Headlight glare is getting worse, report shows

The RAC’s new study on dazzled drivers found almost all drivers agree vehicle headlights can be too bright – more than a third (36%) believe most are, with a further 59% saying some of them are.

Under-35s and those in conventional hatchbacks, estates and saloons are more likely to say most headlights are too bright, cited by 41% and 38% of these groups. But even three in 10 drivers (29%) of higher-riding vehicles, such as SUVs, think most headlights are blinding too.

Six in 10 drivers (61%) who suffer from glare say the problem has worsened in just 12 months, with only a quarter (26%) disagreeing.

The data also shows potential impacts to road safety. Eight in 10 (79%) dazzled drivers find it hard to tell when some vehicles are indicating, while 77% say it’s difficult to judge the position of oncoming vehicles on the road when their headlights are so bright. Similar proportions struggle to judge the speed of these vehicles (74%) and how far away they are (67%), suggesting dazzling headlights are having a profound impact on some motorists’ confidence behind the wheel.

Official government statistics show that since 2013, there has been an average of 280 collisions a year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor. Of these, six a year involved someone losing their life, although this only includes those collisions where a police officer attending can be sure that headlight dazzle was a factor.

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