Shut one eye?

motorbiking · 28 Oct 2025

Car headlights to be reviewed after drivers complain of being 'blinded' at night

Concern over the glare from brighter headlamps is prompting the government to review vehicle design.

www.bbc.co.uk

Sailors of old knew what to do to improve their night vision. I wonder if this is going to be expensive research that concludes if you are dazzled you just need to close one eye.

Koolpc · 28 Oct 2025

My solution. I never leave home without them.....works superbly in the dark too!!

cute-corgi-sunglasses-beach-sunset-light-generative-ai_860599-793-124538130.jpg

carmanmemoranda · 28 Oct 2025

motorbiking said:
Car headlights to be reviewed after drivers complain of being 'blinded' at night

Concern over the glare from brighter headlamps is prompting the government to review vehicle design.

www.bbc.co.uk

Sailors of old knew what to do to improve their night vision. I wonder if this is going to be expensive research that concludes if you are dazzled you just need to close one eye.

Not the right answer for safe driving.

It's the retrofits that's the real problem

aveatry · 28 Oct 2025

carmanmemoranda said:
Not the right answer for safe driving.

It's the retrofits that's the real problem

Its not just a retro fit problem its new cars fitted with LED lights. I would welcome new legislation that requires all with LED lights to be fitted with a dimming film, in a similar way that we had to put a yellow film on for motoring in France.

opps · 28 Oct 2025

I never learned how to drive, but as a passenger, when sitting in the front seat of a car, I am often blinded by oncoming vehicles when it is dark. I believe that there are night time specs available. I am too old to bother learning how to drive, but if I was thus inclined, I would consider wearing the glasses designed to reduce the glare- that said, I have no idea if they work, and it might be the case that as a passenger, I am more likely to stare at oncoming vehicles than the person driving.

aveatry · 28 Oct 2025

opps said:
I never learned how to drive, but as a passenger, when sitting in the front seat of a car, I am often blinded by oncoming vehicles when it is dark. I believe that there are night time specs available. I am too old to bother learning how to drive, but if I was thus inclined, I would consider wearing the glasses designed to reduce the glare- that said, I have no idea if they work, and it might be the case that as a passenger, I am more likely to stare at oncoming vehicles than the person driving.

As far as I have looked into it - they dont work.
Also if you already wear glasses then you would be adding 2 more surfaces for glare to materialise on so that it will be a total of 6 surfaces all adding to glare.

motorbiking · 28 Oct 2025

Lumens per mm2 is the issue.

I did some work with CREE a few years ago, when they were trying to get their tech adopted. At that time single core LEDs could produce 100 lumen / watt and measure only a few mm across. XM-L2s produced over 1100 Lumen at just 5x5mm a Halogen is about 70% of the output at more than twice the size.

carmanmemoranda · 28 Oct 2025

aveatry said:
Its not just a retro fit problem its new cars fitted with LED lights. I would welcome new legislation that requires all with LED lights to be fitted with a dimming film, in a similar way that we had to put a yellow film on for motoring in France.

Watch the mots and watch the headlights that fail on beam pattern. Usually incorrectly fitted bulbs or retro fitted LEDs into non compatible headlamps

You will find the big problem IS the retrofits

Retrofits don't have self levelling systems and bad beam pattern. Those 2 factors combine to give the major issues

carmanmemoranda · 28 Oct 2025

motorbiking said:
Lumens per mm2 is the issue.

I did some work with CREE a few years ago, when they were trying to get their tech adopted. At that time single core LEDs could produce 100 lumen / watt and measure only a few mm across. XM-L2s produced over 1100 Lumen at just 5x5mm a Halogen is about 70% of the output at more than twice the size.

Not a problem if it is aimed correctly and self levelling works

Headlamp adjustment is the issue here.

Jurassicspark · 28 Oct 2025

Isn’t nobody going to mention the SUV’s or the 4x4’s?

I wonder what the maximum, permitted, wattage/lumen output is allowed for car manufacturers primarily in the UK.

Is there a valid reason why people say that “LED” headlights are bad?

LED’s are just more efficient light sources, and you can make a dimmer or brighter LED.

OOI - I wonder how much people actually even knew you could adjust the angle of the beams.

What about the tw*ts who upgrade to the aftermarket lights?

aveatry · 28 Oct 2025

Its not the beam angle on new cars its just that the lights are far too bright, is there any regs on how bright they are

Jurassicspark · 28 Oct 2025

aveatry said:
Its not the beam angle on new cars its just that the lights are far too bright, is there any regs on how bright they are

While the beam angle contributes, it’s not the decisive factor and the real issue is that the lights are far too bright.

I’ve fixed it for you.

Now, what is the purpose of the beam angle?

carmanmemoranda · 28 Oct 2025

Jurassicspark said:
Isn’t nobody going to mention the SUV’s or the 4x4’s?

No issue if set correctly

Jurassicspark said:
I wonder what the maximum, permitted, wattage/lumen output is allowed for car manufacturers primarily in the UK.

Don't know it off hand for lumen but wattage is 60/55 main/dip halogen. 85 and 100 are not e marked and not road legal

Jurassicspark said:
Is there a valid reason why people say that “LED” headlights are bad?

Usually badly aligned or fitted in headlamps not designed for them so the pattern is wrong. The light scatters. Correct lamps and cars have self levelling systems fitted, and wash systems

Jurassicspark said:
LED’s are just more efficient light sources, and you can make a dimmer or brighter LED.

Yes. It's the pattern/spread that's the issue

Jurassicspark said:
OOI - I wonder how much people actually even knew you could adjust the angle of the beams.

Not as many as should

Jurassicspark said:
What about the tw*ts who upgrade to the aftermarket lights?

They are the worst and complain like hell when you fail them on mot

carmanmemoranda · 28 Oct 2025

aveatry said:
Its not the beam angle on new cars its just that the lights are far too bright, is there any regs on how bright they are

Incorrect.

Bright lights set correctly don't blind.

carmanmemoranda · 28 Oct 2025

From the testers manual.

Existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp for light source and lamp not compatible.

This does not refer to complete replacement headlamp units which may be constructed with HID or LED light sources.

If a complete headlamp unit has been replaced with a unit that was manufactured with HID or LED light sources, it must not be failed for ‘Light source and lamp not compatible’ but it must meet all other requirements detailed in section 4 of this manual specific to the type fitted at the time of test.

Shut one eye?

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