Driving at night

[RSTurboPaul]

BrassMan said:

BrettMRC said:

Another thought...

Can we have quick mention of the new breed of super bright LEDs that a lot of cyclists have now? 95% are fine, some are on the helmet or set badly on the handle bars so that you get blinded by a stupidly bright beam if they are oncoming. (even worse with the helmet mounted ones - if they look at you, you get blinded.)

Unfortunately, you get lost in the haze without them. My only crash so far only happened because I was heavily backlit and the chap couldn't see me.

This is the exact reason why I advocate the use of sidelights rather than dipped beam in urban streetlit areas, as permitted within the highway code - although I appear to be a lone voice in this regard.

My understanding is that this used to be standard practice in London, if nowhere else, but now modern cars don't even seem to have a sidelights position on the dial.

[RSTurboPaul]

phil y said:

Zeiss DriveSafe lenses are a good option for reducing headlight glare, I’ve been wearing them for nearly 4 years, and there’s a marked improvement in glare over a standard anti reflective coating.

It's a shame they cost a fking fortune! lol

[Mr Tidy]

I find oncoming headlights painful, especially on SUVs as they are higher up so are right in your face.

But if I focus on where I am going rather than looking towards oncoming lights that helps no end.

Sadly my Z4 has Halogen candles, but my 3 Series has Bi-Xenons which are much better - still I grew up riding motorbikes with a 35W headlight so any sort of glimmer is useful!

[jvr]

But taking away the headlight glare issues do we not see so much detail ahead as we get older unless we put our beams on or have led lights which then takes us back to square 1
P

[FA57REN]

RSTurboPaul said:

This is the exact reason why I advocate the use of sidelights rather than dipped beam in urban streetlit areas, as permitted within the highway code - although I appear to be a lone voice in this regard.

I had that debate with my wife the other day but when I went to the latest edition of the NI HC to prove my point I discovered.. it no longer mentions sidelights in that context. Only for parking and emergency situations.

However the England / Scotland / Wales edition still says:


Rule 113

You MUST

• ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise
• use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
• use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced

[Pica-Pica]

Never mind the glare, this morning I had to cope with dheads who think DRLs (without tail lights) are fine in the early morning.

[xjay1337]

FA57REN said:

RSTurboPaul said:

This is the exact reason why I advocate the use of sidelights rather than dipped beam in urban streetlit areas, as permitted within the highway code - although I appear to be a lone voice in this regard.

I had that debate with my wife the other day but when I went to the latest edition of the NI HC to prove my point I discovered.. it no longer mentions sidelights in that context. Only for parking and emergency situations.

However the England / Scotland / Wales edition still says:


Rule 113

You MUST

• ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise
• use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
• use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced

I disagree . Because generally in "well lit" areas at night IE town centres , due to the higher level of ambient light you are not as easily "blinded" because your eyes have not adjusted to a much darker environment.

Side Lights are very hard to see "at a glance" especially in lines of traffic that have dipped beams on.

Many side lights are way, way too dim, much dimmer than many DRL's.

Also you then end up where some absolute cock muncher is on a wet, dark motorway with their side lights on and no amount of flashing will get them to realise.

[Xaero]

I'm 34 and had an eye test last week. I mentioned struggling more recently with night time driving and mentioned modern LED headlights on SUVs particularly standing out.

My results showed my eyes were virtually the same as they were 2 years ago. The optician said more people are complaining about it to her, and she recommended getting an anti-glare coating on my glasses to combat it.

The problem is, my glasses already had an anti-glare coating (although it's one designed for other people to see your eyes clearly rather than the ceiling light reflecting off it as opposed to designed to improve night time driving), and people who don't wear glasses can't get this anyway. So it's not just people getting old, it is the technology/headlight height going too far.

The best thing to do is keep the windscreen clean (polish it thoroughly) from my experience. In an older car I had with higher mileage it was much worse as the windscreen had taken more of a battering. Poking your head out the side window is a quick way to test just how much the windscreen is affecting your vision.

Edited by Xaero on Wednesday 20th November 10:29

[Stuart70]

Xaero said:

Poking your head out the side window is a quick way to test just how much the windscreen is affecting your vision.

Best to use the driver’s side rather than the passenger’s window for this. My “viz” handy tip for today.

[DickyC]

Xaero said:

Poking your head out the side window is a quick way to test just how much the windscreen is affecting your vision.

Local Man In Bizarre Suicide

[Dont like rolls]

Stuart70 said:

Xaero said:

Poking your head out the side window is a quick way to test just how much the windscreen is affecting your vision.

Best to use the driver’s side rather than the passenger’s window for this. My “viz” handy tip for today.

THANKS A LOT.....just had a hair cut

Not in a LHD car !

[RSTurboPaul]

FA57REN said:

RSTurboPaul said:

This is the exact reason why I advocate the use of sidelights rather than dipped beam in urban streetlit areas, as permitted within the highway code - although I appear to be a lone voice in this regard.

I had that debate with my wife the other day but when I went to the latest edition of the NI HC to prove my point I discovered.. it no longer mentions sidelights in that context. Only for parking and emergency situations.

However the England / Scotland / Wales edition still says:


Rule 113

You MUST

• ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise
• use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
• use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced

I didn't know that, thanks for the info.

Interesting they've taken it out - I would disagree with that position myself.

[RSTurboPaul]

xjay1337 said:

I disagree . Because generally in "well lit" areas at night IE town centres , due to the higher level of ambient light you are not as easily "blinded" because your eyes have not adjusted to a much darker environment.

Side Lights are very hard to see "at a glance" especially in lines of traffic that have dipped beams on.

Many side lights are way, way too dim, much dimmer than many DRL's.

Also you then end up where some absolute cock muncher is on a wet, dark motorway with their side lights on and no amount of flashing will get them to realise.

So what you are saying is that if everyone used sidelights, one would be able to see each vehicle more easily?

[MC Bodge]

I was driving around suburbia this evening in our old Fiesta (with non auto dimming rear view mirror) .

LED headlights are a menace - whilst both oncoming and behind you.

[Second Best]

I'm 29 and I find myself getting dazzled more often than I expected during nighttime driving, particularly by Xenons.

I've always been proud of my eyesight and since the nights have been drawing in I've genuinely been concerned that as I head into my 30s my eyes are losing their edge. I can still read small text from ridiculously long distances but as everybody's eyes are different, perhaps mine suffer more to brightness.

[MC Bodge]

Second Best said:

I'm 29 and I find myself getting dazzled more often than I expected during nighttime driving, particularly by Xenons.

I've always been proud of my eyesight and since the nights have been drawing in I've genuinely been concerned that as I head into my 30s my eyes are losing their edge. I can still read small text from ridiculously long distances but as everybody's eyes are different, perhaps mine suffer more to brightness.

Judging by this thread, you are definitely not alone.....

My eyes are fine. I wear contacts (less than I used to) and have frequent eye examinations.

I find a lot of car headlamps very unpleasant. I was followed by a small, slightly tall car earlier with a ridiculous array of LEDs as headlamps.

[paulwoof]

Driving a low z4 coupe, I have no option but to accept being blinded my modern cars, not even just the usual SUV's.

Auto dimming review mirror helps but not particularly on uneven roads where theres a momentary flash in my rear view mirror, This is probably the most annoying part,

I had a new range rover with super lumen LED's with i presume the DRL lining the outside of the headlight housing. It followed me on dual carriageway and B roads. Everytime I or the range rover went over a slight bump, The headlights would light up my entire interior before going back to darkness where I could only see the DRL's, I genuinly thought it was madly flashing me for some reason but it eventually overtook and nothing from the driver.

My driver side mirror is also perfectly aligned with any SUV's headlights, Ive been considering tinting it as dumb as it sounds, But having a huge blinding light in your right side of vision is extremely distracting.

Oncoming is just the same, I get drowned out and have to focus closely in front of me to be sure of my position and the worst offenders I can almost not see anything in the distance other than a bright beam of light growing larger.

I think at some point, Some legislation will have to change.

[Mr Tidy]

As a fellow E86 owner I feel your pain - in my retinas!

But sadly I can't see legislation changing.

[anonymous-user]

It does seem to be getting worse in recent years, I’m still relatively young and my last eye test was fine last month; LEDs are great to light up the road and the bulbs never seem to go but anything badly adjusted (quite a few) are quite blinding, not to mention the mega bright brake lights on certain models.

And I’m amazed at the retina destroying front lights some cyclists seem to have these days, never had that issue with Dynamo lights.

[g3org3y]

Mr Tidy said:

As a fellow E86 owner I feel your pain - in my retinas!

But sadly I can't see legislation changing.

Interestingly, the wind deflector on the E85 seems to help filter the light. (obvs auto-dimming rear view mirror helps)

You should get a Roadster...

...and some Xenons.