Are car headlights too bright? UK to launch review to stop drivers being dazzled

The Government could be set to enforce tighter rules on car headlight design amidst growing unease from drivers who are being dazzled by bright lights as the nights get darker.

Last year, the Department for Transport (DfT) launched a study into the root causes and effects of headlight glare, with data from the RAC suggesting four-in-five drivers are concerned about getting dazzled by oncoming vehicles.

More than a year later we are yet to see the findings, but the DfT tells Auto Express that the research “is due to be published in the coming weeks”.

A DfT spokesperson said: “We know headlight glare is frustrating for many drivers, especially as the evenings get darker. That's why we commissioned independent research to better understand the causes and impact of glare, which will inform new measures in the upcoming Road Safety Strategy.”

Due to be set out later this year, one of the many steps the Government plans to take as part of the Safety Strategy is to ban drivers over 70 who fail compulsory eye tests. Yet, it is also understood that Downing Street is also considering tightening the rules on headlight design altogether in order to reduce the impact of glare.

The DfT said the situation is “a complex issue, so we plan to build on this work with further targeted vehicle-based research to help inform future international lighting regulations”.

Such a move would generally be supported by road-safety organisations, although the RAC’s senior policy officer, Rod Dennis, said: “It’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead – so there’s a balance to be struck.”

But he added: “The RAC looks forward to the publication of the Government’s report and hopes that it helps explain why so many drivers report struggling to cope with dazzling headlights – whether that’s due to changes in technology, the fact more of us than ever are driving vehicles that sit higher on the road, or for some other reason. We also hope it comes with recommendations that lead to road users feeling safer behind the wheel at night.”

In the meantime, one way authorities, such as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), are attempting to reduce glare is by cracking down on illegally retrofitted LED and xenon bulbs. These can direct light directly into oncoming motorists’ eyes, rather than on the road, if they are not calibrated properly.

The DfT said: “The DVSA has stepped up surveillance to intercept the sale of illegal retrofit headlamp bulbs for on-road use, and anyone caught could face a fine of up to £1,000.”

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