The government is set to review ‘blinding’ LED headlights after a survey revealed four in five drivers fear being dazzled by them at night.
An assessment of the causes and remedies of glaring LED lamps will be launched after their increasingly common fixture in new vehicles has made it hazardous to drive in the dark.
The review follows the revelation that steering into bright headlights is now the primary reason drivers feel nervous about the clocks going back, according to new research.
A staggering 80 per cent of drivers are concerned about being dazzled by vehicle LEDs as they brace for darker evenings during winter, the RAC found during a survey of 1,701 UK motorists.
As a result, fresh measures to tackle the issue will be included in the government’s upcoming Road Safety Strategy.
Research into the role of vehicle design in causing glare, as well as possible solutions, is being commissioned and will tie into global discussion of the problem, the BBC reported.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has also ‘stepped up surveillance’ to prevent the sale of illegal retrofit headlamp bulbs, the Department for Transport said.
A DfT spokesperson said: ‘We know headlight glare is frustrating for many drivers, especially as the evenings get darker.’
The Government has committed to launching its own independent review of brighter headlights to understand why more drivers are being dazzled on the road – and, importantly, how to tackle the issue
Drivers Ruth Goldsworthy and Sally Burt said bright headlights make it difficult for them to attend their weekly choir meetings in Totton, Hampshire.
‘Some of the lights are so bright you are blinded by them, for seconds,’ Ms Goldsworthy said.
The RAC has been campaigning for years, along with The College of Optometrists, IAM RoadSmart and Baroness Hayter, for the causes of headlight glare to be investigated following a rise in complaints from drivers getting dazzled.
It led to the Government commissioning independent research, conducted by TRL, which is also due to be published imminently.
And tomorrow, 29 October, The Member of Parliament for Crawley, Peter Lamb, will hold a Westminster Hall debate on headlight glare with a Minister responding.
While the glare of headlights is the main worry for motorists now the clocks have gone back, it’s not the only one.
Sixty-three per cent of respondents said they were worried because it’s harder to spot hazards in the dark, and 41 per cent said they can’t judge the speed of other vehicles as easily.
A third of drivers also reported that they are nervous about driving in the dark as they find judging the distance of other vehicles harder, and a quarter said they just feel less confident driving at night in general.
Earlier this year This is Money reported how the RAC’s comprehensive research into headlight glare that laid bare the problem and how it’s putting people off driving.
One-in-four drivers who find vehicle headlights too bright are driving less as a result, with a further 22 per cent saying they wish they could not drive at night but have no other choice.
In the survey of 2,000 drivers, 75 per cent of those who drive less do so because intense headlights make the experience uncomfortable or more difficult.
A further 49 per cent told the RAC it’s because they feel less safe, while one-in-20 drivers have stopped driving at night altogether.
It was believed to be the most in-depth research into motorists’ views on dazzling headlights so far.
22% of people told the RAC that they’d like to drive less at night because of headlight glare but have no option
The RAC surveyed almost 2,000 drivers to understand the effects of headlight glare on driving and found that issues range from it being impossible to tell if someone is indication to how hard it is to judge other vehicles’ speed
Concerningly three in five drivers who suffer from glare also reported the problem has worsened in the last 12 months.
With blatant evidence mounting that headlight glare is impacting driving in the UK, RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis says ‘there’s a problem that needs tackling’, commenting: ‘Unfortunately, for a lot of drivers the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort.’
The RAC and The College of Optometrists have both welcomed the Government’s forthcoming report, with Denise Voon, clinical advisor at The College of Optometrists saying she ‘hopes this evidence enables the industry to find a solution that will reduce headlight glare and make driving at night safer for everyone’.
Voon added: ‘Patients are telling us more frequently that headlight glare from oncoming vehicles is affecting their ability to see clearly while driving, particularly at a time when brighter LED headlamps and larger SUV-type vehicles have become more common on the roads.’
As Voon points out new, brighter LED headlights and larger SUVs are two of the reasons drivers are reporting headlight glare is getting worse.
What’s causing headlight glare?
Headlight glare doesn’t have just one cause, but a range of them – headlight alignment, new LED lights and vehicle height all play a part.
New LED lights are the most common cause of glare, with 73 per cent of glare suffers saying that whiter-coloured headlights – commonly LEDs or bi-xenon headlights – are the cause of dazzling.
Another issue is the rise of SUVS; as more people drive high-riding SUVs instead of hatchbacks and estates and saloons, headlight glare is becoming more of a problem as the oncoming lights blind drivers.
The RAC found that people who drive conventional hatchbacks, estates and saloons are more likely to find headlights too bright than SUV drivers: 38 per cent compared to 29 per cent respectively.
Beating headlight glare recommendations:
IAM RoadSmart says:
-To check headlight aim, ensure lenses are clean, and replace any faulty bulbs promptly and carefully
– Consider adjusting your speed and increasing stopping distances during darker hours to account for any limited visibility
The College of Optometrists recommends:
– Drivers should always wear their prescribed glasses or contact lens for driving, including at night
– Anyone experiencing issues with their vision while driving is urged to contact their local optometrist for advice
This is Money’s Freda Lewis-Stempel advises:
– Night driving glasses can be useful to reduce glare and enhance night vision. They should help to brighten up dim views too. Night driving glasses can be bought on Amazon and don’t have to be expensive
You can get your sunglasses glazed with UV and sun tint lenses to protect your eyes against winter glare
– Being dazzled by winter sun is another issue and getting your sunglasses glazed with sun and UV tint is a great way to reduce this. You can get this done just from places like Specsavers for as little as £30
‘Specsavers glazed Barbour Sun RX glasses with UV and sun tint lenses for me at the start of the year and it helped stop me getting blinded by the low-setting winter sun and reduced headaches’
