as one gets older. So stuff which was "no problem" to me 30-40 years ago may well be due to having the eyes of a 20-year old back then, whereas today my eyes are approaching 60 years old.


The more recent LEDs fitted to new cars are bright, and some come with varying amounts of automated "dipping". My car has an automatic dip switch which is about as fast as me doing it manually. Whilst I use the automatic, I will still over-ride it with manual dip if I think it needs it. Some models now come with varying dipping, where the car only dips parts of the beam based on what the car's computer "sees" ahead, leaving the remainder on "full" - I've no experience or reports as to how effective that is with not dazzling pedestrians and cyclists.



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Audax67
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by Audax67 »

A few years back I thought car headlights were getting brighter. Then I got operated on for cataracts.

Not to say they aren't getting brighter, but it's worth knowing.
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squeaker
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by squeaker »

Bonefishblues wrote:Aftermarket LED bulbs are now rife, being fitted in housings/reflectors that are unsuitable. Should be an MOT fail, not sure if it is.
Indeed; even Halfords sell them although they do say 'not legal for public road use' in the small print... :(

Bonefishblues wrote:My current bugbear is why oh why people at night, when one does something courteous, give you a flash of main beam. For the record, I flick my lights off (truly) momentarily to say thanks.
Me too, but the practice of the 'blinding flash' does not surprise me, given the other thoughtless actions of many road users...
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Bonefishblues
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Re: Dazzled by new-style vehicle headlights

Post by Bonefishblues »

LED bulbs are 'legal' to use in projector-type headlight units, but unsuitable for reflectors.

As in, they will pass an MOT in the former, but should fail if fitted in the latter.
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