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at last a report on those bright LED lights

(34 Posts)
infoman Tue 28-Oct-25 18:30:44

More ammunition to those who don't want to attend night time events.
Day time events are much better.

MayBee70 Fri 06-Feb-26 13:04:44

Can you do a link to them Freya? I keep seeing lots of different ones advertised.

Freya5 Fri 06-Feb-26 07:58:24

These lights are dreadful, even worse when it's raining. I have just bought the police recommended night driving glasses, they fit snuggly over my varifocals and my goodness what a difference,no glare, just a yellow headlight seen. Vision still excellent through them, also good for early morning sun glare. 20 pounds well spent. In fact so comfortable, my granddaughter had to tell me I still had them on when I got out of the car!

Sarnia Fri 06-Feb-26 07:38:02

I no longer drive at night. I have a small car and I am blinded by lights coming towards me and lights on cars behind me reflecting on my driving mirror. For my safety and others I no longer drive in the dark. I am looking forward to the clocks changing.

Primrose53 Thu 05-Feb-26 20:29:12

Drove an hour home from hospital tonight in the dark. Like Cabbie21 I know the road well in daylight but leaving a bright hospital and driving on dark minor roads was not good. So many vehicles don’t dip their lights and almost blind you.

Cabbie21 Thu 05-Feb-26 20:23:34

I have just got back from a short drive on roads which are familiar to me in daylight, though I have rarely driven on them after dark. It made me want to not do that journey again.

I do drive at night, but to three specific places where I know the roads like the back of my hand. It means that when faced with oncoming LED lights I can avert my eyes and keep sight of the kerb., which helps. My next car will need to be higher.

These lights need to be modified, and regulated like by an MOT every year.

Casdon Thu 05-Feb-26 19:51:43

Let us know how you get on, as I think a lot of drivers have these problems.

MayBee70 Thu 05-Feb-26 19:23:58

I think only boots do them; although they said there may be other opticians. I get my glasses in a couple of weeks so I’ll be able to try them out. I’m also having something called photo fusion for daytime glare. To be honest I’m totally confused about all the things my new glasses have got. Thankfully we get a staff discount from Boots or I would have been in the situation I was in a few years ago with a new tooth ( after having root canal work done) in which my driving glasses will actually be worth more than my car!

Casdon Thu 05-Feb-26 19:14:29

I’m glad you posted that MayBee70. I’ve also got astigmatism, which increases glare anyway, and I wasn’t aware that you could get glasses specifically designed to stop the glare from LED lights, so that’s really helpful, I will ask my optician.

MayBee70 Thu 05-Feb-26 19:04:10

I’d just ordered some new distance glasses for driving. I had an eye check and didn’t actually need new ones but Boots recommended some glasses called drive safe made by Zeiss ( Leiss?) Individual which are supposed to reduce the glare from LED lights. They’re rather expensive but it will be worth it if it means I can drive at night again. I’m not planning on driving at night if I can avoid it but don’t want to get caught out again if I end up returning home later than planned.

grandMattie Thu 30-Oct-25 04:25:31

What about the “searchlight” brake lights? I find these lethal too, especially if the driver keeps their foot on the pedal while, say, waiting for the traffic lights to change.

infoman Thu 30-Oct-25 03:14:05

Nothing is going to change about LED lights in the near future.

So what we can all do with immediate effect,
is try not to go out driving in the dark nights of the winter months.

Mojack26 Wed 29-Oct-25 19:13:01

These led's arejust awful

Growing0ldDisgracefully Wed 29-Oct-25 19:01:58

I find them dazzling and it's worse when it's raining and light is affected by rain on the windscreen (yes, I do use the wipers!).
I have a pair of yellow lens glasses which do cut down the glare a lot.

I use the nearside kerb or road paint to navigate when oncoming lights are too bright, this prevents the oncoming light shining directly into the back of the eye and is still sufficient to drive by. A little tip I was given when learning to ride a motorbike, as the visors on helmets should not be tinted and thereby let every bit of bright light in!

Mollygo Wed 29-Oct-25 17:15:51

I have a pair of tinted glasses that fit over my normal ones.
If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t go to the gym or to Choir in the evening anymore.

grumppa Wed 29-Oct-25 16:41:47

And they are even worse when the offending car goes over a sleeping policeman, of which there are more than real ones in my borough.

albertina Wed 29-Oct-25 15:41:42

Thank heavens someone is going to do something about those wretched blinding headlights. I rarely drive at night because of them.

orly Wed 29-Oct-25 15:23:31

Babs03

Those lights are like search lights, I remember a public information film on the telly back in the day with the slogan ‘dip don’t dazzle’.
Are these cars unable to dip their headlights??

The irony is that I find that the new lights are great for seeing cars approaching from miles away but useless for lighting up the road in front of you when you're behind them in your own car. I find the same true of LED torches/ LEDs are useless but then they do say that progress is usually improvement!

Grandmama Wed 29-Oct-25 15:02:28

I'm dazzled as a pedestrian at night. Some headlights are so bright I can't see the pavement and am frightened of not seeing trip hazards such as recycling bin lids on the pavement - quite common round here.

AuntieE Wed 29-Oct-25 14:45:07

MayBee70

I’ve just driven home from my sons and unfortunately had to travel back at rush hour and I’ve resolved not to drive in the dark again, certainly not when the roads are busy. I felt very disorientated going round an island near to my home because of the lights and the lack of road markings. I was actually going to ask if anyone had bought those anti glare lenses that fit over your driving glasses ( even though my driving glasses are supposed to be anti glare).

Try yellow sun or fog glasses.

I find they help.

cc Wed 29-Oct-25 14:30:52

I simply don't drive at night any longer, it isn't just the lights, I don't think I can see as well as previously.

Junoesque Wed 29-Oct-25 13:56:49

As an adjunct to this problem of dangerous headlights, I’d love to meet the inventor of flashing lights now in constant use by cyclists. Flashing lights in anyones book is highly dangerous not only for people who suffer from epilepsy but they can trigger a seizure in anyone. This question of bright lights must be re-evaluated asap.

BeneathTheHowlingStars Wed 29-Oct-25 13:46:34

I hate driving at night. Those awful lights can sometimes give me migraine. I have a pair of yellow tinted clip ons which help a bit. I'm sure there's no need for the lights to be that bright. My car has got 'ordinary' lights and I can see on a pitch black road perfectly well.

Granto1 Wed 29-Oct-25 13:42:35

I don't drive but my OH wears them and says they help a little

Lathyrus3 Wed 29-Oct-25 10:05:22

I actually changed my car to get one that sat higher, above the lights.

I thought my vision had deteriorated. It turned out I just needed a better car.

Now I guess my lights dazzle other people😳🙁

GrannyGravy13 Wed 29-Oct-25 10:00:33

When I drive DH’s big 4 X 4 I am above the lights, and whilst they are not particularly pleasant they are not hazardous.

In my low sporty job, I struggled a tad. Last opticians appointment I had special prescription lenses fitted which should (and have) eased the dazzle.