A new car headlight law could tackle the problem affecting most drivers.

Elderly drivers are found to be more at risk of being dazzled by bright headlights, but they are not alone.

Road safety experts have backed an announcement from the new Labour government to investigate the issues.

Blindingly obvious

Motorists could see new driving law changes to tackle headlight glare.

Elderly drivers are found to be more at risk of being dazzled by bright headlights, and road safety experts have backed an announcement by the government that it will look into the issues.

85% of drivers said they were impacted by headlight glare, with nine in 10 saying they are too bright and that the issue is getting worse.

Greg Smith, MP, spoke in Parliament on Thursday as he quizzed Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport.

The MP for Nottingham South said: “The Government is in the process of commissioning independent research to better understand the root causes of headlamp glare and help identify potential countermeasures.” The RAC has heavily backed this issue, saying it was “delighted” to see a commitment made to address it, especially when the days are getting shorter.

Two recent reports by The RAC and The AA  called for new regulations to accommodate modern lighting systems and higher headlight mounting.

Finally, an online petition revealed the level of concern by the public and professionals.

In the headlights

Research from the RAC published earlier this year showed that drivers claim the glare from headlights is worsening.

The RAC has been surveying drivers on dazzling headlights since 2018.

However, the latest findings from a survey of 2,000 drivers suggest that 85% believe the problem is now commonplace.

The survey also found that 89% of drivers think at least some headlights are too bright, of which three-in-10 (28%) – the highest recorded – think most are.

At the same time, a petition also called on the government to look into modern headlight design and regulation.

Seeing reality

Of the drivers who complained about the brightness of car headlights, some 91% said they get dazzled when driving, with three-quarters (74%) saying this happens regularly.

Responding to the petition set up by a member of the public following campaigning on the issue by the RAC, the Government said: “Recognising the need for further evidence (regarding headlight glare), we intend to commission independent research shortly.”

Meanwhile, the Department for Transport (DfT) said the independent research would help “better understand the root causes of driver glare and identify any further appropriate mitigations”.

This commission comes in response to the petition that gained more than 10,000 signatures online.

World affairs

According to the DfT, all vehicle headlamps are designed and tested to follow international standards. These ensure that they are both bright enough to illuminate the road, but do not affect the vision of other road users.

“The standards define the beam pattern and include maximum and minimum light intensities,” it added.

“We know that lots of people raise concerns about headlight glare – but also that the police collision statistics don’t show any underlying road safety issue.”

Due to that lack of evidence, the Department for Transport (DfT) raised the issue at the United Nations international expert group on vehicle lighting.

Proposals to amend headlamp aiming rules were agreed in April 2023, together with requirements for mandatory automatic headlamp levelling. These systems automatically corrects the aim of the headlamps based on the loading of the vehicle, e.g. when passengers are sat on the back seat or there is luggage in the boot.

Under the spotlight

Commenting on the latest announcement, Rod Dennis, road safety spokesperson for the RAC, said: “We hope it leads to a better understanding of what is a complex problem, but one that is undoubtedly affecting drivers up and down the country. In fact, more drivers have contacted us with their concerns about this topic than any other in recent times.

“We’ve worked hard over a number of years to raise this topic on drivers’ behalf and now look forward to supporting the Department for Transport in this piece of work.” Baroness Dianne Hayter said: “For anyone who suffers from headlight glare and wonders what is being done about it, this will be a very welcome announcement.

“We know some drivers have stopped driving at night, and we know concern about dazzle isn’t only felt by drivers in the UK but further afield as well. Getting to the bottom of these issues and deciding a way forward is extremely important.”