A new RAC study of 2700 drivers found 89 per cent think some or most car headlights on UK roads are too bright, with 88 per cent saying they are dazzled by them while driving.
According to the survey, glare from headlights appears to be getting worse, with 63 per cent of drivers who are dazzled saying it’s happening more often than a year or two ago. Of drivers who believe headlights are too bright, 64 per cent believe they risk causing other drivers to have collisions, while 67 per cent say they can’t tell if the headlights of oncoming cars are dipped or on full beam.
The RAC said younger drivers are more likely to complain about the apparent brightness of headlights and the effect it has on their driving. Thirty per cent of respondents aged 17 to 34 think most are too bright, compared to 19 per cent of respondents aged 65 and over. Of younger drivers who believe some, if not most, car headlights are too bright, 70 per cent think the accident risk is increased, compared to 62 per cent for drivers aged 65-plus.
Additionally, the survey shows the brightness of some car headlights appears to be putting motorists off driving at night. Sixteen per cent of younger drivers who complain about the intensity of headlights say they avoid driving at night, compared to 25 per cent of drivers aged 65 and over.
The RAC’s research also asked dazzled drivers to estimate how long it typically took for them to see clearly, with 65 per cent answering between one and five seconds, and 12 per cent saying upwards of six seconds. According to the RAC, being unable to see for one second while driving at 60 mph (97 km/h) means a driver would travel around 13 metres (more than six car lengths), and 160 metres in six seconds (the equivalent of 40 car lengths).
“While it’s clear that a lot of drivers appear to be suffering from the problems caused by headlight dazzle, many are uncertain as to the causes,” the RAC said. “For instance, 23 per cent blamed the LED headlights fitted to an increasing number of modern vehicles, and an almost identical proportion (22 per cent) weren’t sure if any particular sort of headlight was to blame. The remaining third (34 per cent) can’t distinguish between the different types of bulb anyway. However, nearly one-in-five (17 per cent) said they felt the problems are caused by the angle of oncoming vehicles’ beams,” the organisation reported.
The RAC said its research suggests the increasing prevalence of vehicles sitting higher on the road, specifically SUVs, might exacerbate the problem for people in conventional cars that sit much lower like hatchbacks, sedans and station wagons. Sixty-one per cent of drivers of lower vehicles who said they suffered from glare blamed headlights on taller vehicles, compared to 28 per cent of drivers of taller vehicles who blamed others in similar vehicles.
According to the RAC, regulations governing vehicle lighting, including headlights, are decided at an international (United Nations) level, with input from the UK government.