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Headlight's too bright

  • 12-01-2024 12:48am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 88 ✭✭


    With car headlights getting brighter I'm finding it harder to see the road at night as I pass oncoming traffic on rural roads, it's fine if the road is wide and level but that's not the case on a lot of roads. It has come to the point where I have to almost stop as I can't actually see the road ahead. I think maybe limiting the lumens might be a good idea as there is no limit at the minute. The article below is from the UK but I'd say you would get the same result from a similar poll in Ireland

    https://news.sky.com/story/headlight-glare-is-getting-worse-drivers-say-as-motoring-groups-call-for-government-action-13045326

    Tagged:


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,797 ✭✭✭...Ghost...


    The problem is exacerbated due to the prevalence of SUVs which have a higher headlight position than a typical hatch, or saloon.

    Stay Free



  • Registered Users Posts: 170 ✭✭JCN12


    Older jeeps never were an issue though.

    It's the HIDs that have become popular in newer vehicles. They needs to be banned realistically or limited in power.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,049 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    How often do you clean the inside of your windscreen? I've recently had to do a few runs on dark roads and the 1st few times it was OK, last time it was bad as the inside of my windscreen was dirty and I had a lot of issues with dazzle. Are you using AC or the fans to keep the windows clear?

    When was your last eye test and have you been tested for astigmatism? Astigmatism causes you to see dazzle

    Car lights are getting brighter but people have been complaining about fog lights being terrible for years yet I've never had an issue with fog lights or the current lights on cars.

    What is an issue is the amount of people who don't turn off high beams, usually on dual carriageways/motorways, but that's not an issue with the vehicle.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    I disagree. My eye sight is spot on the car is kept clean and there's vehicles out there within the last 4 years that their headlights are an actual disgrace.

    I think this needs to be looked at at EU level. You can't have a state of play where standards that were developed for halogen beams of the 80s and 90s where the light had a short distance throw. Now apply to units that can project 90 percent of their brightness over 1km. It's bizarre


    Even xenons of the 00s didn't have this problem. Might be all gravy for the driver of the vehicle thinking their lights are the best thing since sliced bread but it's extremely bad for other road users. Especially noticed this on M11. Skoda SUVs and Hyundais being stand out.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,185 ✭✭✭✭zell12




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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,514 ✭✭✭KildareP


    I've noticed on my own motor (2023 Octavia) that the headlights are pitched way too high on the default setting. I was regularly being flashed by oncoming traffic.

    It was great insofar as I could see clearly half a mile ahead of me at night even without full beams on - way beyond most other cars I've driven - but good luck to anyone coming towards me.

    From looking around I notice a lot of other recent VAG cars are completely blinding when driving towards them, and oddly it's the saloons that seem to be worse than the crossovers or SUV bodied cars.

    I've adjusted the headlight control on mine down to 2 and no more flashing from oncomers, although the dipped headlights now only light about as far ahead as any previous cars I've driven. Frankly I'd rather have the person coming towards me able to see me and the road clearly at all times than me be able to see half a mile down an empty road in the dark.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 194 ✭✭GPoint


    There was nothing wrong with halogen bulbs. Better for human vision too because they have yellow tint. But no, LED are fancy and look shiny in a show room. Perceived distance vision is longer with halogens too because there is no sharp edge where brightly lit area stops and darkness starts, as is the case with LEDs. With LEDs you see very bright area and then it’s pitch black and your eye cannot adapt to recognise any object in darkness.

    Think the US never allowed LEDs on the roads?

    I used to enjoy driving country side here with so many cars still on halogens because they are older but they are disappearing now with people changing to newer cars.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,479 ✭✭✭TheChizler


    I think a lot of people put too much faith in the auto dips which can be slow to react to oncoming vehicles.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,488 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    I agree with the above poster, it's not just the increase in light intensity in lumens that's the issue it's a combination of that, the colour temperature and the sharp beam cutoff.

    I'd say the same for street lighting too. In my mind the old orange sodium lighting was much better.



  • Registered Users Posts: 632 ✭✭✭Baba Yaga


    said it before on another thread,some of these newer lights are like looking into the sun,way too much glare/brightness off them and while im simply delighted that the blind-er can see 39.6 miles down the road, me , being the blind-ee nearly have to stop the car until i can see again....and no my windscreen is spotless,im obsessive about it and just had my eyes checked last week,perfect and dont wear glasses and drive a mix of city and country roads alot so well used to the difference


    "They gave me an impossible task,one which they said I wouldnt return from...."

    ps wheres my free,fancy rte flip-flops...?

    pps wheres my wheres my rte macaroons,kevin?



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,488 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    In my opinion it's the sharp cutoff of the beam pattern that's the main issue, and that was and is an issue with conventional halogens and HIDs that use projector setups instead of the older reflector setups.

    With the older reflector headlights the edge of the beam not only faded away gradually for the part of the beam that illuminated the road, but also the upper part that would be visible to an oncoming driver. If the road surface is uneven or the oncoming car is coming up a slope towards you, with conventional lights you'd get some light shining into your eyes, but it would be much less than the full power of the headlight. But with high power LEDs you get the full force if the beam in your eyes.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭reubenreuben


    Jusw saw above, agree with the lot.The LED lights in new cars are a real problem. It's possibly worse outside the cities on the unlit roads when the glare is more noticeable.

    I find new suvs such as kia/hyundai/Nissan the worst. Also Teslas are super bright.

    They have no loss of lumens on the outer edge of the bulbs as xenon and halogen do. So the cutoff is very severe. I have xenon on my car and if a new car with LED's is behind, they are almost lighting the road for me.

    What can be done?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,147 ✭✭✭timmyntc


    What can be done?

    Complain to MEPs - it is not a problem that can be solved in Ireland, it needs EU wide regs realistically.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,488 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    I wonder though, given that LEDs are seemingly here to stay, what CAN be done about it?

    Could the shutters that define the beam edges somehow be constructed so that the light intensity fades away instead of dropping off suddenly? Maybe make them out of a transparent plastic instead of metal, and apply a black coating that blends away towards the edges?

    Also regulations limiting both intensity and colour temperature would help.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Arguably the max height needs to be changed. The existing height specs seem to have allowed for diminishing throw of halogens that's gone out the window. So the directional of the LED should be lowered.


    Would require non led and led testing in the likes of NCT centres to be different.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,276 ✭✭✭carveone



    Which might explain the flash effect I see regularly on these cars - on anything less than a perfectly flat road where I'm directly in front, the guy behind me looks like he's flashing his lights at me. It was much much worse when I owned a Starlet a few years back - the low position of those small cars means the SUV lights are level with your eye line.

    I thought SI189 specified that headlights be "incapable of dazzling a person who is on the same horizontal plane as the vehicle at a greater distance than 25 feet from the lamp".

    Having said that, I've seen cars doing it right where the light is dispersed somehow to reduce the edges, I've just never taken note of the car type.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,130 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    I can just about put up with the glare BUT what really p!sses me off is SUV's and vans that light the whole of a normal cars interior up like a solar flare when they come up behind you at night.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,900 ✭✭✭thomas 123


    Also sick of being blinded.

    Can the brightness be manually turned down and the lights controlled manually?

    If so i'm sure some rules could be brought in to curb it.

    I'm sure someone will come along into the thread here to blame Irish roads shortly but I'm of the opinion if the driver can control these its on them(assuming they can).



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,488 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Yes, I remember when I first had a car with LED headlights, I was driving along behind someone I knew, and they actually stopped and got out to ask me what was up, as they assumed I was flashing them! This was on a relatively smooth R road in Wicklow, not some pot holed boreen.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,488 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    I wonder if cars that have these fancy new matrix headlights do any kind of dimming of the LEDs on the edges of the beam?



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 695 ✭✭✭mykrodot


    I was blinded by a Tesla jeep driving behind me recently driving round the Ring of Kerry (Killorglin to Cahirciveen). It was pitch dark but the road is too twisty to overtake, so he sat on my bumper for 40 mins. I could barely see as his lights were hitting all my mirrors at just the wrong height! It really was awful. He was so close and the roads are so narrow I couldn't even find somewhere to pull in and let him past.



  • Registered Users Posts: 375 ✭✭pajosjunkbox


    I am Billy Bright Beams !!!!


    I have 2022 Kia Sorento and I always get flashed when I have my dipped lights on. I can't blame people as obviously they think my full lights are on which is annoying.

    I'm not sure if I can do anything about it. I know it's really annoying and dangerous when you are dazzled by bright lights. There should be some legislation that limits the brightness of lights on new cars.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    You could adjust the dial downwards slightly brings the beam closer towards your car.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,546 ✭✭✭denismc


    I have LEDs and I noticed that I get flashed on frosty mornings as the frost causes the light to refract and it seems to annoy oncoming drivers.

    The older halogen headlights would melt the frost on the lights but that doesn't happen with LEDS as they don't generate enough heat.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,063 ✭✭✭kirving


    I find Tesla's in particular are very bad. I think that their strategy is to aim the lights as high as possible so as to help out their camera systems, as they have no radar.

    As for having 20:20 vision and still being blinded, your eyes can be perfectly in focus, but still suffer from glare at night, it's not necessarily the same issue. Also, do the following.

    1. Make sure the inside of your windscreen is clean
    2. Use A/C to prevent even light fogging in winter
    3. Make sure your wipers are good and use good screenwash


  • Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Carlito Brigantes Tale


    As a motorcycle rider I've given in riding the bike at night at all now tbh due to this issue. When you see some of the mickey mouse stuff the NCT will fail you for (no number plate light as an example) and yet these things are allowed pass NCT's with blinding lights it makes a farce of the whole safety first RSA stuff.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    All unreasonable things to expect from every vehicle at all times on the road.

    Reasonable would be EU legislation to Combat the source of the issue. Poor design manufacture and implementation of lights.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 194 ✭✭GPoint


    Speaking of motorcycles, they are on top of the list of blinders too! Most of them have shaky lights that blind you right in the eyes.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,199 ✭✭✭reubenreuben


    and tractors, full beam specialists that shower



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Just passed a 2023 range rover. Lights were unreal in terms of there throw ahead on the road for visibility.

    And absolutely zero dazzle I'm rear view or oncoming. How can they get it so well and others can't.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭PaulieC


    I thought this was just me getting older and crankier. Teslas are by far the worst offenders, absolutely blinding at most angles.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,063 ✭✭✭kirving


    Since 2019, 7.6% of all vehicles fail the NCT for "Light Test"

    I strongly suspect there is some issue with thee data, given they've added "Tesla Other", but 22% of Tesla fail for "Light Test".




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,185 ✭✭✭✭zell12




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Jesus thats incredibly **** stats for vehicles that are 4 to 5 years old. Really poor. Be interesting to know the details of the fail type and does it flow into other marques with similar type lighting systems.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    LEDs themselves are not the problem, it's the system they're use with. They can be pretty poor alright when static, but when they're used by those automatic/self levelling systems with adjust the beam depending on the ambient lighting and road traffic they work great.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    True but they are also a problem. The bulk of manufacturers aren't taking into account adjusting default settings to take account of LED distance throw. The settings appear to be in most case set to how a typical halogen distance throw disappates . So they are therefore angled too high .



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,968 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    Auto dips are fantastic for the person driving, but they arent great for other drivers. Especially if you're going around corners the tech just isn't up to it - it just doesn't dip.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Hurrache


    Dunno, I imagine some (most?) do because their systems aren't offered with anything other than LEDs so wouldn't have been designed or configured with halogen as a base.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    You'd think so yet they are still blinding oncoming drivers which would solely indicate default settings are above what should be acceptable. In this scenarios it's worse as they don't have the excuse of halogen in their lineup at all. Just really poor design and testing.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,178 ✭✭✭Whocare


    Led Matrix lights that are on Audi ect are illegal in USA and rightfully so .only yesterday I blinded by audi with those type of headlights



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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,533 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    Are they? Fairly certain they've been allowed since early 2022.

    They weren't specifically banned either, the regulations hadn't caught up with the new technology and now they seemingly have. They're set out maximum brightness requirements though.

    US finally allows use of modern matrix headlights (motorauthority.com)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,178 ✭✭✭Whocare


    Probably right. just see video about be illegal it few months back .But my point still stand there blinding and I'm on road very day truck driver ect and on way home I don't care what anyone say there blinding for distance but went I got closer you could see headlights adjusting so it wasn't as blinding but as was almost passing car it was too late in my eyes



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,063 ✭✭✭kirving


    The lighting system will be designed and provided to Tesla by a major Tier 1 supplier, using components almost certainly used in other vehicles.

    Failing EU standards due to design would be a catastrophic warranty issue for the supplier, so they won't sell something that isn't compliant. (By this I mean NCT)

    I firmly believe it's a choice by Tesla to aim their lights high to aid their Vision Only ADAS.

    The other side of it is, it could just be poor suspension components which causes the lights to aim high (a little slop on a ride height sensor will cause a big angular error), and Tesla have also had documentated issues where they Zero'd the ride height sensors during a software update, which if done on a hill would cause an error.

    I've recently moved to the US, and my 2021 car buad matrix lights which do a little show when I turn on the car, but are actually disabled when driving. I must see if I can get a dealer upgrade, as the car is under warranty and I'd be hesitant to mess with it myself.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 227 ✭✭Ryano87


    I've a one year old car with adaptive led lights....


    To be honest I'm not a big fan... Even when driving around on my dipped beams i keep getting flashed by other drivers...


    It's very frustrating and there are no options to lower the beam on the car like cars of old.


    I'm going to raise it with the dealer at the next opportunity to see if there is anything can be done



  • Registered Users Posts: 841 ✭✭✭GeneHunt


    This is a very interesting thread.

    I agree with most of the comments above, and yes I find Tesla's, but also BMW lights the worsted, I always though BMW new LED lights were set way too high. After reading this thread, I now understand why so many cars are flashing me, but now, I realise they're not flashing me, it's there LED lights combined with hard suspensions, large wheels with small side walls and probably bumpy roads is a factor too. The bumpy roads aren't going to be fixed any time soon, if ever, but the lights could be fixed.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,298 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    The problem is the roads. Our roads aren't flat. They're constantly bumping up and down, dips, bumps, off camber etc. I drive unlit backroads to work and if I look at the top of my headlight beam I can see it's constantly moving up and down compared to the road in the distance.

    LEDs are self leveling but can't keep up with the constant movement of the car. Very few LED headlights dazzle me, it's usually a very brief glare while the lights tilt down. I have more issues with those driving with fog lights, bulbs pointing up/towards oncoming traffic or those who modified fog lights into their headlights. LEDs are the least offensive on my commute. Although there is one Tesla SUV that is blinding, which probably isn't correctly aligned from the factory.

    The only times I've been flashed are when my car is going over a bridge or bump in the road and the oncoming traffic are at a lower elevation.

    Motorbikes are horrendous for being blinding, their beams are too high and often the headlights aren't secured and constantly shaky.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,118 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    It's not the M11 is one of the newest roads in the country. Absolutely blinded from behind in rear view and over the central divider by these LEDs, the problem is most definitely not our roads. The complaints about this are pretty ubiquitous regardless of country.



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