Bit of a vent re. considerate use of main beam

[ian_uk1975]

This has been irking me for a while... ~50% of drivers in oncoming cars I chance upon when driving home along windy (as in not straight) unlit country lanes at night are slow to dip their main beam, leaving me momentarily dazzled. The irksome thing is that it's obvious when an oncoming vehicle is approaching, since you can clearly see the light from their headlamps well in advance of seeing the actual vehicle. What I do (and what the other 50% of drivers do) is anticipate when an oncoming vehicle will come into view and dip my headlights just before the oncoming vehicle rounds the approaching bend. Why is this so difficult for some drivers to comprehend?! The worst offenders (thankfully, in the minority) don't dip their lights at all. Then there are those who use main beam when driving behind you. I'd better stop myself now before I start getting on my soap box re. front fogs (rear fogs are a lost cause!) and blue-tinted HID-alike bulbs.

[ian_uk1975]

clunkbox said:

Quite often I don't bother using my main beam on a windy road if I'm happy with the visibility using dips

Yep, I also assess visibility and the need for main beam vs dips rather than just blindly switching main beam without thinking. I think this sort of behaviour echoes proper use of the rear fog light, too... many drivers will blindly switch their rear fog on when it's misty without properly assessing the conditions and actually thinking about it. I've probably only found a genuine need to use my rear fog light on a handful of occasions in the nearly 20 years I've been driving. Those folk who use their rear fog light when it's dark or when it start to rain are probably beyond help though!

[ian_uk1975]

LordGrover said:

What compounds this issue is my inability to look away. My eyes are drawn to the bright lights making it much worse.
It takes a real effort to stop doing this.
It's because I'm stupid.

Funny you should mention that... I find myself doing exactly that! Deer in headlights syndrome!