RAC says new headlights 'blinding drivers'

Eddie

Eddie

Eddie

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43525525

I've been complaining about this since they first brought the LED headlights out. Hopefully they'll do something about it but they probably should have realised it before they stuck them on millions of cars.

No doubt they're good for the driver of the car, but they do seem to cause problems for a lot of other road users. I even get blinded by cyclists these days!
 
I talk to people about night driving a lot and I've never met anyone who doesn't complain about oncoming headlights and glare.
 
... but after reading the similar do I want led bulbs thread,
I took away that some of the matrix led lights, which shield vertical slices of the main beam are also working when they come towards you ... or did I get that wrong. ?

Contrary to some of the comments in that thread, even when the matrix are behind, I am dazzled (and frequently fail to communicate this with rear foglights.)

It's pity night time resolution of dash-cams is not so good, otherwise, I would consider forwarding some complaints to the police, for them to put on record.
 
jpaul said:
It's pity night time resolution of dash-cams is not so good, otherwise, I would consider forwarding some complaints to the police, for them to put on record.
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This is the perfect illustration of everything that is wrong with dashcams. You want to forward video footage you'd take of law abiding motorists to the police (This article is about legally fitted factory headlight systems).... for what purpose?
 
Yes some of them are blinding and I’ve had occasions when I think I’m being flashed at by them aswell sometimes not sure if that’s directional headlights or what?
Still not as bad as all the idiots with Drl’s that drive along in pitch black darkness with no rear lights on because they don’t realise drl’s don’t include the rear on most cars
 
[TW]Fox said:
This is the perfect illustration of everything that is wrong with dashcams. You want to forward video footage you'd take of law abiding motorists to the police (This article is about legally fitted factory headlight systems).... for what purpose?
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But they are out of alignment, I believe, so not legal, if that car was subsequently involved in an accident where another road user reported the same thing thing this would be useful data ?

EDIT: I regularly run along a section of road where I see exactly the same moronsrotorists who never (intentionally) clean their rear plates, so they would be candidates too.
 
I'd hazard as above its the ones that aren't setup properly that are the main problem - I've not really seen it as a widespread problem but I have noticed more cars that seem poorly setup and dazzling headlight wise.

I also see this with 1-2 cyclists that regularly come the other way when commuting to work - they have these ultra bight LED lights, some some reason set on flashing, on the front and at a bad angle so the first thing you notice about them being there is being dazzled and disorientated by a sudden burst of ultra bright flashing light and more likely to knock them down in the initial moment of confusion :(
 
jpaul said:
But they are out of alignment, I believe
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How do you know that? You don't - people are often dazzled by completely legal headlights. I've been flashed a couple of times driving the Mini and it has absolutely perfectly aligned completely standard headlights..
 
per andy's comment - how do you know your mini is correct, both in beam direction and intensity

edit : minis have self-levelling ?
the LED headlights are auto levelling, you can see it constantly upping and downing if you go over bumpy ground slowly. makes you feel seasick.
maybe in general these mechanisms are contributory.

edit2 : lol
Self levelling headlights - isn't technology wonderful?
I have a 2016 (latest model) Mini Cooper S Clubman which I bought nearly new in June of this year, from a main dealer who had it from new with no modifications. As the nights have been drawing in I have been finding that when driving on unlit country roads a reasonable number of people coming the other way have been flashing their headlights at me, presumably because they feel mine are too bright. Main beam has definitely not been on in these circumstances. I accordingly reached for the dipping angle control and there isn’t one! I believe the headlights are self-levelling and there is no way I can see in the cabin/manual/online to adjust the angle manually.
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Just as with street lights, there is something inherently more intense about LED lighting; the light is being emitted from a smaller surface area for a start, and the whiter light is far less forgiving on the eyes than sodium street lighting or tungsten element car lights.

It was bicycle lights which first made me wonder if legislation was falling behind technology, but it was only when I started cycling again myself, nearly crashing when an approaching car with LEDs blazing wrecked my night vision, that I started to worry in earnest. I suspect it won't be long before legislation is changed and the Police have some kind of light gun, not just speed guns.
 
[TW]Fox said:
It's a brand new car.
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Andy's comment was aimed at brand new cars.

andy_mk3 said:
A lot of them aren't set up properly during the PDI when new, where they should be done. The amount of cars that come in for their first MOT with headlights aimed far too high is mad.
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I've owned my car since 350 miles, it was essentially brand new. I never made any modification to the headlights (HID type), yet at it's first MOT, the tester told me that he had adjusted them down slightly as they were slightly higher than they should be. I was surprised at this too, but he also said it's not the first time he's seen it on "new" cars having their first MOT.
 
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