Some are calling for a ban on LED headlamps after a string of accidents due to drivers being dazzled (Image: Getty)
The government has responded to mounting calls for a ban on certain car headlights, amid concerns that their intense brightness is leading to accidents. AA members have reported to the organisation that LED lights on vehicles are causing them to be “blinded” while driving, as per AA president Edmund King.
National collision data indicates that in 2023, dazzling headlights were a factor in 216 incidents. In a recent Commons query, Jim Shannon of the Democratic Unionist Party questioned the Secretary of State for Transport about her assessment of the safety of LED headlights on cars, both generally and on rural roads.
Responding on January 20, Lilian Greenwood announced that a new study has been initiated to explore potential ‘countermeasures’. She stated: “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 added, “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.”
A House of Commons petition has demanded a ban on LED headlights, stating: “We believe LED headlights need to be banned on public roads. A recent survey found that almost 9 in 10 people think at least some headlights on cars on the road today are too bright.”
Moreover, statistics reveal that 216 collisions were reportedly instigated by dazzling headlamps, with Kent and Surrey topping the list as the most impacted council areas. This figure is an increase from 211 the previous year, while considerably lower than the 315 and 309 incidents recorded in 2017 and a decade ago, respectively.
AA president Edmund King weighed in: “Our own research shows it is an issue for some drivers with three quarters saying they have been blinded by oncoming headlights. Our members tell us that they are feeling the strain of brighter headlights more than ever before, as well as brighter brake and traffic lights.”
He also noted, “Conversely, they also say brighter lights enhance road safety. 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.”
Douglas Chapman MP, who represents Dunfermline and Dollar, highlighted the problem based on accounts from his constituents and personal encounters: “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.”
“While they might illuminate the road well for the driver, they dazzle in the eyes of other road users and could be dangerous. In addition, technology such as automatic beam control that is more common means some drivers are less aware of the impact their own lighting might have on others.”
“The safety of individual drivers cannot be at the expense of other road users and pedestrians. I am glad this is something the Government is now looking at and I look forward to the results and what action can be taken to improve road safety.”
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis remarked: “Few issues we deal with have triggered quite as much of a reaction among drivers as the brightness of headlights. It’s clear that, for a proportion of the driving public, glare affects them profoundly on the roads at night.”
“But while the frustration is evident, the causes of the problem and what can be done about it are much less clear. That’s why the Government-funded project is so important.”
Ms Greenwood, responding to Mr Downie in writing, stated: “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, noting increased public concern, Government has commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes of headlamp glare and develop potential countermeasures.”
“This work is under way and is due to deliver in summer 2025.”