Commuting in the dark again!

[Fatman2]

It's the start of that time again and the headlamps are now back on for the duration of my commute to work. I usually give ample space between my car and the one in front but usually extend this when dark to prevent glare in their rear view mirror. I usually go on the basis where the outline of my dipped beam lies below the bumper in front but to be honest, although I've done this for years, haven't a clue if this is a good measure of how much glare the chap in front receives.

Perhaps I'm thinking about it too much but is there a general rule with the IAM about this sort of thing?

[SK425]

Fatman2 said:

Perhaps I'm thinking about it too much but is there a general rule with the IAM about this sort of thing?

You might be . I don't think I've come across a 'rule'. What sort of roads are we talking about? In town? Motorways? B roads?

The whole point of dipped beam is that it's ... well ... dipped , so I don't think it should be a problem. I think you're saying you choose to follow at a greater distance than you feel is necessary for safety, to avoid glare from your dipped headlights in their mirror. Do you find you are bothered in this way by other people's dipped headlights in your mirror when they are following at an otherwise appropriate distance?

[Fatman2]

Thanks

The roads I'm talking about are mainly b roads. When I have someone behind me I find it quite off putting when they're too close and I've got 2 or more mirrors glaring at me, especially when it's 6:00am. Thus I tend to hang back to spare the guy in front the same problem.

I guess it's difficult for me to gauge how far I should be keeping pace. It's silly really but driving at 6:00am is hard enough without being blinded in the process

[SK425]

Fatman2 said:

It's silly really but driving at 6:00am is hard enough without being blinded in the process

I expect it is. Maybe you can judge how far back you'd feel comfortable following by looking at how far back from you other cars are when you don't find their lights a problem in your mirrors. I wonder though whether the people whose lights are distracting you are following at a distance that's closer than you'd be comfortable with in daylight with their lights are off.

On the other hand, perhaps you could encourage them to tailgate. If they get close enough you won't be able to see their lights at all .

[iamAlegend]

I well lit areas i tend to adjust the level as far down as possible to stop oncoming drivers being dazzled. It hasn't caught on yet though
WRT glare in rear view mirrors, if you're using dipped beam there should be no problem, well i've never experienced any taxi drivers producing glare in my rear view mirror.

[iamAlegend]

I well lit areas i tend to adjust the level as far down as possible to stop oncoming drivers being dazzled. It hasn't caught on yet though
WRT glare in rear view mirrors, if you're using dipped beam there should be no problem, well i've never experienced any taxi drivers producing glare in my rear view mirror.

[iamAlegend]

I well lit areas i tend to adjust the level as far down as possible to stop oncoming drivers being dazzled. It hasn't caught on yet though
WRT glare in rear view mirrors, if you're using dipped beam there should be no problem, well i've never experienced any taxi drivers producing glare in my rear view mirror.

[Baryonyx]

SK425 said:

Do you find you are bothered in this way by other people's dipped headlights in your mirror when they are following at an otherwise appropriate distance?

This probably more to do with badly adjusted headlight/Chelsea Tractors or driving a very low car. A properly adjusted dipped beam on an average car behind you shouldn't be intrusive in the cabin.

That said, I was driving home from work tonight at midnight in the rain. Lots of beaded droplets of water on the rear screen of my Audi A8 meant that the poorly adjusted headlights of a car behind me at one point were scattered all over my cabin in little pinpricks of light. Luckily my auto-dimming rear mirror picked up on this and dimmed out, before returning to normal after I had put some distance between me and the car behind. Nifty little feature that, I didn't even have to reach for the electric rear blind!

[Fatman2]

Admittedly it's worse in my MR2 but used to find the auto dimming mirror a godsend in the old SEAT.

I think it's all these ultra bright xenons that cars are fitted with nowadays. Possibly that and poorly adjusted lights.

Thanks for all the comments all the same though. Having no experience of the IAM I didn't know if it was something that cropped up. It's just that I read a thread on here about high beams and someone was talking about keeping theirs on, out of courtesy, to illuminate a bend for oncoming traffic. Never thought of that one myself but you learn something every day!

[Red Devil]

Fatman2 said:

Admittedly it's worse in my MR2

Know what you mean, but surely flipping the manual dimming mirror tab can't be too difficult? Works for me.