To dazzle or not to dazzle, that is the question
Discussion
Imagine this junction on a nasty dark wet night ..
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2971211,-2.82857...
I am staying on the A38, with no traffic in front of me on the A38 (in either direction). I really want to have main beam on to get adequate vision around the bend and down the steep hill. However, let's say there is traffic waiting to turn right from the A371 towards me. If I'm on main beam I'll be dazzling them - discourteous - but if I dip then I compromise my own vision - dangerous.
What to do ?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2971211,-2.82857...
I am staying on the A38, with no traffic in front of me on the A38 (in either direction). I really want to have main beam on to get adequate vision around the bend and down the steep hill. However, let's say there is traffic waiting to turn right from the A371 towards me. If I'm on main beam I'll be dazzling them - discourteous - but if I dip then I compromise my own vision - dangerous.
What to do ?
gothatway said:
Imagine this junction on a nasty dark wet night ..
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2971211,-2.82857...
I am staying on the A38, with no traffic in front of me on the A38 (in either direction). I really want to have main beam on to get adequate vision around the bend and down the steep hill. However, let's say there is traffic waiting to turn right from the A371 towards me. If I'm on main beam I'll be dazzling them - discourteous - but if I dip then I compromise my own vision - dangerous.
What to do ?
Quoted just in case..https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2971211,-2.82857...
I am staying on the A38, with no traffic in front of me on the A38 (in either direction). I really want to have main beam on to get adequate vision around the bend and down the steep hill. However, let's say there is traffic waiting to turn right from the A371 towards me. If I'm on main beam I'll be dazzling them - discourteous - but if I dip then I compromise my own vision - dangerous.
What to do ?
Slightly different question...
My car has auto dipped/main beam and Matrix LED headlights. One of the great advantages of the system is that it maintains main beam illumination on the road ahead and to the side when following other traffic without blinding them.
Whilst it's very good 99% of the time, it occasionally sees an oncoming vehicle too late and dazzles them. You can't really anticipate when this is going to happen.
Do you continue to use the feature, accepting that from time to time you may dazzle someone, or is the feature not fit for purpose?
FWIW, I think the former.
My car has auto dipped/main beam and Matrix LED headlights. One of the great advantages of the system is that it maintains main beam illumination on the road ahead and to the side when following other traffic without blinding them.
Whilst it's very good 99% of the time, it occasionally sees an oncoming vehicle too late and dazzles them. You can't really anticipate when this is going to happen.
Do you continue to use the feature, accepting that from time to time you may dazzle someone, or is the feature not fit for purpose?
FWIW, I think the former.
Answers to two questions in one post.
Op's question. John McEnroe "You cannot be serious!" Dip your lights and adjust your speed as necessary if you feel your vision of road ahead is compromised.
Janesmith's question. Generally I like to be in control, but haven't had the privilege of driving behind matrix Led lights yet. I did drive something a few weeks back with auto dipping, which seemed a reasonable compromise. Essentially the lights stayed on dip unless you stuck the dip stalk up into the main beam position, at which point the auto dipping function kicked in. If you could see someone in a position where you would have manually dipped but the auto hadn't, eg them waiting at a side road or entrance, OP please note!, then pulling the dip stalk back have a manual dip. Seemed a reasonable compromise, though tbh didn't particularly care for the general suspense of is it going to work or not, many times it was slower to react than I, especially to the loom of lights on bends and brows, not to mention oncoming pedestrians.
Op's question. John McEnroe "You cannot be serious!" Dip your lights and adjust your speed as necessary if you feel your vision of road ahead is compromised.
Janesmith's question. Generally I like to be in control, but haven't had the privilege of driving behind matrix Led lights yet. I did drive something a few weeks back with auto dipping, which seemed a reasonable compromise. Essentially the lights stayed on dip unless you stuck the dip stalk up into the main beam position, at which point the auto dipping function kicked in. If you could see someone in a position where you would have manually dipped but the auto hadn't, eg them waiting at a side road or entrance, OP please note!, then pulling the dip stalk back have a manual dip. Seemed a reasonable compromise, though tbh didn't particularly care for the general suspense of is it going to work or not, many times it was slower to react than I, especially to the loom of lights on bends and brows, not to mention oncoming pedestrians.
janesmith1950 said:
Slightly different question...
My car has auto dipped/main beam and Matrix LED headlights. One of the great advantages of the system is that it maintains main beam illumination on the road ahead and to the side when following other traffic without blinding them.
Whilst it's very good 99% of the time, it occasionally sees an oncoming vehicle too late and dazzles them. You can't really anticipate when this is going to happen.
Do you continue to use the feature, accepting that from time to time you may dazzle someone, or is the feature not fit for purpose?
FWIW, I think the former.
I'm going to answer this question with another.My car has auto dipped/main beam and Matrix LED headlights. One of the great advantages of the system is that it maintains main beam illumination on the road ahead and to the side when following other traffic without blinding them.
Whilst it's very good 99% of the time, it occasionally sees an oncoming vehicle too late and dazzles them. You can't really anticipate when this is going to happen.
Do you continue to use the feature, accepting that from time to time you may dazzle someone, or is the feature not fit for purpose?
FWIW, I think the former.
If your rain sensing wipers fail to come on when there is some rain (for whatever reason) do you 'go manual' to clear your screen? We know the answer to that, and I think it applies to your headlights question
If you headlights don't adjust/dip to stop dazzling another driver, dip them yourself. Continue to use the automatic function by all means, but be aware it may not work and manually dip when that occurs. Automatic anything will only work within prescribed design specifications so as a driver we should always be prepared to adjust a control manually.
Ahbefive said:
You don't use full beam on oncoming traffic whether they are stationary or not or even just if they are pulling out of a side road.
Surely not a serious question?
So even if a car is waiting to emerge from a side road and you have no visibility ahead ? Maybe the better way of expressing the question would be if a car is approaching from the left fork, still some way away. Following your advice would mean both cars crawling as even their dipped beams would still be shining straight at each other.Surely not a serious question?
Ahbefive said:
Quoted just in case..
In case of what ?Ahbefive said:
Yes, you don't dazzle other drivers under any circumstances. If your dipped beams are that bad you should consider getting them inspected.
Just to be fair to the OP, not sure exactly why, where's that "Not sure if serious" meme, but the OP did say it was a dark, wet nasty night, or something like that. Headlights are particularly poor in those conditions, BUT, if those are the conditions then you drive to said conditions, fully in the expectation that at some time you are going to have to dip.janesmith1950 said:
Slightly different question...
My car has auto dipped/main beam and Matrix LED headlights. One of the great advantages of the system is that it maintains main beam illumination on the road ahead and to the side when following other traffic without blinding them.
Whilst it's very good 99% of the time, it occasionally sees an oncoming vehicle too late and dazzles them. You can't really anticipate when this is going to happen.
Do you continue to use the feature, accepting that from time to time you may dazzle someone, or is the feature not fit for purpose?
FWIW, I think the former.
Yes I use auto-beam, and dip if I believe I am dazzling someon.My car has auto dipped/main beam and Matrix LED headlights. One of the great advantages of the system is that it maintains main beam illumination on the road ahead and to the side when following other traffic without blinding them.
Whilst it's very good 99% of the time, it occasionally sees an oncoming vehicle too late and dazzles them. You can't really anticipate when this is going to happen.
Do you continue to use the feature, accepting that from time to time you may dazzle someone, or is the feature not fit for purpose?
FWIW, I think the former.
I once berated a IAM website article because they referred to dazzling other ‘drivers’, I said that should be other road users. Pedestrians are probably the most likely to be affected.
gothatway said:
Imagine this junction on a nasty dark wet night ..
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2971211,-2.82857...
I am staying on the A38, with no traffic in front of me on the A38 (in either direction). I really want to have main beam on to get adequate vision around the bend and down the steep hill. However, let's say there is traffic waiting to turn right from the A371 towards me. If I'm on main beam I'll be dazzling them - discourteous - but if I dip then I compromise my own vision - dangerous.
What to do ?
Dip beam, and slow down. Pretty obvious. It is not just about you.https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.2971211,-2.82857...
I am staying on the A38, with no traffic in front of me on the A38 (in either direction). I really want to have main beam on to get adequate vision around the bend and down the steep hill. However, let's say there is traffic waiting to turn right from the A371 towards me. If I'm on main beam I'll be dazzling them - discourteous - but if I dip then I compromise my own vision - dangerous.
What to do ?
I have another question about dazzle: when to dip as another car approaches. Sometimes I see the loom of another car’s lights on main beam. I dip my lights and the approaching driver stays on main beam, only dipping after they have dazzled me. I wonder if I dip too soon so that they don’t see my lights until it’s too late to avoid dazzling me. I am never sure if it is because they aren’t making good observations or if they are just determined to hang onto main beam until the last possible moment?
[quote=66mpgI dip my lights and the approaching driver stays on main beam, only dipping after they have dazzled me. I wonder if I dip too soon so that they don’t see my lights until it’s too late to avoid dazzling me.
[/quote]
The way another (reasonably) alert driver would dip is if they see a change in the environment, so if you dip at the last possible moment they're more likely to twig. If you have time on a long straight where the oncomer really hasn't done anything, then a quick flash or two to remind them isn't amiss despite being non-HC.
Also, close one eye (assuming you have two functioning) to preserve some night vision.
[/quote]
The way another (reasonably) alert driver would dip is if they see a change in the environment, so if you dip at the last possible moment they're more likely to twig. If you have time on a long straight where the oncomer really hasn't done anything, then a quick flash or two to remind them isn't amiss despite being non-HC.
Also, close one eye (assuming you have two functioning) to preserve some night vision.
I have driven this particular bit of road many times (in the tens of thousands) in all types of weather and conditions. And have done so travelling either way. Both leaving the A38 at that point, onto the bypass. And indeed, joining the A38 at that junction, from the bypass.
If there is a car at the junction, waiting to turn on to the A38, which you can see. And you’re heading down the A38 (junction on your left, as per the link), good weather, in awful weather, late at night, driving through rain or sleet. My lights would be on dipped and I would drive to the conditions, in terms of speed / visibility etc. If I wasn’t comfortable about the level of visibility, I’d do the same thing you would probably do, if slow down
In reality, I cannot recall encountering any significant issues with visibility, travelling in either direction or joining/ leaving the A38 at that point. Both before or after they reduced the speed limit of that particular bit of road at that point. Although in fairness, the fact the speed limit was reduced. Is an indicator of attempts to mitigate a risk at the junction.
I think basic rules / common sense driving standards apply. If you’re driving on full beam and see another vehicle / cyclist / pedestrian at a junction/ coming the opposite way, you should be dipping your beams.
Also, even in poor or very poor conditions or at night. It should be possible for you to gain enough information from the road markings and road signage at / leading up to that junction. To allow you to anticipate and form an interpretation of the road ahead. Allowing you to decide what is likely to be reasonable action for you to initiate, in terms of your driving. Before you get a clearer view, heading down the hill.
If there is a car at the junction, waiting to turn on to the A38, which you can see. And you’re heading down the A38 (junction on your left, as per the link), good weather, in awful weather, late at night, driving through rain or sleet. My lights would be on dipped and I would drive to the conditions, in terms of speed / visibility etc. If I wasn’t comfortable about the level of visibility, I’d do the same thing you would probably do, if slow down
In reality, I cannot recall encountering any significant issues with visibility, travelling in either direction or joining/ leaving the A38 at that point. Both before or after they reduced the speed limit of that particular bit of road at that point. Although in fairness, the fact the speed limit was reduced. Is an indicator of attempts to mitigate a risk at the junction.
I think basic rules / common sense driving standards apply. If you’re driving on full beam and see another vehicle / cyclist / pedestrian at a junction/ coming the opposite way, you should be dipping your beams.
Also, even in poor or very poor conditions or at night. It should be possible for you to gain enough information from the road markings and road signage at / leading up to that junction. To allow you to anticipate and form an interpretation of the road ahead. Allowing you to decide what is likely to be reasonable action for you to initiate, in terms of your driving. Before you get a clearer view, heading down the hill.
Edited by bockaaarck on Sunday 19th August 04:27
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