Is it time to ban LED Headlights

Any headlights going to blind people if left on full beam. How’s this a LED issue?

To be honest I’ve never even considered this a problem and never thought about it until this thread. Quite like the massive power of modern cars on full beam on dark lanes which I’m sure ultimately is overall safer than a few people who stare at lights like a rabbit.

Infact it’s quite eye opening how much people moan about something that isn’t even noticed by others.

The side chats about led rear lights aren’t really linked to the topics complaint either so not sure why rear strip lights and illuminated logos are a problem either ? Sure some look crap to some people but they aren’t blinding anyone.

People driving around with only one headlight or in the dark with sidelights only are the real menace.

If lights are really that bright then just close one eye to keep night vision in the other when the car passes.
 
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Drove an hour tonight in the dark, didn't die so quite happy enough with my paupers halogen lights.
 
Simon said:
Any headlights going to blind people if left on full beam. How’s this a LED issue?

To be honest I’ve never even considered this a problem and never thought about it until this thread. Quite like the massive power of modern cars on full beam on dark lanes which I’m sure ultimately is overall safer than a few people who stare at lights like a rabbit.

Infact it’s quite eye opening how much people moan about something that isn’t even noticed by others.

The side chats about led rear lights aren’t really linked to the topics complaint either so not sure why rear strip lights and illuminated logos are a problem either ? Sure some look crap to some people but they aren’t blinding anyone.

People driving around with only one headlight or in the dark with sidelights only are the real menace.

If lights are really that bright then just close one eye to keep night vision in the other when the car passes.
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Its definitely a problem that the AA and RAC have been campaigning for a couple of years now, and there has been studies confirming that modern headlights are to bright, and there has been articles on the BBC about it also, aswell as campaigns to get the government to step in, and I think the EU is also looking at it. there is a lot of cars with LED lights that are silly bright in normal dipped beam mode, not just when coming towards you but also when they are sat behind you with the lights glaring into the mirrors. SUV are worse due to their height.

I genuinely do struggle to drive at night due to it. Halogen cars don't seem to be a problem, possibly due to the way the beam is dispersed and the colour of the light, I think the colour plays a huge part in it. My Audi halogen lights are great in the dark and I have never wished my lights were brighter.

That said my brother's 2019 transporter with halogen lights are awful and more akin to classic mini head lights.

But ultra bright LEDs on car head lights are a genuine issue, and I think it is more of an older person problem
 
sx_turbo said:
Its definitely a problem that the AA and RAC have been campaigning for a couple of years now, and there has been studies confirming that modern headlights are to bright, and there has been articles on the BBC about it also, aswell as campaigns to get the government to step in, and I think the EU is also looking at it. there is a lot of cars with LED lights that are silly bright in normal dipped beam mode, not just when coming towards you but also when they are sat behind you with the lights glaring into the mirrors. SUV are worse due to their height.

I genuinely do struggle to drive at night due to it. Halogen cars don't seem to be a problem, possibly due to the way the beam is dispersed and the colour of the light, I think the colour plays a huge part in it. My Audi halogen lights are great in the dark and I have never wished my lights were brighter.

That said my brother's 2019 transporter with halogen lights are awful and more akin to classic mini head lights.

But ultra bright LEDs on car head lights are a genuine issue, and I think it is more of an older person problem
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Speaking from a perspective of someone who is 70 this week, what studies and in, aside from a subjective straw poll, what context, please link to them to qualify your statement.
 
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Simon said:
Infact it’s quite eye opening how much people moan about something that isn’t even noticed by others.
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The comparative height/angle and position offset to the lights can make a big difference especially with headlights which use a deflector internally - this is probably an aspect of this thread as well as factory designed LED lights should have a beam cut off designed not to dazzle other drivers, off the shelf LEDs do not have this cut off and require an appropriate deflector and the standard one for halogen often doesn't correctly work with LEDs.

There is also another aspect in that people are generally split between having good night vision but easily dazzled by lights at night and those who don't have great night vision but are less easily dazzled, and some people have issues, sometimes due to things like laser eye surgery, with lights at night causing blooming, etc. in their vision - but that should be momentary with correctly implemented headlights.

Simon said:
If lights are really that bright then just close one eye to keep night vision in the other when the car passes.
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Aside from being a really bad idea with the impact on depth perception, etc. not everyone can close one eye and/or a specific eye on demand - I can only close my left eye independently and even then it makes my right one twitch a bit - I can't close my right eye without both closing.
 
sx_turbo said:
and I think it is more of an older person problem
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I would say not - I drive a lot at night and on a run of any distance I encounter at least one person with lights where even dipped, but especially on full beam if they don't bother to dip or are slow to dip them, are ridiculously bright to the point it causes actual vision disturbances that take a minute or two to clear. Though the range of vehicle heights, etc. and types of lights probably do make it more challenging for older people these days whose vision isn't what it once was.

Scon said:
I’m not against progress, adaptive matrix beams are incredible tech when they work properly, but the problem is most of the time they don’t. You get the one bloke in an SUV behind you with them pointing directly into your mirrors and suddenly you’re being interrogated by MI5.
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I would say most of the time they do work, BUT they are not comprehensive, not enough IMO to be in use on the road especially not if the driver just leaves them on automatic, it is not completely uncommon to get a mismatch between the vehicles involved where matrix lights just don't work properly with dangerous results and if you are driving a vehicle which they don't work properly with it can seem like they don't work. When I'm driving the Qashqai I've never had a problem with them - correctly blacked out when a vehicle using them is approaching, correctly blacked out when being followed and the extra light around is good to have, but in some of the other vehicles I drive they don't work quite correctly and you can get hit by a sliver of very bright light like a laser being shone at you and/or wing mirror lit up like mini suns despite the centre of the vehicle being blacked out.
 
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I was glad to get back to matrix, my white IPACE didn’t have them. When headlamps dip in a dark country lane and you lose the lighting of the hedge and verge is a massive drop in vision, this is where matrix excel.

Nasher said:
Genius. Why did we never think of that
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There’s many many reasons.
 
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Scon said:
I’m not against progress, adaptive matrix beams are incredible tech when they work properly, but the problem is most of the time they don’t. You get the one bloke in an SUV behind you with them pointing directly into your mirrors and suddenly you’re being interrogated by MI5.
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How do you know the car behind you has adaptive Matrix headlights? They are rarely standard fit, even some of the most expensive cars which offer them only offer them as part of an options pack. I don't know how you'd tell if the car behind you that is shining a glaring headlight into your rear view mirror has a matrix system, has no matrix system, has a misaligned headlight unit, is being driven by someone who hasn't bothered to switch his main beam off, has a faulty levelling system or whatever other things may or may not apply.

I'd suggest the car having adaptive matrix lights is the least likely scenario, given that a functioning system should not be aiming the beam anywhere near your rear view mirror.
 
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It's more likely they'll be catching your wing mirrors because they haven't blacked out quite far enough anyway, if it's hitting your rear view it's very unlikely to be anything related to them being matrix lights as it would need to be a really rubbish system to completely miss a car in front.
 
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[TW]Fox said:
How do you know the car behind you has adaptive Matrix headlights? They are rarely standard fit, even some of the most expensive cars which offer them only offer them as part of an options pack. I don't know how you'd tell if the car behind you that is shining a glaring headlight into your rear view mirror has a matrix system, has no matrix system, has a misaligned headlight unit, is being driven by someone who hasn't bothered to switch his main beam off, has a faulty levelling system or whatever other things may or may not apply.

I'd suggest the car having adaptive matrix lights is the least likely scenario, given that a functioning system should not be aiming the beam anywhere near your rear view mirror.
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I’m assuming matrix because it was hitting my wing mirrors but not my rear view.

Admittedly the rear view mirror is higher, so I can’t be 100% sure
 
cuke2u said:
Speaking from a perspective of someone who is 70 this week, what studies and in, aside from a subjective straw poll, what context, please link to them to qualify your statement.
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I fully expect you to be facetious regarding the research study being a series of poles, but the government commissioned research has not yet been officially published, and the labour government has now commissioned yet further study into headlight brightness and are working alongside the EU to look for solutions. however there is significant noise and action being taken not just in the UK to suggest that there may well be some truth in it.
 
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Kenai said:
:cry: 31% dazzled by traffic lights ffs
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<Shuffles feet nervously> :p

Well...not really. But there's a pedestrian crossing I know not far from me, where they upgraded the signals to much brighter LED housings. Which would be fine, except this was on an unlit section of road, and when the lights were green at night, they weren't dazzling, but they were so bright that you couldn't see past the crossing due to the massive contrast...nor could you easily see if there were any pedestrians waiting to cross. Would have been fine if they'd just made the green lamps slightly dimmer that the red and amber.
 
sx_turbo said:

I fully expect you to be facetious regarding the research study being a series of poles, but the government commissioned research has not yet been officially published, and the labour government has now commissioned yet further study into headlight brightness and are working alongside the EU to look for solutions. however there is significant noise and action being taken not just in the UK to suggest that there may well be some truth in it.
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Yes and until we have something more than just opinions and no scientific evidence we should not be jumping to hasty conclusions. Even that document states the number of accidents
that being dazzled was a 'contributory factor' has generally decreased over the years, although it's data only goes up to 2021.
I don't know why I could be called facetious either, a tad unnecessary...
 
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[TW]Fox said:
How do you know the car behind you has adaptive Matrix headlights? They are rarely standard fit, even some of the most expensive cars which offer them only offer them as part of an options pack. I don't know how you'd tell if the car behind you that is shining a glaring headlight into your rear view mirror has a matrix system, has no matrix system, has a misaligned headlight unit, is being driven by someone who hasn't bothered to switch his main beam off, has a faulty levelling system or whatever other things may or may not apply.

I'd suggest the car having adaptive matrix lights is the least likely scenario, given that a functioning system should not be aiming the beam anywhere near your rear view mirror.
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It is usually fairly obvious as their lights in the rear view are usually dim but the wing mirrors are lit up like mini suns and you can see the light moving around beside and in front to the sides.

I have auto-dimming rear view mirrors so it is possible in some cases they aren't blacking me out at all and/or not matrix lights and just appearing dim in the rear view mirror but usually you'd notice the cabin illumination with that and/or in vans with the bulkhead you can't be sure unless you can see the projection from their headlights changing.

I wouldn't say they are that rare these days, though I live in an area where a lot of well off people retire to and a few well known actors have houses, etc. - not sure off the top of my head how much I encounter them locally vs in general.
 
It can be cos the rear lights of the vehicle are a bit dodgy positioned that contribute to the following matrix car calculating the required shadow.

Got to love Rroff and his consitant myoptic view of the worlds 'where i live...'
 
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