News & Features
RAC Calls for Action on the Issue of Headlight Glare
Posted in General News on Friday, January 12th, 2024
The RAC is asking the government to commission an independent study into the issue of headlight glare after their survey of 2,000 motorists reveals the problem is getting worse. The survey revealed that 89% of the respondents think at least some car headlights are too bright while 28% think most of them are. Of all the drivers who complained about the brightness of car headlights 91% said they get dazzled when driving and 74% said that this happens regularly. According to 64% of these respondents some headlights are so bright that they risk causing accidents. RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said “Our figures suggest drivers are more concerned than ever about headlight glare, with a huge proportion wanting to see something done about it. We urgently need the Government to take a closer look at the issue, ideally by commissioning an independent study to understand what’s causing an increase in reports of dazzling and, most importantly, what can do be done to keep drivers safe. With spring still a long way off, there’s a good chance many people will do most of their driving in darkness over the next few months and, according to our research, that means an awful lot of drivers will experience the discomfort and even danger that comes from being dazzled by headlights.”
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Mal Golding
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
This concern of headlight glare is certainly getting worse. Many newer car headlights are far too bright even on dipped beam. The other night driving issue is that authorities are cutting back on general street lighting levels, together with installing unlit traffic island bollards which are supposedly reflective but they become covered by road grime in a very short time, dangerously invisible and never cleaned. Once the bollards are flattened the islands are completely unseen and not reinstated for many months or years. In my area of Essex the repeated problem of motorist unwittingly driving across traffic islands is a major safety hazard for motorists and pedestrians.
rob
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
Been a car & motorcycle driver in the UK over fifty years. Whenever I discuss "modern" headlights with fellow motorists there is near 100% agreement that they are way too bright, too dazzling and dangerous. Its a shame the government let this problem develop over last 20-30 years. What seemed to be an advance in road safety is in fact an additional serious hazard.
Tina Baxter
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
I have been driving for over 50 years and headlights have definitely got brighter. I get dazzled when driving at night to the point that I have had to buy anti-glare glasses or I would be in danger of having an accident. I know that my car headlights are very bright even when not on 'full' beam. I would welcome something being done about this problem. I try to avoid going out driving at night now but shouldn't have to.
ANTHONY HAWKE
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
I believe that modern LED headlights are the culprit; All forms of LED lighting are touted as being much brighter, therefore better.. Another factor is the prevalence of SUV cars on the road,which are much higher riding, with their headligts set higher up the bodywork.
Brian Bremer
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
When I started driving in 1973, there were very few street lamps. Yet our so called poor headlamps worked perfectly well. Wind forward 50 years and we have massive light pollution from overindulgence in street lighting. So why do we require the equivalent of floodlights to illuminate our way? Even cyclists seem hell bent on creating a dazzle effect aimed at drivers, again 50 years ago, the Highway code emphasised that cycle lights be aimed downward so as not to dazzle pedestrians and others on the Highway. As far as I can ascertain, that rule has never changed, yet our Gove4nment seems happy to see this flouted
PETER MACHIN
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
Have been a driver for many years and over the last 20 or so years their has been a considerable increase in the brightness of headlights resulting in them being dazzling to other motorists.
Cathy
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
It's horrible driving ar night now. It's cars with halogen lights. They are too bright and should be banned. I have halogen lights on my car, and I get full beam flashing at me and people braking in front of me because they think I have my lights on full beam when I don't. It's gotten to the point of me avoiding driving in the dark. Something has to be done before people are killed because of being blinded by the glares
Andy S
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
This is great news about an issue that’s obviously getting out of control, although I did wonder if it was my age! I’m not an automotive expert but I do have a certain amount of experience in electrical engineering and I would guess the problem lies with the way the maximum rating of headlights is (still?) specified by VoSA or DoT. “Back in the day” Watts were a good measure of brightness because it was all good old Tungsten. So a headlight of 15W was about the same brightness across the board. Now we have far higher efficiency HMI and LEDs which have a much higher luminance per Watt than Tungsten. Then there’s the added issue of the colour temperature of the light which is tending to trend towards pure white or blue-white. This is perceived as a much more harsh light even though it may only consume say 5W. Let’s hope they action the RAC’s suggestion.
James Isherwood
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
Because of head light dazzle I have purchased an expensive pair of polarised glasses to help me to keep safe when driving at night.
Clare Crotty
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
The problem is two fold as the lights are brighter and with many cars larger and higher The head light beam is at eye level So brighter lights higher set Add in a bit of rain trouble is sure to follow My husband and I have been troubled by the brightness of some car lights the difference can be so stark between some head light beams
Mike Clarke
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
I have thought for some time that the headlight part of the MOT test, and requirements generally for headlights, should be based on lumens. Testing would not require much additional equipment at testing stations. Mike
Peter
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
I surprised the figure wasn't even higher. A majority of people I have had the conversation with complained about LED headlight glare. Made worse on uphill or on uneven surfaces. Although am not sure what can be done about this as the offending vehicles are already on the road.
sue holland-leavens
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
also some drivers seem to think it is ok to drive on full beam with traffic coming towards them ,you can see the full beam in a line of traffic !
Mary Wells-Walker
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
I have long said that the lights are too bright and cause dazzle. Also they seem to spread and you can be drawn towards them unwittingly.
David Brocklehurst
Friday, January, 12th, 2024
Headlights should be limited to a maximum brightness at a particular distance from the light source. The height and position of headlights are checked as a matter of course in an MOT and if there is non-compliance it is an immediate fail. So why cannot a light meter test also be incorporated into the MOT? Restrictions have been put in place to limit the power consumption of motors in vacuum cleaners to minimise environmental impacts, surely the same can be said for car headlight as this is contributing to light pollution, air pollution due to extra power generation by whatever means to run the lights and most importantly road safety. As a sufferer of astigmatism i have to pay additional costs for coatings on spectacle lenses to counter this anti-social care headlight glare caused by inconsiderate motor manufacturers and drivers.
Pauline
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
Headlights are way too bright and many cars have too many additional lights as well. Some cars are lit up like a Christmas grotto. It has been suggested that the cars with led lights are the problem but I feel that many motorists do not dip their headlights to oncoming traffic and when closely following other traffic. Of course there is also the issue of wrongly adjusted headlights. Have driven for 50 years and have definitely seen a deterioration in good manners in driving.
Colin mcardle
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
I totaly agree there should be something done about glare. I nearly had an accident because the glare was so bright.
Harry Bickerstaff
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
The picture presumably depicting the problem of headlight glare, is particularly unfortunate, as the oncoming vehicle shown is on the wrong side of the road. Now THAT would cause headlight glare!
Mike Brown
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
The modern headlights for me are dangerous and overbright. Many not necessarily properly aligned. I recognise that we need to change from the old ones, but thought must be given as to where and whom they are pointed at.
anna
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
i drive more in the dark now daughter is at uni as always bringing her home / taking her back at least weekly. i drive the a15 to lincoln - already a red route for accidents. i feel unsafe due to the narrow road and mulriple hgv's getting close - i fear about being dazzled by headlights and temporarily being blinded. i recently bought yellow tinted glasses to see if this will eliminate some of the glare - to date have only completed a short journey to try them & it seemed better, bur then it was 8pm on the a160 so there wasnt the volume of traffic at that time of night.
anna
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
i drive more in the dark now daughter is at uni as always bringing her home / taking her back at least weekly. i drive the a15 to lincoln - already a red route for accidents. i feel unsafe due to the narrow road and mulriple hgv's getting close - i fear about being dazzled by headlights and temporarily being blinded. i recently bought yellow tinted glasses to see if this will eliminate some of the glare - to date have only completed a short journey to try them & it seemed better, bur then it was 8pm on the a160 so there wasnt the volume of traffic at that time of night.
Bob R
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
A catch 22, is the increased visibility for one driver more important than the reduced visibility of another. Your standpoint is probably decided by which car you are driving. One thing that might ease the situation slightly is to make it a more serious and actionable offence to have your headlights wrongly adjusted. There is no compulsory check in the first 3 years of a car's life and then only once a year after that. It probably wouldn't be too difficult to make something that sits by the roadside and checks headlight position and luminance in the same way that speeding and red lights can be monitored.
John Rogers
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
I agree LED headlights are so bright at times you lose sight of the road Also the new street lights are so dim you can’t see the curb or white lines
DAVID CASEY.
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
these new head lights are to bright, i have had to purchase a pair of night anti glare glasses due to the glare.
Barry Kirby
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
I'm always saying that other cars' headlights are too bright. I thought it was my age causing my eyes to deteriorate. I just thought I was becoming a grumpy old man - but I'm really NOT ! My wife agrees with me that modern headlights are far too bright for safety. And, of course, let's not forget that modern urban street lamps are now white, when they always used to be orange (in case of fog). I FULLY support this initiative.
Jane
Saturday, January, 13th, 2024
I very much agree. Thank you for creating Action and I look forward to hearing how things progress.
William Ross
Monday, January, 15th, 2024
There used to be a law about the light emission of headlights. What happened to it?
CGH
Tuesday, January, 16th, 2024
There are a number of issues. Motorcyclists use full beam, Why? Car drivers use fog/auxiliary as well as dipped beam when there is no lawful reason. Car manufactures fitting brighter lighting for whatever reason, why has this not been challenged by governments? This could be covered under updated Construction and use regulations Enforcement of the above the first two points is costly and requires stationery Officers which is costly to say the least but at the minimum should be trialled to gauge the worthiness. More media coverage pointing out the dangers of unnecessary bright lighting. I have been motoring for over 50 years and without a doubt this is getting worse.
Sandy Jonsson
Sunday, January, 14th, 2024
The practice of removing cat’s eyes on b roads has a direct impact on safety and is one of the contributing factors to the ‘misuse’ of car headlights as perceived by some drivers in your survey. If the aim is taxation rather than safety, it would explain why the cat’s eyes are frequently removed. Far better to save lives by ensuring the path is visible instead of just looking at fining culprits. In previous times, the visibility was clearer with cat’s eyes indicating the incline of the road when lighting conditions were poor. Nowadays drivers have little option but to use brighter beams because the life saving cat’s eyes are rarely present. This should be given due consideration. Thank you
nicki Parry
Sunday, January, 14th, 2024
This has become more of an issue as drivers are unaware of the danger of these headlights. isn't it time for some sort of campaign and legislation, one life saved is ALWAYS worth the work putting this together would cause?
Tony Care
Sunday, January, 14th, 2024
I agree that an increasing number of headlights cause dazzle at night even when they are dipped. This doesn't include the small number of drivers who don't dip their lights
Kumud
Monday, January, 15th, 2024
As an elderly, disabled driver with a clean license & over 60 years of accident free driving, I avoid driving at night for at least the last 5 to 7 years. I thought I was the only one finding the glare of headlights - stunning effects unacceptable. As your article says, it’s not all cars, but more these days than before.
Miss Maria Teresa Rodriguez
Monday, January, 22nd, 2024
This concern of headlights glare is certainly coming worse, it is not just on the route but. Also in the streets of our cities during the night in winters.
Adrian
Tuesday, January, 30th, 2024
You will no doubt have thought to yourself in recent years that nights were getting darker but it is in fact a consequence of LED lighting even when properly adjusted. There are so many sources of bright blue light from vehicle headlights, poorly sited and positioned building lights, bicycle lights and even emergency vehicles that it takes away any night vision, often blinding, which causes eye strain, which is why we have blue light filters on screens to protect our eyes. LED headlights are much worse than the old halogen bulbs, it is very difficult to look past it and any undulating road is a nightmare, that is before you add in badly adjusted headlights, some car manufacturers are worse than others and I have noticed in particular a lot of Tesla vehicles dazzle. I'm not sure if it would help, but you used to have stick on yellow lights filters to drive in Europe, this or some form of filter needs to be applied to all cars with LED lights and they should all be checked for proper adjustment.