Am I getting old or are car headlights brighter these days?

Wolfetone

I am finding it more and more difficult to drive at night with the brightness of car headlights. Some of the older cars with more traditional lights are fine but the modern cars with the whiter lights are a nightmare.

I was wondering if my 58 year old eyes were the problem as I can't see how manufacturers would make their lights so dangerous? 

Has anyone else got this problem? How do you overcome it? (close one eye, stare at the road etc) 

mart

I just shut my eyes.

boogieman

It’s because a lot of cars use bi-xenon bulbs nowadays. Our car has got them, so much better than conventional lighting but I guess possibly annoying to oncoming traffic. 

Philtre

Wear these:

ewal

I agree. It's especially annoying because of the number of SUVs with these bulbs. Totally blinding when they drive up behind you.

Deadman

There actually are some specs out there that you can wear at night that really work. I'll see if I can find a link.

Grunfeld

Wolfetone said:

Has anyone else got this problem? How do you overcome it? (close one eye, stare at the road etc) 

Yes I have this problem. 
The rear view mirror is not so bad, you can click it down and the reflections are dimmed. 
The side mirror is more challenging.
Initially I angled it away from my eyes (and right back at the lights behind me thinking that's as good a place as anywhere else) but it left me vulnerable because of being unable to see what's going on.
Low tech solution:  a stiff sheet of thin opaque plastic, like card but more durable, that wedges in the window frame with a push but is easily removed with a pull.  It covers up the blinding light from the side mirror.  Have it in for motorway driving and out for manoeuvres; junctions; other hazards.
Yes, it is absolutely fucking crazy that it has come to that but the alternative is being blinded so this is the better solution.

ronnyb

It's not only the headlights but the amount of half wits driving around with their fog lights on when there's no fog. Visibillty has to be reduced to 100 metres or less otherwise it's an offence. 

Deadman

Here's one example. I'm thinking of getting some for myself:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soxick/b/ref=w_bl_sl_ap_ap_web_10453032031?ie=UTF8&node=10453032031&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Soxick

AliGorie

yup it's a bit o' a strain - white light white heat

notanon

There seem to be quite a few people that aren't aware of the dial on the dashboard to adjust headlights. But then again I just googled to find the name of that dial and didn't know this from https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-adjust-your-headlights

"newer vehicles that have halogen or high-intensity bulbs should be taken to a professional for proper alignment"

Some of the pot holes are sufficient to knock the bulb out of alignment to IMO.

chillidoggy

I don’t seem to have particularly good night vision, never have had. Lights from other cars can hurt my eyes, especially if they’re poorly-adjusted. And if like my new Mondeo, you have to do it yerself when it comes to headlamp height adjustment, then it’s doubly bad when faced with oncoming traffic, and so I tend to avert my eyes in order to preserve whatever night vision I have left.

However, I fitted xenon headlamp bulbs to my Esprit (which has notoriously crap “glow-worms would be brighter” headlamps), and it’s been a revelation, it’s like someone has literally switched the lights on, and I can actually see the road clearly for once.

So, it’s a bit of a two-edged sword for me.

Funkfingers

Wolfetone said:

Am I getting old or are car headlights brighter these days?

Probably both. 

notanon said:

There seem to be quite a few people that aren't aware of the dial on the dashboard to adjust headlights. 
"newer vehicles that have halogen or high-intensity bulbs should be taken to a professional for proper alignment"

My current car does not have that feature. Instead, the car performs a self-calibration routine to align the lights to compensate for loading. From the outside, for a few seconds, the car would appear cross-eyed.

axisus

It's just you getting old



I SAID IT'S JUST YOU ...

shrinkwrap

Yes - xxx anoying. Often have to put my hand against the window to screen the side mirror and flip rear mirror to that can't see anything position. Similar vintage eyes. I flash the ****ers quite often when they come towards me.

Sassafras

cj73

I do a 30 mile round trip commute and half of it is along unlit, bendy & bumpy country roads.   I hate new lights.  If you can see more, traffic coming towards you can see less. It's fairly simple

CarpeDiem

ronnyb said:

It's not only the headlights but the amount of half wits driving around with their fog lights on when there's no fog. Visibillty has to be reduced to 100 metres or less otherwise it's an offence. 

I don't know if people are driving with additional bright lights on because it is a trend or as a result of poor eyesight.

Funkfingers

Many recent cars are fitted with LED or Xenon headlamps. In order to convince customers that these are a good idea, they have to be unmistakably "better" than the previous technology. 

As far as I know, there is currently no legislation that stipulates maximum acceptable light intensity.

Perhaps, the solution lies in an old Billy Connolly skit. He told of teasing his myopic father about prescription windscreens. Perhaps, car glass could coated in the same stuff as reactive spectacle lenses? (A bit like Zaphod's shades in Phltre's post.)

Phil_aka_Pip

Deadman said:

Here's one example. I'm thinking of getting some for myself:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soxick/b/ref=w_bl_sl_ap_ap_web_10453032031?ie=UTF8&node=10453032031&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Soxick

quite a choice there. what would you go for?

smigeon

Also, maybe people don’t always dip their lights these days. In the olden days people almost always did - it was considered in very poor taste not to. I get the impression that quite a few people now are perfectly happy as long as *they* can see OK, and don’t see why they should bother. Or maybe they just forget. Or maybe I’m just a grumpy oldster today.