The modern night drive has become a test of nerves thanks to new LED headlights that cut through darkness like searchlights. For many, though, that sharp beam does more harm than good. The Department for Transport just launched an assessment to tackle headlight glare after a new RAC survey revealed a brutal stat: four in five drivers now worry about being dazzled by the intensity of new headlight technology.
It is not just grumbling either. Upward of 38 percent of motorists say nighttime driving wrecks their comfort and three-quarters blame the retina-searing brilliance of those LED and bi-xenon bulbs found on new cars. Badly aligned lights and the bulb’s focused concentration are to blame, but SUVs make things worse by placing the lights smack at eye level for most drivers.
For some, the dazzling is so vicious they have cut down on night journeys. Others just white-knuckle it and squint behind the wheel, hoping not to be blinded at the wrong moment. Younger drivers recover from glare in a split second, but older motorists can need up to nine seconds to regain vision. It only takes a few seconds to end up in a ditch.
Experts defending LEDs pin their case on brighter beams improving visibility when aimed correctly. But for too many real drivers, the dazzling is not a theoretical nuisance it is an outright menace. Road safety campaigners and motoring groups from IAM RoadSmart to The College of Optometrists have been calling for proper regulation and better standards for years.
Politicians, long accused of dragging their feet, say their hands are on the wheel now. The latest incoming Road Safety Strategy promises to review rules written for 1980s halogen bulbs to reflect today’s lighting arms race. Authorities are cracking down on illegal aftermarket conversions, sometimes handing out hefty fines to owners fitting dazzling retrofits.
Industry voices like the RAC are clear-eyed about the challenge: design and install smarter, better-aimed lights, and update safety regulations before night driving turns into an endurance sport. With a government-commissioned study on glare due soon, drivers just want one simple fix—night vision, not night blindness.