- A new study’s being launched into LED lights due to ‘public concern’ on safety
The Government has given an update on a prospective ban on dazzling LED headlights.
Lilian Greenwood, Labour MP for Nottingham South and Minister for the Future of Roads, has confirmed to MPs the Government is looking into ‘potential countermeasures’ to deal with the ongoing issue of bright headlights.
The Government’s response to a recent Commons query comes amid increasing safety concerns around the brightness of new headlights and safety repercussions.
Jim Shannon of the Democratic Unionist Party asked the Secretary of State for Transport: ‘What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the safety of LED headlights on cars (a) generally and (b) on country roads?’
Greenwood responded on 20 January that a new study is being launched into the issue while acknowledging ‘public concern’ around the safety of bright headlights.
Greenwood reassured MPs back in September that the probe into headlight dazzling, first announced by the Tories, would continue to go ahead despite the change over of power.
Responding to MPs queries Ms Greenwood on 20 January said: ‘All types of road vehicle headlamps are designed, tested, and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare and ensure safety on a broad range of roads and environments.
She continued: ‘However, noting increased public concern about headlamp glare, government has commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes and develop potential countermeasures.
‘This work is underway and due to deliver in summer 2025; it will include real-world assessment of glare on a broad range of road types and scenarios including country roads.’
This latest update lands as campaigning against the use of intense LED bulbs grows, with a House of Commons petition demanding they are banned coincides with new surveys and government research into the problem of headlight glare.
Recent accident figures shows a rise in car accidents involving dazzling headlights.
National Collisions data found dazzling headlights contributed to 216 road incidents in 2023, up from 211 the year before. Kent and Surrey both reported 11 accidents in 2023 where dazzling headlights played a role.
Campaigners say brighter, modern headlights are causing more problems for motorists ‘than ever before’.
Three-quarters of drivers told the AA they’re being blinded by the headlights of oncoming vehicles, while 52 per cent have been dazzled by headlights from cars behind them.
While often considered an older person issue, the AA research countered this as 80 per cent of 18 to 24 year-olds said they had been blinded by oncoming headlights.
Douglas Chapman MP, who represents Dunfermline and Dollar, confirmed the public worries: ‘I have heard from constituents, as well as from family and friends and my own experience driving round the constituency that cars with newer LED lights can be blinding for other road users.’
However Ms Greenwood refuted the safety issue, writing: ‘National collision statistics, which can record headlamp dazzle as a contributory factor, do not show any discernible trend to suggest that advances in lighting technology are contributing negatively to road vehicle collisions.’
However she confirmed that despite this the independent research is ‘underway’ to address the public concern and that it is ‘due to be delivered in summer 2025.’
AA president Edmund King said: ‘The problem seems to be LED lights on higher vehicles such as SUVs.
‘The Government-sponsored investigation into the use of LED lights on our roads should help clarify this issue further, as well as provide appropriate measures where needed.’
Current research into headlight glare
The Transport Research Foundation’s subsidiary, the TRL started practical research into headlight glare in the last quarter of 2024.
The trials are in tandem with the Department for Transport (DfT) aim to access the factors that can cause headlight glare from oncoming vehicles, including surrounding vehicles, weather conditions and ambient lighting.
Results of the research will be used to address the ongoing headlight dazzling problem.
This is Money has contacted Department for Transport for comment.
Seven ways to limit the impact of glare – and prevent dazzling others
1. Slow down at night
If the glare from an oncoming vehicle at night is so bad that you temporarily can’t see anything, you should slow down to reduce the risk of the impact on your impaired visibility.
However, avoid slowing or stopping abruptly as you don’t want a car that is travelling behind you running into the back of you.
2. Don’t look directly at oncoming headlights
To prevent yourself from being dazzled, never look directly at the headlights of other cars.
Look to the left-hand side of the road and follow the white line marking the edge if there is one, so you can keep track of your position, the RAC recommends.
3. Make sure your windscreen is clear
Windscreens are particularly susceptible to steaming up on the inside, especially in cold weather, while car heaters can blow dirty air at the glass, causing a hazy film to build up on the inside.
This can increase glare from oncoming headlamps, so ensure yours is clean and clear.
4. Adjust your rear-view mirror
Drivers at night should dip the rear-view mirror to reduce the risk of being dazzled by motorists following them.
Many new motors in showrooms today have an auto-dimming rear-view mirror function. If your car doesn’t then you should be dipping the mirror manually.
5. Consider anti-glare glasses
If being dazzled by other drivers’ headlights or street lighting is an issue, motorists should consider anti-glare glasses when driving at night.
These are not simply glasses with yellow tints, which can help reduce glare by also make darker areas of the road less visible and are therefore not recommended.
Specsavers has a product called SuperDrive lenses for varifocal wearers, while all of its glasses can be fitted with a clear ‘SuperClean Smart’ treatment, which is specially designed to help reduce reflections and dazzle caused by oncoming headlights and street lighting — helping you have a safer journey.
Motorists suffering from glare at night should consult with their optician.
6. Use low beams where possible to safeguard other drivers
Use your low-beam headlights instead of high beams when driving in well-lit areas or when approaching other vehicles as high beams can significantly increase glare.
7. Regularly adjust your headlights
Ensure that your headlights are correctly aimed, especially if you are often travelling with heavy loads, which can impact the height of your lights beam.
Misaligned headlights not only contribute to blinding other drivers but will also reduce your own visibility.
