headlight dazzle/glare

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sir thomas blanchard
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headlight dazzle/glare

Post by sir thomas blanchard »

does it bother you ? - had to do about 15 miles on country roads, about 7pm, so the road was busy - blinded by headlights from both the front and behind.

where motorists were on properly dipped lights it was ok but many seemed mal adjusted or with additional lights on, spotlights presumably, had to pull over at one point as i couldn't see to go on.
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by Kwacky »

Loads of new cars have very bright led headlights. It's a pain when you're riding and you've got any rain or dirt on your visor.

I've had drivers complain about the headlights on the Versys. I put that down to them being at rear mirror height.
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by StMarks »

Modern headlights are increasingly powerful, but their beam distribution is also much more efficient.
Fwiw it seems to me that (excepting the odd misaligned one occasionally) my vision doesn't suffer from glare nearly as often as it used to. Modern visors with their scratch resistance help enormously too IMO.
I can recall when riding as a yoof, visibility at night became near zero on cold wet dark nights with other traffic about. Visors would mist up constantly too, to the point where I often had to remove them (they were held by poppers back then, opening ones were yet to become available) & ride with my face open to the windblast etc.
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by D6Nutz »

I really struggle in the dark, my eyes are really light sensitive.

I find the new generation of led lights really hard to cope with, especially when on hills. In the car I always have the rear mirror dipped, and also wear a pair of those yellow glasses to reduce the brightness and glare.

Next time I get my eyes tested in going to ask the optician of there is anything better I can try
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by D6 »

Some new cars do seem to be dazzling. Especially taller suv and 4x4 cars as the headlights are mounted high
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by Kwacky »

at least you don't have to worry about dazzling anyone, Not with the muck on your bike
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by Stonesie »

The worst are cars with Halogen reflector type headlights which have had HID or LED replacement 'bulbs' fitted, the reflectors are optimised for the Halogen bulb and can't make a proper beam pattern with the other's.

I tried a LED kit in the Civic on the recommendation of others on the Civic forum and was more than a little disappointed with the beam pattern, it would have been a nightmare for oncoming traffic.

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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by Rossgo »

Simple answer is yes it bothers me big time! Can barely see anything in front of me especially on some of these twisty roads, I do sometimes worry about hitting a wing mirror and then coming across that one tw@ who would say it's all my fault!

One thing I've realised recently are there s lots of people with only one light bulb actually working so to remedy this they decide to put in their full beams so they can see, is this the sign of a lazy fu&ker or someone who can't afford a new light bulb? These people need to be lined up and shot

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sir thomas blanchard
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by sir thomas blanchard »

apparently it's illegal to ride around in a car with a light out and you can be done for that so i guess that's there way of avopiding being stopped, screw everybody else - nice!
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by Stonesie »

It's also against the road traffic act / Highway code to use fog light's if the visibility is over 100 meters and you can be fined for that...
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Re: headlight dazzle/glare

Post by Rossgo »

It's remarkable how many people are trying to pull this sort of crap in my opinion, if I got hit by one of these tw@s it will be in my statement very very clearly and I'll highlight that that's potentially the reason why they couldn't judge their space between me and them

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