Review the brightness of car headlights for safety

[Garlickit]

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/653793

Inspired by AIBU thread, "To think night driving is getting more dangerous"

The Government should launch a review into the problem of some headlights causing oncoming traffic drivers to be unable to see clearly and safely. The review should be conducted with car manufacturers to find solutions.

The RAC raised this issue as far back as 2018 and its recent study showed that nine-in-10 drivers think some or most car headlights on the UK’s roads are too bright. Government data shows that there are around 300 collisions every year where dazzling headlights are a factor.

The RAC has often written about this: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/rac-calls-for-government-action-on-headlight-glare/

Ooh well over 1,000 signatures now… go Mumsnetters. Just need someone with a following on Twitter to share (not me I’m afraid)

I live rurally and I much prefer to be able to see with better headlights. I have no issues being blinded unless inconsiderate drivers fail to dip their main beams

And also, there are more speed bumps which can lead to dazzle as the car goes up.

Add to that idiots who 'thank' you for giving way by flashing ... please don't.

Surely they could just make them without the blue light? I have led bulbs in bedrooms like this, they are yellow.

Yep. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_yellow

Signed, thank you for 'highlighting' the issue.

Thanks for this OP. Totally given up driving at night now. It's just not worth the risk

Signed. I no longer drive after dark now for this reason.

Car headlights have been getting brighter and brighter for years and it has become sooo dangerous. People are totally dazzled and dipped headlights seem to make hardly any difference. They still dazzle.

It's about time something was done. I wonder when the last time was that this was reviewed by the government? Decades ago, probably.

Signed and shared, add those blinding lights to a really wet road and you can't see the markings any more. On roads you can't see pedestrians and I agree about street lighting. It is too bright without actually lighting anything. Bring back the orange colour.

I agree.

Also the lack of street and road lights

Signed.I was involved in a nasty accident recently and had a refresher driving session with an advanced driver.He said about how dangerous driving at night is with the blinding headlights.

Street lights are a tricky question. The LED ones are much cheaper to run and provide better vision in the illuminated areas. Downsides are that the drop-off is sharper, leading to 'black holes' between lamps, they create a lot more light pollution and are very bad for birds. They also cause serious reductions in nocturnal insects, bats and other wildlife.

Many local authorities try to mitigate this by turning the lamps off around midnight. There doesn't seem to have been a significant increase in crime because of this, surprisingly, and one wonders if they couldn't just have saved money by keeping sodium and turning them off

Oh, hope you were okay, @LadyWiddiothethird! Interesting that your advanced instructor commented on ultra-bright headlights. They should know!

Nice pun there, @Backwiththeillbehaviour 😁 Let's keep this issue in the spotlight! (Sorry)

Also if you think someone is still on full beam and flash them, then they turn on full beam and totally blind you. If I find your low beam blinding, why would you turn on full beam?
Sometimes I think an emergency vehicle is behind me as I get the flash of blue light and I slow down trying to work out if I need to pull over etc.
Signed. Fingers crossed this petition will get somewhere.

I wonder if led street lights are the reason why I sometimes hear birds tweeting when it’s night time?

What car do you drive? It's a bigger problem on rural roads around here, means you can't see a thing until the car has passed you, very dangerous.

I’ve two, a Land Rover and a little BMW. Both have automatic lights that bend and dip depending on oncoming traffic. I know the higher driving position of the Land Rover probably mitigates the brightness of some vehicles headlights.

I don't find the lights really are any better for illuminating the road ahead though. Especially if it's drizzly or misty.

I have an 18 year old normal sized car and all of the newer ones are bigger and blinding me. Either oncoming or in my rear (always dipped at night) and side mirrors.

I wouldn't choose to drive at night but my job on certain shifts requires it.
I often drive with my hand on the window covering the side mirror when all the middle lane idiots are just blinding me but not actually overtaking me.

Signed and got two others to sign so far.

Not just a problem in the UK.

This survey of people in Boston, United States found that 93% of 600 surveyed agree that the brightness level of car headlights is too much

https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/car-headlights-have-become-too-bright/

This is really needed I think

Love this quote from an American driver!

“Every drive at night is now a near death experience,” reader JT said. “When driving into incoming traffic, the options include closing my eyes and praying, or effectively staring into the sun and being temporarily blinded anyway. Ban these super bright lights!”

@chaosmaker same! I have an 18 year old estate that's still trucking along and I spend a lot of time covering my side mirror with my hands. I mostly do motorway miles or local town miles but whenever I have to do A roads at peak traffic I feel like I'm really taking my life into my own hands.

Signed.

It's not only the brightness. It's the stupid "sensors" (inverted commas becuase they don't sense much) that don't detect oncoming cars fast enough. They take an age to react, especially on bends or hills.

A friend was telling me exictedly that he'd never need to worry about dimming lights ever again because his new car 'did it automatically'. I told him 'As if', and that they were a menace. Pretty sure he thought I was just jealous of his flashy new car though. This is a few years back and it's been getting gradually worse as this failed invention becomes more widespread.

Signed.

I bought some distance glasses with polarising filters and they do help me quite a lot - they are just about usable at night - If never drive anywhere without them now they make such a big difference. I have sensitive eyes and frequently wear tinted glasses in the house - my wife complains that it's like living with Dracula as I'm always drawing curtains or pulling blinds down at the top of windows so driving at night especially with the reflections when it's wet is really difficult for me.