Majority of drivers think car headlights are too bright

Research by the RAC finds 88 percent of UK drivers get dazzled by bright headlights on the road – and some have stopped driving at night.

Modern headlights too bright

Modern car headlights are too bright according to nine in 10 drivers (89 percent) surveyed by the RAC. 

A similar proportion say they are often dazzled by other vehicles when driving, increasing the risk of road accidents.

Such is the worry for some, 16 percent of those drivers concerned by bright headlights have now stopped driving at night.

Younger drivers seeing the light

Modern headlights too bright

Although older drivers said they were more likely to stop driving at night, it is younger drivers who are more likely to complain about bright headlights. 

Almost a third (30 percent) of those aged 17 to 34 think most headlights are too bright, compared to just 19 percent of those aged 65 and over.

Among this group of younger drivers, 70 percent believe the risk of accidents is increased due to intense headlight glare. 

Overall, 63 percent of motorists who get dazzled believe it is happening more often than a year or two ago.

Why are drivers being dazzled?

Modern headlights too bright

Of the 2,700 people surveyed, 23 percent believed modern LED headlights are to blame for the dazzling effect. However, 22 percent do not think any particular headlight technology was to blame, and more than a third cannot tell the difference. 

The RAC says the prevalence of higher vehicles, such as SUVs, is also a potential factor. Some 61 percent of those in lower cars noted a problem, compared to just 28 percent in taller vehicles. 

Rod Dennis, RAC spokesperson, said: “It’s clear that the problem of drivers being dazzled by the headlights of others isn’t going away, and in fact our research shows that a large proportion of drivers say they’re getting dazzled more regularly now than a year or two ago.

“What’s more, and perhaps surprisingly, it’s younger drivers who are more likely to complain about glare, which suggests the matter has little – if anything – to do with an individual’s eyesight.”

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John Redfern
John Redfern
U.S. Editor with a love of all things Americana. Woodgrain-clad station wagons and ridiculous muscle cars a speciality.

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