Headlamp Glare

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

The SatNav in my van now that it's over 6 months old is less intelligent than it used to be (no traffic awareness or speed camera locations) because I won't stump up the £11 PCM subscription (not worth it for 4,000 miles a year).

Allegedly the 'find my vehicle' and other remote stuff doesn't work either but I've never used them anyway.

When you pay nearly £30k for something (and a lot more in the case of many cars now) these subscription models are kind of galling.

 

[Bristolian]

Does it do that for oncoming cyclists too? Walkers?

I'm not sure as I haven't come across a cyclist or pedestrian on the road whilst I have been driving at night. From reading the user manual I have an expectation that if they are wearing something reflective or are showing a working light then the headlamps will behave as I described.

 

[Bristolian]

The SatNav in my van now that it's over 6 months old is less intelligent than it used to be (no traffic awareness or speed camera locations) because I won't stump up the £11 PCM subscription (not worth it for 4,000 miles a year).

Allegedly the 'find my vehicle' and other remote stuff doesn't work either but I've never used them anyway.

When you pay nearly £30k for something (and a lot more in the case of many cars now) these subscription models are kind of galling.

Going slightly off topic but, my current car was over £40k when new and came with 3 years of free satnav updates. Obviously it is now well beyond that time period but I thought I'd ask the local dealer about an update anyway. £70-odd for the SD card with the update on - not bad I thought - plus £150 for the activation code/use license. Hmm, maybe an Android head unit instead then.

I found a guy on a famous on-line auction site selling the SD card and code for £60. Result! Works perfectly

I'm still looking for a solution to activate Apple CarPlay which the original owner clearly didn't want to pay for when he bought the car. Fool!

 

[johnnyb47]

I'm a bit late to the party reading this interesting thread but I thought I would put my two pence worth in.
A few months back I bought a new(to me)second hand car and through sheer ignorance I didn't know that the led bulbs fitted in it where replaced from the standard halogen bulbs.
After doing a little research it became apparent there illegal and that they would be an MOT failure.
I've now changed them back to standard halogen and although less bright and more yellow the beam pattern is more focused on the road making it much easier to see.
I also noticed that because led lights give off very little heat it would take an absolute age for the headlight lenses to defrost in the cold weather as the halogen ones would quickly get them clear.

 

[Bazzer]

Going slightly off topic but, my current car was over £40k when new and came with 3 years of free satnav updates. Obviously it is now well beyond that time period but I thought I'd ask the local dealer about an update anyway. £70-odd for the SD card with the update on - not bad I thought - plus £150 for the activation code/use license. Hmm, maybe an Android head unit instead then.

I found a guy on a famous on-line auction site selling the SD card and code for £60. Result! Works perfectly

I'm still looking for a solution to activate Apple CarPlay which the original owner clearly didn't want to pay for when he bought the car. Fool!

It may depend upon the make of vehicle, but there are sellers on line, (not the Bay of e), who can provide the code for activating Apple Car Play. - Assuming of course your head unit is compatible.
My youngest daughter did it for her VW, after her previous car was written off by an inattentive taxi driver. Mainly because she wanted Waze on the head unit. I think she paid £60 for the code on a USB.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Definitely a safety issue as their increased brightness makes it hard to see things which are not lit or have more suitable lighting.

 

[Drago]

The SatNav in my van now that it's over 6 months old is less intelligent than it used to be (no traffic awareness or speed camera locations) because I won't stump up the £11 PCM subscription (not worth it for 4,000 miles a year).

Allegedly the 'find my vehicle' and other remote stuff doesn't work either but I've never used them anyway.

When you pay nearly £30k for something (and a lot more in the case of many cars now) these subscription models are kind of galling.

I don't use the Sat nav I my van for the same reason.

Instead I use Waze through Android Auto, which is free and constantly updated. Having Morgn Freeman direct me on my travels is very soothing.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

As a motorist I don't find the extra brightness too much of an issue in itself except when the headlamps are badly aimed (and there are a few of those about. As a cyclist I have an issue with automatic dipping headlights as my (unscientific) observations notice that many of them only dip when they detect twin lights ahead.

Yes - I have automatic lights now
They are supposed to switch to full beam when the light is below x whatevers and there are no other vehicles ahead

bloody useless
as you say - they don;t detect everything - so I doubt they would detect an oncoming cyclist
and they decide to go to full beam several seconds after I think they would be useful - in otehr words unless I am trying to see how it works then I have already done it manually

plus the automatic feature can be cancelled by flashing the headlights once

what moron thought that one up???
so if I an driving on the sort of road that needs full beam and flash my lights to tell someone that I have pulled in and am letting them through - then the full beam feature is cancelled but only a littl egreen light on the far right of the screen tells me this

if I could cancel it permanently I would - but that isn;t an option!

some people in the design part of car manufacturers needs to have their brain examined!!

 

[lazybloke]

There would be far less dazzle if the headlamps had larger reflectors.

Instead, many headlamps are getting ever smaller, trending towards a point source. Not surprising they're dazzling if idiot designers prioritise aesthetics over being considerate.

The cross-sectional area of the beam (measured closest to the car) is the important measure. On my first car that was 240 square cms (per headlamp).

Modern cars seem to be half of that at best, as well as having brighter bulbs.

 

[lazybloke]

Just measured the Qashqai, and did my pi r squared to get an area of 11 sq cm per headlamp compared to the 240 of my first car from .. er .. some decades ago.

So the newer car emits light from an area that is only one twentieth that of my older car.

So if perception of brightness is linear, then the same bulb output will look a massive 20 times brighter on the qashqai.

Now consider brighter technologies than bulbs....

 

[Marchrider]

I had my first confrontation of the year last week - I stopped at the side of the road and shielded my eyes to let the driver know he was blinding me. He stopped wound his window down and announced his lights were automatic and they don't see cyclists! I suggested he take his car back to the garage and ask for a less anti-social one - He blew his fat little top at the criticism of his car and told me cyclists shouldn't be out this late at night and then sped off at high speed (it was quarter to five and not quite dark)

so at what time should cyclists be safely home in bed and not getting in the way of the Land Rover classes ? they pay road tax and everything

 

[fossyant]

I don't use the Sat nav I my van for the same reason.

Instead I use Waze through Android Auto, which is free and constantly updated. Having Morgn Freeman direct me on my travels is very soothing.

You can get Morgan Freeman for Waze... Just faffing with the new van and it's far easier to just plug in the phone for android auto - up pops maps and Amazon Prime for music. No fiddling with extra settings.

 

[lazybloke]

He stopped wound his window down and announced his lights were automatic and they don't see cyclists!

Lights and driver not fit for purpose

 

[Rusty Nails]

I don't use the Sat nav I my van for the same reason.

Instead I use Waze through Android Auto, which is free and constantly updated. Having Morgan Freeman direct me on my travels is very soothing.

It would be worth a fee just to hear him describe the way to Rhosllanerchrugog.

 

[Drago]

I had my first confrontation of the year last week - I stopped at the side of the road and shielded my eyes to let the driver know he was blinding me. He stopped wound his window down and announced his lights were automatic and they don't see cyclists! I suggested he take his car back to the garage and ask for a less anti-social one - He blew his fat little top at the criticism of his car and told me cyclists shouldn't be out this late at night and then sped off at high speed (it was quarter to five and not quite dark)
View attachment 759579

so at what time should cyclists be safely home in bed and not getting in the way of the Land Rover classes ? they pay road tax and everything

Tell him to read the handbook. Even automatic lights can be manually dipped for just that scenario.

That is a moving traffic offence and you have video evidence of it so shop him.