Headlights

[Squag1]

UK government launches review into headlight glare after drivers’ complaints

Campaigners welcome move as survey suggests they have become too bright and risk causing accidents

www.theguardian.com

 

[Malone]

I seldom drive at night, but on the occasions I’ve driven the new MH with its LED headlights on they are f-bright, and additionally are mounted a lot higher than car headlights.

What troubles me most is cars with poorly aligned lights, and also how many drive with one or more lights inoperative - this is despite bulb failure devices fitted.

 

[andyBeaker]

The technology is there to solve the problem and will no doubt become pretty standard over the years as these things tend to. My motor has adaptive combined led/lazer headlights that dance round all over the place at an incredible speed at times - the outcome is that the lights are almost permanently on main beam at night and I have yet to be ‘flashed’ by an oncoming driver. I did get a complaint from a lady in Belgium once who was woken up when they went into lazer (Aka ‘warp drive’) mode that kicks in at 50mph.


The only time I have issues with oncoming headlights is occasionally when an approaching car is coming uphill toward me, even on low beam. That is nothing to do with poor adjustment, it’s physics.

 

[Martin L Batley]

That's what you get without a decent police presence on the roads. Over reliability on speed cameras instead of real police officers allow all sorts of dangerous activities ranging from, scrotes on nicked bikes riding around with no insurance or helmet to people using hand held phones while steering and changing gear at same time. I've been pulled in the past, way long past, for having a cracked indicator on my bike. I was given a producer and told to get it stamped at a MOT station when lens fixed.

 

[Malone]

Oh I forgot I’ve got the adaptive headlights, but they only work on main beam when ‘headlight’ is switched on and not just when it’s in auto mode. Fortunately when I am away, albeit in longer daylight hours, it is oriented for driving on the wrong side of the road and no beam deflectors required.

 

[Turbine2]

The only time I have issues with oncoming headlights is occasionally when an approaching car is coming uphill toward me, even on low beam. That is nothing to do with poor adjustment, it’s physics.

My pet peeve is daylight running lights, where the front lights are on and the dashboard lights are on, so the driver thinks they have lights on, but the tail lights aren’t on.

 

[Duck n Dive]

The review seems pointless to me.

Even if they decide there is an issue I can't see the manufacturers changing anything for the UK alone.

 

[Martin L Batley]

My pet peeve is daylight running lights, where the front lights are on and the dashboard lights are on, so the driver thinks they have lights on, but the tail lights aren’t on.

And neither are the headlights.

 

[Duck n Dive]

Work colleague took his new citroen cactus back complaining that the fog lights were faulty.
Apparently it's a feature that they come on when turning corners, or if already on the one on the outside of the turn goes off.

 

[Martin L Batley]

I recall helping my brother fit some rear fog lights to his 2.0L Ghia Cortina way back in the distant past. There seemed to be all sort of regulations regarding their placement, not allowed to be nearer than a prescribed distance from rear lights, position relevant to either side was another one I recall. This all seems to have gone out of the window now. I hate all these new fangled ones. The head light is the indicator and the rear indicator is a strip of LEDs o light wide wedged between rear light so you can't see it.

 

[andyBeaker]

I recall helping my brother fit some rear fog lights to his 2.0L Ghia Cortina way back in the distant past. There seemed to be all sort of regulations regarding their placement, not allowed to be nearer than a prescribed distance from rear lights, position relevant to either side was another one I recall. This all seems to have gone out of the window now. I hate all these new fangled ones. The head light is the indicator and the rear indicator is a strip of LEDs o light wide wedged between rear light so you can't see it.

But the scrolling/progressive indicators on Audis are very cool.

Worth getting an RS6 for that alone.

 

[Malone]

My car with its auto headlamps will put them on if it’s raining or dark - but I’ve no way of knowing

at least my motorhome has the good sense to show a headlamps illuminated lamp on the dash.

 

[Ned52]

If my auto head lights comes on the only way I know is that the sat nav screen go's dim (night mode)
also if I have main beams one it auto dims if a car is coming and back to full when passed.

 

[Squag1]

But the scrolling/progressive indicators on Audis are very cool.

Worth getting an RS6 for that alone.

Unfortunately lots have them.

I hate them. Barbie car crap.

 

[Minkey]

My car has autolights and often they don't come on if it's foggy, but there is a light on the dash which comes on when the lights are on, so if it's foggy I turn the lights on manually, but a lot of cars don't seem to notice they are not on and even worse ad stated previously the daylight running lights are on and the driver is unaware they don't have any rear lights on

 

[Squag1]

Or the rear fog light is on permanently.
Had experience one wet night, couldn't see past car to overtake. The heavy mist was catching the light so I couldn't see.

 

[Cougar377]

I've noticed a few cars these days that only have one "lights on" lamp on the dash, so you've got no indication whether you're on side lights or main beams.

 

[Squag1]

Last night saw lot of cars with only one headlight (dip)