Is it time to ban LED Headlights

[Rroff]

Shame they didn't put the tech into detecting if someone is tailgating you LOL. Had someone glued to my bumper earlier and not like there was any traffic around...

Apparently there is a system which can detect someone coming up behind you and not stopping, if you are stationary or much slower than them, in limited visibility and emergency pulse/strobe the rear brakes and fog lights but isn't legal and can also do the same if it detects a potential forward collision.

 

[jpaul]

Things like that reinforce my feelings that these super bright adaptive systems are immature technology that shouldn't have been allowed to be inflicted on other road users, be they cars, lorries, bikes, or pedestrians.

hadn't realised usa u turned and matrix/adaptive lights will soon be authorised in the usa - who had had reservations on the technology, it's not clear precisely what changed Biden/their minds (cronyism/lobbying ?)

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/adaptive-headlights-legal-us-biden-infrastructure-bill-law/

 

[CaptainRAVE]

We’re back to winter and it’s bothering me again. I’m in a low car and most around here have an SUV or some kind. You can tell by the way the lights behave most have them on auto beam, but they just don’t respond quickly enough to not dazzle you. It’s really annoying.

On the plus side, my auto dimming mirrors prevent annoyances from behind.

 

[andy_mk3]

We’re back to winter and it’s bothering me again. I’m in a low car and most around here have an SUV or some kind. You can tell by the way the lights behave most have them on auto beam, but they just don’t respond quickly enough to not dazzle you. It’s really annoying.

On the plus side, my auto dimming mirrors prevent annoyances from behind.

Yes same, some cars seem way worse than others. My A6 has auto high beam but it can't see cars approaching from a distance so I always end up cancelling them myself. They work well on a road following other cars but they're very poor at responding to cars appearing suddenly.

A6 has auto dimming side mirrors as well as the rear view, it's always something I've liked having in a car to the point of retrofitting it to my other cars over the years.

I do feel there's a massive issue with headlights not being adjusted properly at the time of PDI or on an MOT though, either through sheer laziness or lack of knowledge.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

My last CR-V had the auto-dipping main lights and I was unimpressed. Cancelled too early if you approached a new and very clean road sign. Didn’t cancel fast enough when the oncoming vehicles had bog standard 55W halogen headlights.

 

[Mysterae_]

I wonder if I'll get flashed at all after fitting some new bulbs:

I don't drive a SUV so I may be spared .

Oh, and a note to anyone that drives a car with really bright dipped beams - when someone flashes you when (incorrectly) thinking you have your full beams on, don't for ***** sake put your full beams on to prove you didn't. It's a case of being an ass by trying to prove you aren't an ass!

 

[muon]

M25 at night earlier this week. I genuinely couldn't see the edge of the carriageway at points. Decided to go into the central lane where cats eyes were clearer.

HGVs were the worst imo. Some of them had I swear full on forward spotlights.

 

[adam cool dude]

We had super heavy fog last week and there was a suv with the moving adaptive headlights. They were dancing around like a rave in the 90's. I guess they do not like heavy fog.

Even in a truck it was super distracting.

 

[Cleisthenes]

Oh, and a note to anyone that drives a car with really bright dipped beams - when someone flashes you when (incorrectly) thinking you have your full beams on, don't for ***** sake put your full beams on to prove you didn't. It's a case of being an ass by trying to prove you aren't an ass!

I am guilty of this

 

[Rroff]

My last CR-V had the auto-dipping main lights and I was unimpressed. Cancelled too early if you approached a new and very clean road sign. Didn’t cancel fast enough when the oncoming vehicles had bog standard 55W halogen headlights.

The problem with them on the Qashqai - they often take their time to turn the main beam on initially when you manually press the lever forward and/or slow to resume to main beam - so in some circumstances you have to remember to rotate to manual mode for a few moments then back to automatic I wouldn't even bother but automatically coming on as it gets darker, etc. is so useful shame they didn't separate the function from auto-dipping.

So far they've dipped pretty accurately, the odd time false positive on a sign but 99% of the time spot on for reacting to oncoming lights.

 

[theone8181]

I've been getting flash a few times in my Model 3, but I think the lights are just very bright. I do wish people wouldn't flash when really close, for a few seconds I'm blinded.

 

[robj20]

I've been getting flash a few times in my Model 3, but I think the lights are just very bright. I do wish people wouldn't flash when really close, for a few seconds I'm blinded.

You're potentially blinding people, fair enough unintentionally and don't like it when people do the same.
I do think that some lights are too bright, the LEDs on my Mazda are a lot brighter than my halogens on the Mondeo. Not been flashed for them though so maybe there just right, can't say it makes driving any easier a case of brighter than required.

 

[FerretBoy]

I've been getting flash a few times in my Model 3, but I think the lights are just very bright. I do wish people wouldn't flash when really close, for a few seconds I'm blinded.

If you update it on a slope then sometimes they adjust as if it was on the level. I take mine to the car park and reset if I think this has happened as my drive is on a slight slope.

 

[squerble]

I've been getting flash a few times in my Model 3, but I think the lights are just very bright. I do wish people wouldn't flash when really close, for a few seconds I'm blinded.

I've seen a few tales about Teslas having badly aligned headlights out of the factory. I know my Kona had obscenely high headlights out of the factory and had to take it back to a dealer to get a proper alignment - I've driven past a few others that seem quite blinding and presume most people just don't pay attention to that sort of thing so don't think to take them to a dealer to sort (or indeed that they even need sorting).

 

[VaderDSL]

Saying that some of the newer auto/matrix lights are great. I often drive home at night on unlit motorways and it’s always impressive when you get a car with a good set of matrix lights behind me. Zero glare in my mirrors while the entire road ahead of me is lit all by the car behind/in the other lane.

 

[robj20]

Saying that some of the newer auto/matrix lights are great. I often drive home at night on unlit motorways and it’s always impressive when you get a car with a good set of matrix lights behind me. Zero glare in my mirrors while the entire road ahead of me is lit all by the car behind/in the other lane.

But the downside is if and when they go wrong they cost an obscene amount to fix.
I see a fair few modern LED light cars with one headlight not working so it's not a rare thing.

 

[Gilbert89]

Some lights leave me dazzled more than others, usually higher up vehicles such as Mini SUV’s.

I’ve noticed when I drive our Toyota Yaris Cross we get no end of people full beaming us, some in an angrily manor, takes us to beam them back (two wrongs and all that) to prove we don’t have them on.

Not an ideal situation, hate the fact it is blinding people coming head on quite often.

 

[theone8181]

I've seen a few tales about Teslas having badly aligned headlights out of the factory. I know my Kona had obscenely high headlights out of the factory and had to take it back to a dealer to get a proper alignment - I've driven past a few others that seem quite blinding and presume most people just don't pay attention to that sort of thing so don't think to take them to a dealer to sort (or indeed that they even need sorting).

I've read the same, but it passed the mot a few weeks ago and when I adjusted the lights (automatically) they look about the right height.

 

[MadMan-JaMeS]

I wonder if I'll get flashed at all after fitting some new bulbs:

I don't drive a SUV so I may be spared .

Oh, and a note to anyone that drives a car with really bright dipped beams - when someone flashes you when (incorrectly) thinking you have your full beams on, don't for ***** sake put your full beams on to prove you didn't. It's a case of being an ass by trying to prove you aren't an ass!

I fitted some of these at the weekend to my E Class.

So much brighter. Really good lights, bloody expensive though.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

My next car wont have Matrix lights and I know ill miss them, such a great feature for safer night time driving at pace.

The dodgy aftermarket bulbs or HID kits are what need banning.