Dipped beams = too bright , auto wipers = arghh, rear saloon wipers = ?!?!

Jamesyboyjim · 3 Jan 2017 at 13:23

As title really, it seems every half decent new car has extremely bright dazzling headlights, especially things like new Range Rovers and Audi's.

I drive on a particularly dark road on the way home and cars coming the other way can absolutely blind me to the point I cant see the road until they pass, these aren't cars wrongly using their high beam but the standard dipped beams.

Out of interest, are there laws dictating how bright a light can be and are these rather nice new bright white lights right up there at the limit? This isn't a complaint, but I am curious.

nutcase · 3 Jan 2017 at 13:55

Lighitn on cars over the last few years has gone stupid. Front only DRLs, cornering lights, over-bright lights etc.

Not sure why VOSA has slacked off so much and let it through.

adolf hamster · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:01

agreed, i've noticed land rover are by far the worst, with the french and the odd jap car making the bulk of them (especially peugeot)

something needs to be done, i'm all for bright headlights but some are getting ridiculous for how high they're set these days.

tom_e · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:02

Slow auto dipping and auto leveling will be half the problem as well rather than just the all out brightness.

Rilot · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:05

My Mrs complains about this all the time. It doesn't bother me at all. Are you looking directly at the lights?

grudas · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:08

yes yes yes.. hate it! usually the tall SUV's

high mounted lights = blinds everyone in lower cars.

Nasher · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:08

I don't know if theres a limit on brightness, but a lot seem to have the beam set to high. It's the same height for all vehicles no matter how tall they are, but some SUVs are definitely off :/

Auto-dipping is also a stupid invention, it's too slow in the real world.

Rroff · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:16

I've noticed the difference since auto dipping became a little more common - it definitely isn't good enough for most of the roads around where I live.

D3K · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:19

This has bugged me for ages now. I know it's not the drivers fault, but sometimes they get a high beam flash from me if it's too bright.

I also cannot understand how they have passed VOSA. Time for a petition...

Akagi · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:22

D3K said:
This has bugged me for ages now. I know it's not the drivers fault, but sometimes they get a high beam flash from me if it's too bright.

I also cannot understand how they have passed VOSA. Time for a petition...

Yep... And I too have noticed that Range Rovers seem to be the worst offenders...

Ryan-3 · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:26

Rilot said:
My Mrs complains about this all the time. It doesn't bother me at all. Are you looking directly at the lights?

I purposely don't but am still often blinded by some. To me, I just think people set them to illuminate as much of the road ahead as possible without thinking of anyone else.

Diddums · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:27

grudas said:
yes yes yes.. hate it! usually the tall SUV's high mounted lights = blinds everyone in lower cars.

Have you considered raising your suspension a bit?

//It does my head in too. This combined with people who are too stupid to know how the lighting on their car works.

lordrobs · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:29

I have been increasingly annoyed by this. Auto dipping is yet another thing that we simply don't need and are better off without.

Those silly adaptive LED lights are annoying as well. I had a car with those behind me on the dual carriageway and to be engulfed in a constantly changing blanket of light was pretty distracting.

grudas · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:30

Diddums said:
Have you considered raising your suspension a bit?

//It does my head in too. This combined with people who are too stupid to know how the lighting on their car works.

raising? what is this "raising" you're talking off? I have no such concept in my world.

Akagi · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:32

grudas said:
raising? what is this "raising" you're talking off? I have no such concept in my world.

Nor mine. Unless its a truck.

Evo8 · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:38

I have an issue with Audi. There's no need for them to be so bright!

I have factory fitted HIDs and I doubt they're even as bright.

Jamesyboyjim · 3 Jan 2017 at 14:59

Rilot said:
My Mrs complains about this all the time. It doesn't bother me at all. Are you looking directly at the lights?

Certainly not! But when the oncoming car is so bright you cant see what's in front of you its a problem that I cant avoid. Admittedly it doesn't help that the road I mentioned is very dark with lots of small up's and down's so the problem is at it's worst, but it is still really annoying everywhere else too.

Glanza · 3 Jan 2017 at 15:04

I seem to constantly get blinded by new Peugeot and Minis lately, I'm not in a low car by any means.

Rilot · 3 Jan 2017 at 15:06

I think I must live in a different country to the rest of you. I've never noticed anything being too bright other than folk who don't dip their lights, people with aftermarket HIDs in reflectors, and people with lights adjusted too high.
When I was driving my S2000 I did notice if a 4x4 was behind me because of how low I was on the road but a quick flip of the mirror and all is good.

I really don't get it.

MORE SPEED · 3 Jan 2017 at 15:11

Rilot said:
I think I must live in a different country to the rest of you. I've never noticed anything being too bright other than folk who don't dip their lights, people with aftermarket HIDs in reflectors, and people with lights adjusted too high.
When I was driving my S2000 I did notice if a 4x4 was behind me because of how low I was on the road but a quick flip of the mirror and all is good.

I really don't get it.

Every time I've driven our Qashqai at night, without fail, someone will flash when I am on dipped beam. The car has had its headlight level checked 3 times since it was new, so they're adjusted correctly, but if someone gets the dipped beam directly in their face it's very bright and some will inevitably flash.