We tell you how to minimise blindness by glare from headlamps
A car’s lamps, both at the front and at the back, are meant to let the driver see and to ensure that the car is seen by other road users. What it is not meant to do is to blind the others. However, thanks to insensitive drivers who drive with the headlamps on high beam coupled to advances in lamp technology resulting in brighter illumination, being blinded by the glare from the lamps of an oncoming car is all too familiar for any Indian road user. Indeed one can be blinded for upto five seconds after facing a headlamp on high beam. While this may sound trivial reality is that even a fraction of a second matters in driving. The problem is compounded in older drivers since their eyes take longer to adjust to severe variations in illumination, courtesy ageing. But it’s also a bit of Catch 22. You see, the brighter the light the better the driver’s ability to see and spot hazards in the dark. We tell you how to minimise the effects of glare.
What can cause glare
- Extra lights like fog lamps, auxiliary headlamps help the driver to see in foggy and hazy conditions. But when used in clear weather they can blind other road users.
- Drivers with HIDs swear by them, while other drivers swear at them. Motorists facing HID lamps find the amount of light and its blue-white quality blinding.
- Big sized headlamps used specially in SUVs cause irritation to other passenger car drivers, as the headlamps shine directly in their eyes.
- Headlamps pointed even as little as one degree too high can make a huge difference to others, blinding them.
- Tail lamps with LEDs like in the Audi A8, or the BMW 7-series can also blind drivers behind.
Avoid being blinded
Clean your windscreen frequently. For maximum glare prevention, keep every surface between your eyes and the road as clear as possible, including both sides of your windshield and your spectacles.
Adjust the headlamp correctly. When properly aligned they will help you see the road better.
Properly aligned mirrors not only reduce blind spots, they also reduce glare from vehicles behind you. Therefore adjust the outside rear view mirrors.
Have your eyesight checked regularly, especially if they are watering or feel tired.
Anti-glare driving tips
Almost all cars have “day/night” mirrors. Put the mirror to its “night” setting by flipping the small lever at the bottom of the mirror. For higher end cars that have an auto day/night funtion the mirrors usually have a button under them to switch on the auto function.
When the headlamps of oncoming vehicles shine directly into your eyes, look down and to the left. Turn your gaze to the white line on the side of the road until the vehicle goes by. You can still see the vehicles around you with your peripheral vision, but the glare won’t bother you as much because you are not using the most light-sensitive part of your eyes.
If you’re driving at night for a long time, stop often to reduce fatigue and give your eyes a chance to recover since driving in the dark puts a much higher stress on your eyes.
Wear anti-glare glasses when driving, even if you have perfect vision. They help greatly.
