RAC says new headlights 'blinding drivers'

[Peter Mugridge]

Modern emergency vehicles are also too bright. They need to be brighter than the old rotating blue light, but the current LED lights mounted on modern emergency vehicles are ridiculously bright, to the point where my vision is impaired for a short while after it's passed.

It would help if they also bothered to use their sirens.

Round here ( Epsom ) the South East Coast Ambulance Trust seems to be allergic to using their sirens. It is ridiculous to see an ambulance battling through heavy traffic with the blues on but in silence, yet it happens every day.

 

[BestWestern]

It would help if they also bothered to use their sirens.

Round here ( Epsom ) the South East Coast Ambulance Trust seems to be allergic to using their sirens. It is ridiculous to see an ambulance battling through heavy traffic with the blues on but in silence, yet it happens every day.

Amen! Presumably some sort of pandering to noise regulations, but as you say completely ridiculous. Sirens far increase both the awareness and sense of urgency of other drivers. The worst examples are when something comes flying up to a roundabout or junction on blues only, and then bangs the siren on at the last possible moment. This achieves nothing but panic, as nobody has a clue where it's coming from. Very poor indeed.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The worst examples are when something comes flying up to a roundabout or junction on blues only, and then bangs the siren on at the last possible moment. This achieves nothing but panic, as nobody has a clue where it's coming from. Very poor indeed.

That's pretty much exactly what happens around here. They should be required to have the siren on at all times when running under the blues.

 

[krus_aragon]

That's pretty much exactly what happens around here. They should be required to have the siren on at all times when running under the blues.

With reasonable exceptions, of course (such as the middle of the night on streets with no traffic).

 

[richw]

And as one Vauxhall buyer found out, daytime running lights can just be sidelights on all the time, not fancy LED's.

I wonder when drivers of certain Mercedes models will notice. Our Sprinter fleet the DRLs are just the sidelights on permanent. Photo attached showing DRLs on the Sprinter (this is a 65 plate)

As someone who does 50-60,000 miles a year im regularly blinded by these super bright headlights the RAC mention.
I’m also in disbelief the number of people driving after dark with just their bright LED DRLs on in certain cars. They might be bright enough to light up in front but many have nothing lit up on the rear!

 

[Howardh]

I don't know the correct term for them - but the "new" style yellow indicator lights that kinda swoop rather than blink. Can't see them during the day and they're not that easy to work out at night. Can't understand how they are legal, they seem to defeat the object.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I had some new-ish car behind me today with some new style lights, at first I thought the driver was flashing his/her lights at me. I was looking to see if I had left indicators on, lights left off or something but all seemed ok.

Further down the B road it was still doing it, but then I figured it was everytime it went over a small bump or a pothole it looked like the lights were flashing

 

[Lockwood]

That's pretty much exactly what happens around here. They should be required to have the siren on at all times when running under the blues.

It's a trade-off between the benefit of the siren and not causing nuisance, not distracting yourself with the noise, wanting people to *not* help you (ie turning the noise off in a double white line area so the car in front doesn't feel it has to slow down/stop right where it is, or on the approach to solid traffic at lights where someone may feel that they have to drive through the red light into traffic to let you through)
You also have the problem that if you always have the noise on all the time, you dilute the effectiveness of it. You can spice it up a little by switching tones to get people to zone back in to there being something happening, but if a town has a constant siren sound there people will tune it out and will take longer to realise that there is a siren right behind them.

 

[Howardh]

Cars coming towards me - going slowly over a speed-bump can appear that they are flashing their headlights (ie going on full beam) due to the angle...so if you are waiting to turn right and set off, you could be hit by the car that you think has kindly let you advance. Note;

the highway code 110 - Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users

- so you shouldn't go anyway and you would be at fault.

 

[EM2]

I’m also in disbelief the number of people driving after dark with just their bright LED DRLs on in certain cars. They might be bright enough to light up in front but many have nothing lit up on the rear!

The old giveaway that you were driving without your lights on would be that your dashboard wouldn't be lit either, but every modern (i.e. five years old or less) vehicle that I've driven has LED instruments for things like fuel, temperature, mileage etc, so your dash is always on.

 

[richw]

The old giveaway that you were driving without your lights on would be that your dashboard wouldn't be lit either, but every modern (i.e. five years old or less) vehicle that I've driven has LED instruments for things like fuel, temperature, mileage etc, so your dash is always on.

The clue on mine is the radio buttons being illuminated. But I’m guilty of keeping my lights on in daylight. Both our cars, the lights go off with the locking of the car and come back on with unlocking if they are left in the on position. I have never turned either off.
My wife and my cars are 57 plate and 64 plate. Both dashes illuminate regardless of lights being on or off.

 

[alxndr]

Cars coming towards me - going slowly over a speed-bump can appear that they are flashing their headlights (ie going on full beam) due to the angle...so if you are waiting to turn right and set off, you could be hit by the car that you think has kindly let you advance. Note; - so you shouldn't go anyway and you would be at fault.

The street I live on is off a crossroad that's positioned on what's essentially a speedbump a couple of yards long due to pedestrian crossings. It's quite tricky to tell sometimes whether someone's flashing to let you turn or cross on foot, or whether it's just their lights. Making sure to wait to tell whether they've definitely slowed and are planning to stop isn't a bad thing though for the reasons you mention.

The old giveaway that you were driving without your lights on would be that your dashboard wouldn't be lit either, but every modern (i.e. five years old or less) vehicle that I've driven has LED instruments for things like fuel, temperature, mileage etc, so your dash is always on.

On some vehicles the speedo numbers aren't always on, even if there are lights for other things. Although depending on how they're wired no dash lights doesn't necessarily mean no headlights...

 

[The Ham]

The clue on mine is the radio buttons being illuminated. But I’m guilty of keeping my lights on in daylight. Both our cars, the lights go off with the locking of the car and come back on with unlocking if they are left in the on position. I have never turned either off.
My wife and my cars are 57 plate and 64 plate. Both dashes illuminate regardless of lights being on or off.

A lot of modern cars have automatic lights, so switch it to auto and ignore; until you need your fog lights, which could be easy to leave on as you never now have to turn them off to turn your lights off at the end of the journey like you used to need to do.

 

[GB]

I don't know the correct term for them - but the "new" style yellow indicator lights that kinda swoop rather than blink. Can't see them during the day and they're not that easy to work out at night. Can't understand how they are legal, they seem to defeat the object.

They are sequential indicators or sequential turn signals. Not really seen a problem myself but then Ive not seen that many of them.

 

[Lockwood]

I like them.
Audi drivers will pay extra for the feature packs that include them, and will then use their indicators to show off the sequential flash.

 

[Strat-tastic]

When rear lights or brake lights are on, on some cars I find it hard to register when the indicators are also on, as they are very close to the other light which is now brighter and so not easy always to distinguish one from the other.

 

[richw]

When rear lights or brake lights are on, on some cars I find it hard to register when the indicators are also on, as they are very close to the other light which is now brighter and so not easy always to distinguish one from the other.

The worst vehicle I’ve followed for this is the Enviro 400mmc bus

 

[DarloRich]

tbh I have never had an issue with LED lights (blue or otherwise) on the road. There must be something wrong with my eyes............

 

[alexl92]

On the ambulance point, I can't believe how often I see Ambulances forcing cars to move through red lights at junctions so they can get through. They're not allowed to by law and if an accident was caused the car driver would be at fault, yet they keep doing it.

I've also seen a fair few police cars driving like they're on a job, but with no blue lights on. It's getting silly.

 

[richw]

On the ambulance point, I can't believe how often I see Ambulances forcing cars to move through red lights at junctions so they can get through. They're not allowed to by law and if an accident was caused the car driver would be at fault, yet they keep doing it.

I've also seen a fair few police cars driving like they're on a job, but with no blue lights on. It's getting silly.

Never jump a light or enter a bus lane for a blue lighter. Both can incur the car driver a fine and in the light jumping scenario penalty points

 

[alexl92]

Never jump a light or enter a bus lane for a blue lighter. Both can incur the car driver a fine and in the light jumping scenario penalty points

I know that - but the emergency vehicles are supposed to switch off the sirens (not the lights) and wait until it goes green. In Leeds they rarely do that and drivers get pressured into moving.

 

[Tetchytyke]

tbh I have never had an issue with LED lights (blue or otherwise) on the road. There must be something wrong with my eyes............

Definitely your eyes!

Was sitting in the pub the other night and was dazzled by the LEDs off a BMW. Still had spots in my eyes five minutes later. They're just too bright.

They should be required to have the siren on at all times when running under the blues.

I live near an ambulance station. Please, for the love of God, no!

I’m also in disbelief the number of people driving after dark with just their bright LED DRLs on in certain cars. They might be bright enough to light up in front but many have nothing lit up on the rear!

I was always in disbelief too. And then I got in a hire car at Bristol Airport at 10pm and drove off with people waving at me. I won't say how far I got before I realised why they were waving.

The car I usually drive, a Ford Fiesta Titanium, has automatic lights and automatic wipers. The car just does it all for me now. I forget very easily when I'm in a different car.