more mature drivers giving up night driving?

I gave up driving when I was diagnosed with AMD and cataracts in both eyes. The consultants argued over which needed to be tackled first until my GP banged their heads together (metaphorically) by which time I had adapted to life without a car. Even with good eyesight I knew my reactions were not so good.

These headlights are ridiculous and dangerous. As a car passenger they even blind me and other drivers don't seem to know how to dip their headlights anymore.

argymargy

I can imagine giving up when I no longer need to drive at night. It’s not just the bright headlights and massive cars - I also can struggle to see road markings that councils no longer bother to repaint, or to avoid all the widening potholes that no-one repairs. Add to that cars parked on both sides of streets that means you have to play chicken with oncoming cars…

I gave up driving a couple of years ago, I hated having to drive at night .and road markings are really bad now I was always scared that I go into the grass verge, I don't know when last the road marking were painted

It’s not just driving at night. I know a lot of older people living on their own don’t like returning to an empty house when it is dark so don’t go out to evening events.

Astitchintime

It always concerns me when I heard people claim they only drive in familiar routes……….this is complacency and that’s when we take our eye off the ball because, subconsciously, we think we know where we are and what we’re doing. All too often the is leads to accidents.
I’d happily undergo a re-test now I am in my senior years, I don’t want to be that person who kills someone when I was popping to the shops, involving a journey that I’ve driven for years and years.
As for the lights……if they are so dazzling then surely an adjustment to seating position, tinted lenses and more importantly reassurance from the optician might be the best course of action.

I have special tinted glasses but they don’t help at all. And it isn’t just older people that are struggling with night driving. Imo it’s nothing to do with getting out of the habit of driving. If you can’t see you can’t see. What’s the point of having to be able to read a number plate from a certain distance if you then have to be bombarded with dazzling lights when driving?

I’m driving less at night. The awful headlights part of the reason but the recent deluges made night motorway driving high risk . Trucks speeding, aggressive fast driving in dangerous conditions along with no longer being 39……

I started taking lutein after I had a few retinal bleeds which are not uncommon for strong prescription like mine. I am -10 in both eyes. Almost immediately I noticed the clarity and sharpness of colours improved and I haven't had a reoccurrence of the bleeds.

Which one do you take Bukkie?

You can buy night time glasses. They can also fit over your own specs, I believe.

keepingquiet

Can't people get buses anymore? I think I must live in another country because I love going out at night, whether it is driving locally or using buses and trains to get to town or the nearest city.
I get very frustrated with some friends who won't go out after dark and some of them don't even have cars?

I don't get it at all. I refuse to become a prisoner in my own home!

Not if you live in a rural or semi-rural area - there are no buses!

Bukkie

I started taking lutein after I had a few retinal bleeds which are not uncommon for strong prescription like mine. I am -10 in both eyes. Almost immediately I noticed the clarity and sharpness of colours improved and I haven't had a reoccurrence of the bleeds.

I’ve been taking Maccushield or Macusave for years ever since Michael Mosley recommended them but it hasn’t helped my night driving. Having said that ( touch wood) my eyes haven’t deteriorated over the past few years and I sometimes don’t need new glasses at my eye check up.

It is not just older people complaining about being dazzled by modern car lights.
The RAC commissioned a survey on the subject recently. www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/research-reveals-causes-of-headlight-glare/

I used a lutein capsule from Amazon. About 90 capsules for £9 and/or Macugold

I had to pick my son up from work at about 6.30pm a few times. It's only a short drive but, with the poor street lighting and the head lights, it's a horrible drive. I'm out of the car before he has time to say "Do you want me to drive home?" when I complained about the blinding he told me that he finds them just as blinding, and he's only in his 40s.

I have good eyesight and have never had problems driving at night. Recently I endured a bad driving experience, travelling fifteen miles from home to a friend. It was a dark, cloudy night, I was the front car in a queue on winding country roads and rain was lashing down. An SUV behind me was rendering my rear view mirror useless, and the number of similar vehicles coming the other way and blinding me was frightening. I was so shaken when I arrived that someone later took me home and I collected my car the next day. It has put me off driving at night, and although I felt rather wimpish, I discovered that many of my age and younger won't now drive at night thanks to the glaring lights on newer cars.

The glaring lights need changing though I fear we are stuck with them for the foreseeable

I’ve had similar experiences LovesBach, I’m still a confident driver but I find the glaring lights and a vehicle driving far too close to me to stop stressful. That’s doubled if it’s a truck

The anti glare night glasses work for me, also good in bright sun. They fit over your own glasses too. You look a bit like Ali G bug who cares if they work. Look on Amazon. I think my 2 pairs were around £20….a pair now in each car

At nighr I only drive familiar local routes. And cautiously!

Me too - given up night-driving

welshgirl2017

keepingquiet

Can't people get buses anymore? I think I must live in another country because I love going out at night, whether it is driving locally or using buses and trains to get to town or the nearest city.
I get very frustrated with some friends who won't go out after dark and some of them don't even have cars?

I don't get it at all. I refuse to become a prisoner in my own home!

Not if you live in a rural or semi-rural area - there are no buses!

Urban with rural bits- maybe I am lucky I chose to live in a good place with excellent transport links.

I hate driving in the countryside even in the day time so maybe that's why I chose not to live there...

I’m the opposite, I live in the country, and find the country lanes much easier to drive than the town, particularly at night, because you can see cars coming towards you from a way away, as the headlights are visible before the vehicle. I just pull in to the next spot I see and wait for them to pass. City driving at night is harder, there are so many more hazards,

Homestead62

These headlights are ridiculous and dangerous. As a car passenger they even blind me and other drivers don't seem to know how to dip their headlights anymore.

From what I am told the car drivers don't need to bother dipping their headlights. Many new cars are fitted with sensors which are supposed to automatically dip the headlights when activated. I sometimes flash my lights at drivers blinding me only to find that their lights are already on dipped. Goodness knows how glaring they are on full beam.

I have always hated driving in the dark in unlit areas. I obviously have to drive to and from work in the dark seasonly but I’d prefer not to
Not an age thing

I think people do dip their headlights, but these new lights are so powerful and often badly aimed and calibrated that it isn't sufficiently dim. Car light problem, not a driver problem.

Where I live there is no public transportation. If you can't drive and don't have anyone you can rely on you stay home.