Frustrating habit Aussie drivers are sick of

“My wife has astigmatism and reckons it's much worse for her to the point she doesn't even drive at night.”

Let’s be real, there’s nothing worse than leaving work and realising it’s already dark outside.

You hop in your car, already feeling the seasonal depression heightening, and then you see it - the blinding headlights of the car behind you.

If you’ve ever been in this position, trust, you’re not the only one, and people have plenty of thoughts.

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Image: Reddit.

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“This is getting beyond a f*cking joke”

An Aussie Reddit user has taken to the platform this week to vent about the blindingly bright lights on cars.

“This is getting beyond a f*cking joke,” they said.

“Surely there has to be something that can be done to regulate this shit. The reflection from the side mirror literally hurts.”

In the photos provided, you can see the headlights beaming through the car’s rear windshield, and into their side mirrors.

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“I don’t know how it’s legal”

Commenters on the post agreed that the unnecessary use of high beams and LED lights has gone too far.

“And it’s even worse on a rainy night with heavy traffic. I find dimming my rear view mirror to be very disorienting, and you can’t dim the side mirrors,” said one commenter.

“You should try night driving in the country. They can't see you coming the other direction so you get blinded by them before they realise they need to dim their high beam. I don't know how it's legal,” said another.

“My wife has astigmatism and reckons it's much worse for her to the point she doesn't even drive at night,” said a third.

It is illegal!

In most Aussie states, it is actually illegal to use high beam headlights when following another vehicle within 200m or approaching an oncoming vehicle within 200m, and could each warrant a fine of $136 or one demerit point.

LED lights are technically legal, as long as they follow set guidelines and design rules and are approved by the ADR.

However, anything too bright which could dazzle another road user could result in the same $136 fine.

“It is illegal in most states in Australia for a vehicle to have lights that are likely to dazzle other road users,” Aussie lawyer Avinash Singh told Kidspot.

“Under Rules 218-1 and 219 of the Road Rules 2014, it is an offence to have lights on your vehicle that are likely to dazzle other road users. There are also laws in most states against having your high-beam headlights on if there is another vehicle 200 metres in front of you. This is set out in Rule 218-1 of the Road Rules 2014."

Originally published as Frustrating habit Aussie drivers are sick of