Mobility

The correct use of headlights and lights is essential for road safety. And their adjustment too. However, many users say they are dazzled by other vehicles' headlights.

Since our pupils are dilated in the dark, glare is essentially a nocturnal phenomenon. High beam headlights or poorly adjusted lighting will disrupt the vision of other users in traffic. A study by automobile associations, with ADAC in Germany and Touring in Belgium, showed that this phenomenon was common on European roads. Nearly one in three drivers say that they're often dazzled by headlights of other vehicles. A fifth of those surveyed said that this causes stress. Almost as many avoid driving in the dark because of this.

The causes

It's rarely public lighting that is the cause; according to a majority of cyclists, public lighting is sometimes insufficient. The problem mainly comes from other users. First of all, there are those who have to manually switch from dipped beam to main beam, who, through negligence, distraction or laziness, forget to press the switch. There are also poorly adjusted headlights which, even on dipped beam, can dazzle other road users. This phenomenon can also be linked to a loaded vehicle without the height of the headlights being adjusted via the small wheel found on most cars with halogen lamps. There are also those who leave their front and/or rear fog lights on unnecessarily. On the two-wheeler side, there are those who have chosen to install equipment that is too powerful or poorly aimed.

Automatic lights

Car manufacturers have developed an automated switching system between dipped beam and main beam headlights, or even dynamic LED headlights. Generally, the system is effective, but those who benefit from it sometimes forget to correct it when the computer is not cordial enough. Moreover, Touring believes that the latest generation of lights for cars and bicycles dazzle more. The association recommends that manufacturers automatically integrate an automatic height adjustment. It also urges all users to have their lighting checked regularly, including cyclists and motorcyclists. Similarly, glasses with scratched lenses or a dirty or damaged windshield can increase the glare effect.

Little tips

Glare can also be linked to the natural reflex of having one's gaze drawn to a light source. You should avoid staring at passing vehichle's headlights. If the other user refuses to reduce the power of their lights, you should look far away to the right or look away from the light to reduce the whiteout effect. If the glare comes from the central rearview mirror, when it's not photochromatic, there is always a button under the mirror to limit the glare. Authorities can also adapt infrastructure, particularly on motorways, to be able to keep the main beam headlights on without dazzling those on neighbouring lanes in the other direction of traffic. Finally, excessive courtesy must be avoided by driving permanently with dipped beam headlights where visibility requires high beam headlights, without disturbing other drivers. It's dangerous!

(MH with Olivier Duquesne – Source: Touring – Picture: © Stellantis / Opel)