What you say ..

These are a just few of the thousands of supportive comments we have received -  there are many more on The Petition
To DaDRL USA: Thank you for keeping after DRLs. I am a life member of the NMA and also a bicyclist. I do believe that DRLs make bicyclists and pedestrians more vulnerable. Bicycles a generally supposed to ride to the edge of the road and cars pulling out at stop signs have more difficultly seeing us to start with due to size and position on the roadway. If there are cars passing us with DRLs as we approach an intersection it is very likely we will not be noticed. I have had a policeman turn left directly in front of me causing me to execute an emergency stop. I believe the root cause was that a car had just passed me obscured me from the cops vision so he turned as soon as the car cleared the intersection and there I was, looking in his passenger window.
 Will Haltiwanger (USA)

"These lights are dangerous pure and simple no arguments no question." Andrew Lowdon

"I am delighted to have found this petition. I had no idea that so many shared my views on the madness of car lights." Chris Thomas

"As a driving instructor, both I and my pupils find this problem a highly dangerous one for all road users"
Mark Whatmough

"I fully support your campaign, on numerous occasions I have seen pedestrians stood in the centre of the road disappear in the glare of headlights. Every vehicle should be fitted with dim dip, this would eliminate the problem. Good luck with the campaign." Tony Beard - see Pedestrians at risk

"So do we have to equip school children with headlamps and car batteries in their satchels?"
Roger Harrobin Environmental Correspondent BBC Radio 4 - see Pedestrians at risk


"Would we need them (Daytime Running Lights) if we drove with our eyes open?"
John Humphrys BBC Radio 4 - see Cyclists at Risk


"The original concept of a daytime running light was (and still is) to have lights of about one tenth of the output of a dipped headlight".
Professor emeritus Murray Mackay Aston University - see Solutions

"Are Volvo drivers blind?" James May Sunday Mirror - see Drivers at Risk

"Daytime running lights are yet another measure that seeks to promote the safety of those in cars to the detriment of those outside them.  You have two very convincing arguments: DRL's waste a non-trivial amount of energy, and they make all road users without lights relatively less conspicuous and therefore put them at greater risk".
Professor John Adams    University College London - see Motorcyclists at Risk


"Cognition psychology is teaching us that the driver's attention is caught by the DRL and at the same time pedestrians, bikers, obstacles on the road etc. can be overlooked very easily. In addition the not too well known 'change blindness' (elicited by DRL) can cause additional problems".
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Peter Heilig University of Vienna - see Expert Opinion and Effect on Vision

"I thoroughly support your campaign against mandatory day-time lights on running vehicles.  My observations of those cars, notably Volvos, which routinely use such lights, is that they are both unnecessary and indeed dangerous, in that drivers misinterpret their meaning.  The use of lights in this way would also be irresponsible, giving the waste of energy and the need to tackle climate change.  I hope this helps".
Norman Baker MP      Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary www.normanbaker.org.uk


"I am very much heartened to learn that someone is trying to do something about the Xenon auto-headlights menace. As a late- comer what can I do to help at this point? It seems that your petition was submitted and elicited a response, but that that response was somewhat along the lines of "What's the problem?" and "They are legal" and "Anyway, more light has got to be better hasn't it?". There is also the issue highlighted (!) on your website about these lights being adjustable by the driver, unlike the usual MOT type of immutable "full" and "dipped" settings. This seems disastrously dangerous. Overall I think the situation is highly dangerous and your point about there being, sooner or later, blood on the government's hands is spot on, but meanwhile perfectly able motorists are being put off driving at night because these badly designed lights are so dangerous".
 Jonathan Maxwell BSc(tech), MSc(Applied Optics), DIC, MInstP, CPhys, Member of the Scientific Instrument Society

"Thank you for bringing this DANGEROUS monster to our attention. I had wondered why car lights are on during perfectly clear days, it is extremely distracting, dangerous and totally unnecessary. I live in the Oxfordshire area, where there are no street lamps. The glare of night lights makes driving very difficult, especially since you do not have the street lamp to help neutralise the saturating glare.

We put up with fog lights on perfectly clear evenings (and the hideous neon blue extra’s), Halogen and Xenon lights dazzling us by their twinkling ultra violet covering vastly more space than the average headlamp.

Cars driving so close that you are dazzled front and rear and now we have the latest glaring error - daytime running lights! It’s odd that the design of running lights give the impression of an aggressive ‘scowl’ on the vehicle, is that deliberate too? Now that drivers have taken to putting lights on during the day we are accosted by all of the above – all the time and the sensory information of the average driver is now at overload. My husband has ‘glare induced’ migraines and his migraines are becoming more frequent now.

The Government ministers don’t have a clue because most are chauffeur driven and have blacked out windows so this does not affect them. Another point in question is: - the amount of car drivers with one headlamp working and the one working is on FULL BEAM! – TOTAL DAZZLE OVERLOAD! Doesn’t anyone carry a spare or are they too expensive and cumbersome to put in so they just cannot be bothered. You can’t always tell if it’s a bike or car".
Mrs Julie Christmas Oxfordshire

"With 30 years behind me as a Road Safety officer, working to reduce the risk to vulnerable road users, it fills me with concern that we are looking to take this retrograde step. Pedestrians, cyclists, horse-riders and similar will disappear behind the dazzle and distraction caused by such running light, especially in low light/ twilight conditions"
Neil Ellison Road Safety Officer

"We damaged our car yesterday by hitting a pothole because we were dazzled by high intensity blue lights of an approaching vehicle. Why don't the police have a campaign and stop these drivers in the same way as they are doing with mobile phones?"
Robert Hawkes Glenfinnan

"It is most important that the completely white DISCHARGE lamps which should be banned. The whiteness of the light emitted as well as the intensity make them painful to the eyes - and with the euro vertical dipping, it only takes a slight rise in the road to cause a real problem in seeing what lies ahead. However, I also agree that many LED running lights used by day are unnecessarily bright - and why is a whole strip of them allowed?"
Paul Bristol


"I cannot express how happy I was to learn about this campaign whilst watching the news just now. For months I've thought it must just be me and my light-sensitive eyes, but it is so reassuring to learn that this is actually a very serious wide spread problem that needs to be addressed before someone is seriously injured or killed, if this hasn't already happened. You have my total support and gratitude for trying to do something about this!"
Laura Porter

"I thought it was only me, until I saw The One Show tonight (by accident of course!). I absolutely support you on this campaign against increasingly brighter and brighter headlamps. They may be brilliant for the person sitting behind them but are desperately bad for those who have to meet them. I travel 20 miles, each way, to work 12 hour days and nights, 07.30 to 19.30 or 19.30 to 07.30, so unless it's summer, it's dark both ways. The last thing I need is to be blinded when I'm already tired. They clearly do not meet legal requirements! I think it used to say that headlamps must be capable of being dipped so as not to dazzle other road users, or words to that effect. These are blinding even when dipped".
Stephen Unsworth

"So glad you've identified the problem - I knew Halogen headlights were brighter and different, but I have been bothered by this newer breed of Halogen lights which I find very difficult to drive into, especially on country roads, where there are no street lights.
The additional brightness of their HID glare makes it impossible to see the potholes on the carriageway that I am trying to avoid! Normal lights are quite bright enough to spot pedestrians and animals at night - particularly if speed is kept to a respectable level - there should be no need for brighter lamps, which dazzle even when dipped".

Susan Oldfield


"Thank you so much for getting this subject onto the BBC. I am 43 and have noticed in recent years more and more luxury vehicles having these over-bright headlights. I am amazed these are legal. We've had sensible and evolved laws relating to vehicle lighting for years and suddenly it all seems to be fading away. I wonder if it is due to someone senior within a ministry who has been maintaining standards has retired. It's so important not to dazzle - isn't that why we have headlight adjustment checked during MOTs? Similarly - consistent head-lighting so that night time driving isn't tiring on the eyes - isn't that why France had to go from yellow to white headlights as part of the EU?
Very well done, and the best of luck with your campaign."

Rich D.

"Thanks to MAG I found this site. As both a motorcyclist and car driver this has become a major road safety issue".
Dr. Mark Williams PHD

"These things are blinding and dangerous. It is high time lighting was judged on the power it puts out, not the amount used to produce the light."
David Wattam PhD


"I've signed up to your petition and I wish you the very best of luck. I sincerely hope you are successful. Please find below, a copy of my comments.
I'm forever putting my rear view mirrors on dip and in some cases, adjusting my offside wing mirrors so that I do not get blinded by these high intensity headlights. I can always guarantee that when they pass me, the car is an Audit, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes and in some cases, the newer fords and Vauxhalls. My eyes are constantly worn out by these headlights in the winter months and I arrive to work, tired, stressed and worn out. I can see these headlights coming up behind me and they don't need to be in my lane on the motorway, as due to their intensity, they are covering all three lanes with their beam. As well as these annoying and stressful (yes, stressful as I'm constantly annoyed and worn out by them), people who place their foot on the brake pedal also wears me out, as they dazzle me when I'm waiting at traffic lights to move off. Don't people realise that they could be wearing out their disks due to the heat being transferred from the pedals, especially if they have been braking hard or constantly; overheated brake pads are then transferring their heat to the disks and they could possible warp. I hate winter driving now, as due to the above, it is not a pleasant experience. I don't know how successful your campaign will be, as I'm pretty sceptical on Government agencies ever listening to the 'silent majority' but I'd like to wish you very good luck in your endeavours."

Dave Shields


"I read your comments with interest and fully agree that badly adjusted headlights, be they halogen or HID can be extremely distracting to oncoming motorists, other road users, pedestrians and animals. As to bi-xenon headlights, I have them on my 2010 BMW 5 Series and in 7 months of ownership, I can honestly say that I have never been flashed by other drivers. I think the main problem is due to people fitting HID bulbs into H7 bases with parabolic reflectors rather than the bi-xenon equipped projector lens. If they policed HID retrofits into halogen assemblies (which is illegal) then I think the problem would largely disappear. I would like to post this comment on your website, but I cannot find a way of doing so. I note that you only publish negative comments and understand your reasoning, but I think your campaign would carry more credibility were you to allow reasoning for and against."
Jonathan Dunckley

An excellent campaign and one I support having had my night vision diminished innumerable times by HID headlights and frequently by drivers using fog lights, both front and rear, in wet but clear conditions in both urban and rural areas. I agree that these so called safety measures work only for those who have them; they are a threat to the safety of the rest of us.
Geoffrey Wilkinson


With reference to your "lightmare" article, I personally a couple of years ago, wrote to my local paper regarding dazzling lights, my point was more related to faulty lights, i.e. cars with only One working, and was asking for it to be law that cars should be checked regularly, this is common with your article as I also mentioned the dazzle of lights at night, whether down to incorrect positioning, or just the new lighting used. Nothing came of it, and even now I count regularly on my way home cars with BAD LIGHTING.
Alan. B. Addelston Manf' Eng', Electrical Team Leader.


"Gentlemen,
Great job on standing up to be counted! However I do feel that a broad approach may be missing a couple of the finer details...... The use of retro-fit HIDs falls foul of the 'E' approval. Usually 'E' approval is given to a bulb/reflector combination, after testing etc. To the best of knowledge, and that of several discussion groups, 'E' approval is not granted retrospectively, neither is it tested retrospectively. So no retro-fit HID kit installed into a halogen installation is approved for use, and therefore not road-legal, anywhere in Europe. Given they are not legal (and quite obvious when installed) maybe the police and MOT testers should target these first. (oh, think of how many the police would catch in one Saturday night in Southend.) As usual, as long as there is a disclaimer ('for off-road use only') sales of after-market kits are not illegal, along with 100w, 110w and 130w+ Halogens. In fact we use a couple of sets (mounted on a light-bar with independent switching, of course) for use in our grounds. Whilst I appreciate your section on vanishing bikers within the light-field of an HID, I suspect you'd find more sympathy if you campaigned for bikers to use dipped-beam when driving, instead of always driving with main-beam on, and drove within the confines of the law regarding speed and lane positioning. Many car drivers don't see bikes because they travel well in excess of the speed limit, weaving in and out of traffic (complete with lane-splitting) with their main-beam on. Come on, play fair, we should be given some chance to see them. Unless bikers and bikers are now exempt from these laws? On the home page you mention brake lights, although I can only find one reference to them and that's people staying on the brake-pedal too long in traffic. Honestly, that's just like leaving your main-beam on - it's down to driver education. Personally I'd love to see someone make a LED bulb that is 100% compatible and 'E' approved, for brake lights. LED clusters tend not to fail as whole unit and will last far longer than a filament unit. If one LED in the cluster fails, it does not result in a total unit failure and this will still function, unlike a filament's single point of failure. Brake lights that don't fail? Isn't that a major contribution to safety? The same with LED side-lights, and number-plate lights, they don't have to be bright, just on. (Also means the police won't be trying 'make quota' on these issues, thus leaving them to catch speeding motor-bikes, and boy-racers with illegal HIDs etc. etc.) In reference to driver education, making sure that people fit bulbs correctly would go a long way to not dazzling other motorists too. How many times do you see a car with one bright light and one that appears on dipped beam? This is caused with a bulb (usually dual filament) being incorrectly fitted and this not being in the correct position for the reflector to do its job correctly. Remember this happens on halogens more often than HIDs, given HIDs longer operational life. In terms of power, I suspect the 'Lumen' would be better used than watts, in the same way that domestic bulb manufacturers are beginning to do. This would take away the 'more powerful is better' syndrome, especially among our boy-racer culture. Along with colour as well, to dispense with those that are purple and blue in colour. I don't see a viable safety reason for these colours to be allowed at all. OEM HIDs, sadly like most things, these will remain in place until it is proven conclusively that they are dangerous. There is a newer version coming along too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_highbeam ...whilst only on certain premium makes at the moment, I'm sure you remember ABS, airbags, electric windows, (remote) central locking, air conditioning (and climate control) etc., starting out this way as well. DRL's, I think it would be easier to adopt a system whereby the sidelights are on all the while the engine is running. I believe that this would solve many of the over-bright and misaligned DRL issues, as you'd be using an in-built 'E' approved system. All you need is a relay and 10 minutes to make it work. I believe that if you have better targeted campaigns, each with a different attack, you'll probably have a greater effect over one, "it's all bad", campaign.
Good luck!"
Alex Reid (I don’t need DRLs anyway – I have a bright yellow pickup truck!)


"Stumbled across your campaign because of an article on the BBC web site. First of all, let me declare that I live in London, I am a motorcyclist and my car is fitted with HID headlights. I agree with you that dazzle and glare from lights is distracting, causes fatigue and can be dangerous. I would also suggest that lights that are too dim are equally dangerous and that the law concerning the use of vehicle lights in built up areas contributes to this. HID lights are unnecessarily bright. Fog lights when it's not foggy are bad (I think that some people think their car goes faster if they drive with side lights and fog lights!). Motorcyclists who ride with lights on full beam all of the time seem to be fooling themselves if they think it makes them safer However, I'd also like to see something done about the use of side lights (or DRL's) at night. There are several problems: some side lights are dim whilst others are laser bright. Since most drivers don't check their lights regularly, those with naturally dim lights often don't know when they stop working, so they end up driving with lights out. Secondly, whilst it's legal to drive with just side lights, those that do seem to disappear when in a line of traffic where most others have their headlights on. I think that dipped beam should be put into the 'must' category. We need some changes to the rules, we need to see more standardisation between vehicles of both side lights and head lights and we need to see proper enforcement to stop people driving around with broken lights on their vehicles."
Mitchell Humphreys


Hi Ken and Roy
Let me congratulate you on your campaign.
Until now, I thought I was the only one who was concerned about this!!!!
Here’s a few of my thoughts… I live near a humped-backed bridge between Godmanchester and Huntingdon, built in the Middle ages. Hundreds, if not thousands, of cars pass over this bridge every day. At night time, when you approach a car with HID’s coming over the bridge in the opposite direction, it is absolutely blinding, regardless of whether their lights are adjusted properly or not. You are temporarily blinded and thus you and other road users are in danger. I agree wholeheartedly about intimidation. If the truth were known, HID drivers enjoy that! The stress caused from night driving – especially over long distances – is cumulative and may manifest itself in other ways, for example, driver impatience or risk taking. Someone needs to take a long hard look at the statistics for accidents, because I am sure there are damaging knock-on effects from HIDs that have yet to be quantified. The Motor Industry’s contention that HID’s were developed with safety in mind is completely fatuous; whose safety, that of the car owner only? These lights were developed uncritically because they were seen as a way of making sales by the motor manufacturers. I have seen it written that “HIDs are brighter than the sun”. How can that be safe? The sun is too bright to look at directly. And finally… QUESTION: What can drivers do if the have HID’s but recognize their danger and inconvenience to other drivers? The Lightmare Website is a fantastic resource, and is well reasoned and calm (compared to me!) I don’t expect a reply (!), as I hope you have thousands of messages like this following publicity on the BBC Website.
Please keep up the good work; you deserve a knighthood at least!

Keith Hodson


Keep up the good work. About time someone thought of tackling the many poor lighting decisions motorists and vehicle manufacturers make. Motorcyclists seem to assume full beam headlights are required now, especially on motorways. This is probably self-defeating as it is so distracting for a driver. All car drivers (including many Police officers) seem to assume that sitting on the brake pedal when stopped is the correct way to drive, despite the dazzling effect of the Hi-Vis brake lights. Most Learner Drivers are being taught to use sidelights at dusk, instead of dipped beam headlights, by their instructors.
Michael D


"I am also concerned about the dazzle from Xenon lights. Here are some of my thought on this.
1. According to the Wikipedia article on Xenon Headlights, vehicles with those lights must have self levelling headlights. How many of these systems are working? Does MOT test check them?
2. How does levelling system cope with gradients? Are all systems the same?
3. Even if light is level with respect to the contact plane of the wheels, it will be aimed at a point on that plane ahead of the vehicle. However, if the road then slopes downwards, the light will be further projected above the road and cause a flash of dazzle.
4. A very concentrated beam will give a higher peak of dazzle intensity than the same power of light spread over a wider beam.
5. Filament lamps give a smooth spectrum of light dependant on temperature (black body radiator), discharge sources use particular transitions in energy states of atoms to produce light. Each state of state produces light at a frequency (colour) determined by the size of that change in energy and is dependant upon the particular atoms involved, so that the "white" light is a mix of peaks of different colours.
6. The light from projector lights comes out of a smaller "hole" than the reflectors of normal halogen lamps so the image on the retina is smaller and brighter even when not looking down the centre of the beam. But it's cheaper to make and mount a small diameter lens than to make and mount a larger one passing the same light power but over a larger area."
Frank Lund


"The white-blue headlamps are great when you're the one driving, and very useful when bundu-bashing or driving through a remote area of Namibia. However, when you're the oncoming traffic heading towards them, it's an entirely different matter. One friend of mine, along with her sister and three brothers, was orphaned when her parents died as a result of her father being blinded by these lights. Another friend ended up a quadriplegic and lost her father and brother in an accident caused by the same thing.
Anyone interested in the effect of these headlamps please visit the Lightmare site".
Daysy
www.freeforum101.com/avetenebrae/viewtopic.php?t=1362&mforum=avetenebrae

"There are several problems involved: e.g. bright lights are not effectively controlled by auto-levelling headlights as the technology does not work generally unless on a straight level road".
DSS of Marlow


"Whilst I support your campaign on over-bright headlights and driving lights and misuse of brake and foglights, I would like to add a concern regarding the increasing use by car manufacturers of LED tail and brake lights. The existing regulations limit tungsten bulbs used for brake or reversing light applications to 21W. However, I recently followed an Audi 4x4 at night which had LED's in both brake lights, plus the high level central one, which were 2-3 times brighter than any bulb, resulting in my being blinded every time the driver braked. Worse, they stopped at a traffic light with foot on the brake and I was forced to cover my eyes with my hand and turn my head away to avoid having spots before my eyes when the traffic lights changed (no one seems to show any consideration and use the handbrake any more). It would be interesting to know what UK/EU regulations cover the output of LED rear lights, since there should obviously be some limit in terms of lumens rather than wattage".
Alan Warburton, Godalming


"Best wishes with your most worthy campaign. It is something that NEEDS to be done, so cheers for your time and effort. You have a lot of support, so go with the tide and keep going my friend. I constantly drive around London and on the Motorways; (I have done for some 25 years), many of them doing over 50k a year. And like most others, I have definitely seen a rise in these glare problems due to the new headlights. What Paul Everitt from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says is total, utter rubbish. "They are designed to ensure that the light is focused on the road. I think glare is a problem for all road users so I don't buy that [HID headlamps] are more dazzling, or more likely to dazzle, than any other headlamp." Paul Everitt. Of course he will play it down- his wages at SMMT are paid for by all member car companies. And after all, what does it say on their website... "The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) exists to support and promote the interests of the UK automotive industry... " Yes, THE UK AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY! SMMT supports the traders! Not the drivers or the pedestrians, sadly, who come second best. Yes, the new lights may well come up to new European safety laws, on one level. But, if it substitutes common sense and creates more accidents on an altogether new level, then overall, it's flawed. It's become so bad now that I quite literally flick my rear-mirror so the glare doesn't blind me. And as for crossing the road in London, don't get me started...!
Anyway, best wishes,
Bill Murtha


Look before you dazzle.
Do you know how bright your car’s lights are? That sounds a stupid question, but most drivers never stand in front of their vehicle to experience the glare of its lights. If they did, they would get a shock. Cars have lights so other road users can see them, and to illuminate the road at night. They are essential for safety – hence the lunacy of cyclists who insist on riding at night without them. But, like any other equipment, they must be used sensibly – particularly in daylight. Many drivers don’t seem to know how bright their lights are, or which controls operate which lights; their choice is often downright dangerous. I was once stopped by the police because I had inadvertently switched on my hire car’s rear fog lamps, blinding drivers behind me. Apart from owners of Volvos – whose makers are strangely able to manufacture right-hand drive models for the UK market but not disconnect the 24/7 sidelights compulsory in the Arctic – we at present can choose whether to drive with our lights on during the day. Until recently hardly anyone did, then bus drivers began to, and now the roads in broad daylight are plagued by over-bright headlights. For many, using them is a statement: “I am driving a bus, which is too small for you to notice”; “I am on my mobile, so watch out”, or “I drive a minicab/maintenance van/Grand Cayenne and my ego requires you to notice me.” From early 2011, we shall have less choice. Then an EU directive kicks in requiring all new cars to have “day-lights” – dipped headlights that will not switch off – in the name of safety. They are already compulsory in 14 countries, and experts claim that extending them to the rest of the EU will save up to 2,000 lives a year. Those of us driving older vehicles will not have to switch on, but the arrival on our roads of more cars where you can’t switch the damn things off will be a further incentive to egotistical or inconsiderate road users who drive around in daylight hell bent on incinerating the eyeballs of oncoming motorists. Worse still, with the switch from conventional to halogen and now LED technology, car lights are getting brighter every year. Many headlights now dazzle oncomers even when dipped, particularly when the vehicle is driven over the crest of a hill, a bridge, or speed hump. German manufacturers are the prime culprits, though Range Rover are catching up fast. Mercedes’ new-generation sidelights – yes, sidelights – are so concentratedly bright that they must have bought up a job lot of Gestapo surplus interrogation lamps. If the road safety lobby insists we drive around with our lights on no matter how bright the day, it should also demand that car makers show some sense of proportion over the lights they install, and urge drivers to use them responsibly. Otherwise the end result will be not fewer accidents, but more."

Nicholas Comfort


Ken, I am around the same age as you and like you, I really cannot understand why we need to use daylight running headlamps the way we do at the moment. I can sort of understand a 'green' car travelling late afternoon, early evening needing them especially in rural areas, but in town I believe they are overused and possibly for the wrong reason. The one thing that amazes me during the day is 'Here is a London Bus - look my headlights work'! (lol). If we can't see a Bus - we are in dire straits as it were! I've been an ADI for close on 22 years although not so much nowadays. These lights had the effect of making a pupil [learning to drive pupil - not the eye pupil] not so much 'glance away from the brightness, but 'stare' away from it. Therefore the car travels for some distance (around 15 metres sometimes more) without the driver being able to 'see' through the brilliance.
Don Songhurst


Hello Ken.
I hope you manage to push this light issue to become law. I failed to add in my comments that in heavy traffic very bright head lights are not so noticeable. In heavy traffic one is usually in a street lit zone and they are less harsh on the eye as the retina is already adjusted to brighter lighting. The danger comes when one is on an unlit road. On first seeing these bright lights the eyes are dazzled and the driver is temporarily blinded.(this temporary blindness could last for two or more seconds, In this time a considerable distance is travelled unseen by the motorist!) This renders an obstruction to the view of the road ahead and to the side which at sixty MPH is not safe at all in any situation or for that matter any speed! I have come across pedestrians wearing dark clothing on the road edge and these are only seen at the last second. Put a temporary blindness situation into the loop and the risk if collision, with said pedestrian, goes from 'medium' to 'very high'. The pedestrian has a perfect right to be there and so do the motorists. The three should not be put together in the same area with bright lights being the catalyst!
I wonder if there was a collision with, say a pedestrian in that type of situation, and the driver took to the manufacturer of these bright lights on in a court of law, who would be awarded the costs and who would be sent to jail? For me this would be a very interesting situation. Terribly sad, but unfortunately seems to be the only way sensible legislation becomes law.
Please note that all my comments are from a CAR drivers perspective as the driving position in any 4x4 is completely different, being higher. Be it 100mm 300mm or even 600mm higher from the headlight height (which, I believe is set at a fairly close maximum and minimum height by law) Bright lights on a 4x4 are really scary! I whole heartedly support your campaign and disagree completely to the comments that these lights are 'safer'!

Edward Parker-Jervis


"I am glad that someone has had the good sense to raise this issue as in my view the problem has becoming increasingly worse with the numbers of HID fitted cars on the increase. I do approximately 20,000 miles per annum, mainly on motorways and during this last winter night driving I have noticed a continuing problem with HID cars that I believe affects the safety of roads users.
I had contemplated writing to the AA, so your forum is timely. I believe that there is technical problem that affects the GB. I have noticed that when travelling on the middle or outer lanes on the motorway that when I move into the inner lanes to allow HID cars to overtake me then once I am in the inner lane the following headlights become blinding. In other words the HID cars are fine when directly behind my car but in the lane adjacent the same headlights have too much 'kick-up' of left hand light. This transition of normal light to blinding is sudden and unsafe in my opinion - the driver in front has little time or warning to adjust his internal mirror before he becomes blinded by the glare.
All headlights have a degree of 'reach' that allows the illumination of the nearside kerb/markings but I believe the HID installations are excessively high. A badly adjusted headlight of any kind is blinding but this nearside issue seems to affect HID cars that would appear otherwise to be correctly adjusted for height".

Ray Milton


Yesterday I was caught out twice by VW's with the idiotic gaylight running lights. At a smaller roundabout (not a mini white one) I was waiting to turn right when Golf at the entrance to my right pulled away and appeared to indicate to his left, to take his first exit from the roundabout. Several VW's and other German cars have the indicators in the headlamp which is a really stupid and dangerous thing to do but now that the headlights are on all the time it presents another issue. I think this car may also have had the equally stupid feature that brightens or moves the headlamp when turning and this looked like an indicator flash. Since I thought he was turning immediately left I began to move and was surprised when he went straight across in front of me.

I had to wait for several more cars and then another car, again a VW pulled out, appeared to indicate immediately left and again roared across in front of me before I had moved a few inches. I have written to several magazines complaining about the declining standards of vehicle lighting over the past few decades.
 
I think several things need to be changed:
1. Indicator lenses should be yellow not white. Try reading yellow text on white paper to see what I mean. Yellow-white-yellow-white is not visible enough in sunshine. Ironically this design was "sold " to us as being better in daylight !
2. Front indicators should be at least 4 inches away (preferably 6") from the headlamp. At night an indicator disappears against the dazzle of a bright headlamp especially when the vehicle is approaching from the right.
3. Daylight running lights (Dim-dip Mk.2). Why will the EU never take NO for an answer !
4. Indicator controls from left-hand drive cars should not be fitted on right-hand drive vehicles. Even a basic knowledge of task loading says that gear-changing and centre console tasks mean the left hand is heavily occupied and so the indicator stalk should be on the right, like it was on cars before the penny-pinching of the 1970's. Right-hand drive cars in other parts of the world are set-up properly, why do we get sub-standard cars?
Peter Slegg

HELP! How can these new 'superbright' daytime running lights (DRL's) on new vehicles be legal?? If the Highway Code says front foglamps on are illegal over 300ft visibility (Rule 226/236), these new LED's are a joke - seen on Merc, Bmw, Audi, Citroen, Ford, Alfa, Smart etc - up to a mile away! They are WAY TOO BRIGHT!! And need dialling down about 50% (smaller fuse?) - they are brighter than a foglamp, brighter than dipped headlights, brighter than rear brakelights - I find them (and others I've spoken to) offensive, intrusive, headache causing, eyestrain causing, excess glare causing (especially on a damp windscreen) - and who knows maybe even epileptic fit causing as they strobe/flashlight past the winter school gates! How can we get these recalled, complain against them, start a petition against them? The irony is that motorcyclists are not allowed them, and when we all have to drive with lights on, the motorcyclist will be less visible than before! I find myself continually having to raise my hand to block the view of these oncoming lights - surely more of a distraction than they are intended to be.
Dwayne Welch

    Pfleger and Heilig

BBC April 2011
Sangita Myska
The Lightmare


The Cabbies Guide to Motor Manners
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Ban Blue-Rich Lights

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