Are Headlights Too Bright In The UK?

Generally speaking, headlights fitted to personal vehicles in the UK have to be white or yellow. They should allow you to see 100 metres in front of you, without affecting the vision of other drivers. The law states that you need to have headlights with a British Standard mark, which ought to mean it’s made to specs that don’t harm other drivers.Some, however, think this doesn’t go far enough. RAC research, for instance, has suggested that “the problem of dazzling headlights is getting worse”, with 61% of UK drivers affected by headlight glare stating they’ve seen more of the problem in the past 12 months.The issue can be “significantly” worse for those who wear glasses.And in a recent post to Reddit’s r/AskUK, site user u/Cat-poke, who branded another driver’s headlight brightness as “insane”, asked: “Should we ban super bright headlights?” Here’s what the RAC told us...The government are working on a report about the issue Turns out the RAC isn’t the only one to raise concerns about very bright headlights.The College of Optometrists, for instance, said on its site that it’s thought “the introduction in recent years of brighter LED headlamps, and the increasing number of larger SUV-type vehicles on the road, combine to help create uncomfortable glare from oncoming traffic at night”.The Department for Transport (DfT) is also looking into the issue. They’ve paired with TRL, a centre for innovation in transport and mobility, to understand more about why glare happens.From last October 2024 to this spring, TRL kitted out a car to measure light levels on UK roads. After “a review of scientific evidence and engagement with a range of stakeholders,” they’ll create recommendations for the DfT.Speaking to HuffPost UK, RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “We look forward to the forthcoming publication of a long-awaited government report into the issue, which we [and] the College of Optometrists called for over several years.“We hope this helps uncover the true causes of glare and means regulators are in a better position to understand what can be done to minimise its effects on drivers and other road users.”Until then, though, he stated: “With darker evenings here, the brightness of some vehicle headlights will no doubt have been noticed by drivers.“While for some, headlight dazzle is just a mild annoyance, for others it seriously affects their confidence when behind the wheel. As many as one-in-four drivers affected by glare tell us they’re driving less at night as a direct result.” Redditors shared their concerns“The amount of times I’ve had to apply my brakes regardless of what’s behind me because I simply can’t see the road ahead is dangerous on every level,” u/Anxious-Potato-7323 wrote under the Reddit post about bright headlights.“I had an embarrassing moment recently where I flashed someone to let them know that they were blinding me with their full beams on, then they flashed me back with the light of the fucking sun to let me know that they just have ridiculously bright and not very dipped headlights,” u/BobDude65 added. And u/Glittering_Vast938′s response reads: “I hate driving at night now.” Related...Don't Make This 1 Dangerous Mistake When Driving With KidsI'm A Neurologist – This Is The One Thing I Never Do While DrivingI Just Learned Why So Many Airport Names End In 'X', And Huh

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