A government investigation into headlight glare has been announced by Department for Transport (DfT) following a petition that garnered more than 13,000 signatures.
The petition, titled ‘Review the brightness of car headlights for safety,’ cited government data that showed there were around 300 collisions each year where dazzling headlights were a factor and said the issue had been raised by the RAC as far back as 2018.
A statement from the DfT in response to the petition said: ‘We know that lots of people raise concerns about headlight glare, but also that the police collision statistics don’t show any underlying road safety issue.
‘Recognising the need for further evidence, we intend to commission independent research shortly to identify the root causes of driver glare and identify any further appropriate mitigations.’
The RAC urged the government to study the issue in January 2024 following research that found 89% of drivers thought at least some car headlights are too bright, and 85% believed the problem was getting worse.
Of the 2,000 drivers surveyed, 28% thought most car headlights are too bright – more than ever – while 74% said they are regularly dazzled while driving at night. Concerningly, 64% of respondents thought headlights ‘were so bright they risk causing accidents’.