Bright Headlights - Rac Want Action.

[10ClarionSt]

This was on R5 Live this morning. The RAC say lots of drivers are complaining about being dazzled by modern headlights. I mentioned this on here some time ago but some people seem to think it's ok, particularly those who use poorly lit roads in rural communities. Headlights should not be used as searchlights. They should point towards the kerb and be dipped when encountering other road users. A lot of the time when I'm driving, I shield my eyes from on-coming traffic with my right hand. In addition, like most other drivers I suspect, I'm watching the road surface for pot holes. This is hardly conducive to good driving practice, I admit, but these are some of the conditions we face when driving.

[dunnitall]

Have to agree about being dazzled by these bright lights. I thought at first my eyesight but then realised it wasn't and more so when hearing this on the news! Why do things have to change for the worse nowadays.. It's crazy when it can cause people to have accidents just because of brighter light bulbs!

[bhg481]

It's interesting that some of the new LED lights comprise multiple LEDS. The lights are set to use main beam all the time but when it sees lights coming the other way your car blanks out some of the LEDs so that it doesn't dazzle but still lights up the rest of the view in front of you.

[bhg481]

dunnitall - if you had to drive behind a pair of 36/42W headlamps, as I did in the 60s, you would appreciate the brighter bulbs that were pemitted in the 60s. Even going from Tungsten to halogen made quite a difference.
I was surprised when I went from halogen to HID in 2000; I expected the lights to be much brighter on the road; they weren't but they did give a much better spread of light.

[Ryzen]

My last car has Adaptive LED lights.These could be left on high beam and auto adjusted to oncoming traffic..a bit like magic!...not sure how it looked from the oncoming vehicles view.

[bhg481]

Ryzen - how did you like them? Did anybody flash you? If not they can't have dazzled.

[atalanta]

I might be quicker to dip my lights if I had that little switch on the floor which my first mini used to have.
But that was around the time dinosaurs were walking the earth . . . .

[vulcan42]

The RAC states that the problem is advances in headlight technology, if that 's the case then it seems the manufacturers have forsaken the safety aspect for just more powerful lights.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43525525

[woofgang]

errm Spath we don't have the choice....the bulbs that come with the car and that are the car's spec are the ones most of us have to use....I haven't checked whether its even possible to use others but I am fairly sure that the insurance company (no I haven't checked this either) would not be happy for car owners to replace the specified bulbs with dimmer ones

[tonyav]

With the headlights that tend to blind you they are xenon bulbs.

[Ryzen]

bhg @20:54..they work really well.As you follow traffic the beam opens up to form a darker 'tunnel' onto the car in front but still illuminates either side.When traffic approaches the beam moves to the left to avoid dazzle.They came as a no cost extra.

[bhg481]

Thanks Ryzen.

[derek-33]

there not the halogen type bulbs at all, they are called HID bulbs (high intensity diode) these are the culprits ,and yes a b****y nuisance but that technology