Who remembers the old adverts urging drivers to ‘Dip, Don’t Dazzle?’ writes Phil Hill.
It was a plea to motorists to make sure their headlights weren’t on full beam as they approached oncoming vehicles.
Nowadays, night-time driving can be a nightmare.
You’ll often find yourself momentarily blinded by powerful headlights of cars heading towards you - even if the driver has ‘dipped.’
Who hasn’t been forced to drastically slow down or stop because they’ve been dazzled?
It’s not much better when a vehicle comes up behind you, but at least you can adjust your rear-view mirror or crouch to avoid the glare.
The problem is caused by LED headlamps that are increasingly common in new vehicles.
It doesn’t help that taller vehicles are becoming more popular, often directing their beams directly into the eyes of those driving smaller cars.
Misaligned lights or those fitted to older cars not built for them add to the mayhem.
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Living in a rural county also means it can be hard to negotiate narrow lanes when a dazzler heads towards you.
A brief period of reduced visibility can limit your ability to notice hazards in time.
Complaints have led the government and manufacturers to look at the design of vehicles and headlights.
The Department of Transport plans to reveal new measures to tackle the issue in its Road Safety Strategy.
It’s all caused by the whiter beam from LED lights increasingly fitted in new vehicles, which is more concentrated than the light from traditional halogen lamps.
As we approach the shortest day of the year, it means more of us are getting behind the wheel in the dark.
Low beams must light up the road for at least 150 feet ahead - that’s around 45 metres in ‘new money.’
But the brightness of your headlights is illegal if it creates "dangerous conditions" for other road users.
So, is it possible to lessen ‘flash blindness’ caused by bright lights?
Some possible solutions are to look slightly down and to the left; drive in the left-hand lane on the motorway or a dual carriageway; make sure your windscreen is clean; and maybe check with your optician that you don’t have an eye condition.
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