High Intensity Headlights – Some Glaring Statistics!

Recently in the news the BBC highlighted the issue of the glare from LED, laser light and bi-xenon sourced headlights on modern cars. This isn’t new. For some years now people have been put off driving at night due to the blinding intensity of those modern headlamp systems. And the problem is made worse by the increasing sales of larger SUV vehicles with the headlights set much higher than conventional saloon cars. But is it as bad as some people suggest? No, it’s worse!!

This issue has been researched by the RAC. Their findings are quite alarming. Have a look at these figures from an RAC survey in February this year:

• 5% of respondents said they have stopped driving at night entirely due to the enhanced glare from modern headlamps.
• 25% said they are driving less at night due to the increased intensity of some headlamps.
• 22% said they would like to reduce night driving due to the increased glare from modern headlights, but have to do so (for example, for work purposes).

That means that over half of all motorists have voiced concern about these modern high intensity headlights on modern vehicles.

So, are these modern headlamps really causing increased road accidents? It would seem highly likely, although there are no definitive figures available. Nevertheless, about 280 vehicle collisions on average each year since 2013 have been attributed by police as having been directly caused by headlamp glare — which is acknowledged to be a minimum figure. In around six of these cases each year somebody has died. It is highly likely therefore, that headlamp glare may well have been a contributory cause in many other cases which resulted in fatalities. Not only are the RAC’s statistics of concern, but further research shows that the majority of motorists have expressed some level of anxiety about night driving due to the high intensity of the white light glare emitted from modern headlights as compared to the more orange-like beam emitted by earlier halogen bulbed headlamps.

Government Action?

As we understand the situation, the Government have had some research carried out into this subject but have yet to publish their findings. Yet people are dying! Britain has amongst the safest roads in the world with regard to road deaths/population statistics — surely it should not be too difficult to change the rules and reduce the glare effect of modern headlamps, but what would that look like? Unfortunately, however, it is not easy to achieve.

As noted earlier, vehicles are getting higher and larger and these very vehicles, which more often than not are SUVs, are those most likely to have intense modern headlamps fitted at a much higher level than smaller conventional vehicles. Inevitably this makes the problem worse. So perhaps the manufacturers should be required to ensure headlamps are not situated beyond a certain height. Whilst the vehicle manufacturers may not like that, surely road safety should trump style and the regulations regarding the height of headlamp positioning should be reviewed?

Alternatively, the beam on such vehicles could be designed to dip lower to ensure that on dipped beam they are aimed low enough to avoid unnecessary glare to oncoming traffic. Some vehicles — mainly more luxury vehicles at a higher price range — do have automatic dipping when the vehicle’s systems detect oncoming traffic. Perhaps that could be made mandatory for all vehicles fitted with high intensity lighting — and, of course, the system should be checked during an MOT inspection.

Realistically, the only way of fully addressing the problem would be to change the rules governing the design of new vehicles — which takes a long time and would still leave many thousands of vehicles still being used on the road with those glaring headlamps.

Could the MOT Help?

Well, yes, it would be relatively easy to revise the standard when the headlamp aim is checked to change the rules and lower the current MOT beam angle on vehicles fitted with those modern glaring headlamp systems. Even on dipped beam some of those vehicles still emit a seriously dazzling beam. Yet that can only be achieved if the vehicles have some form of adjustment — and enough to address the problem. But that cannot happen “of a sudden”. A lot of research would be required.

Which vehicles are the real offenders? Will a change in MOT beam angle significantly reduce the glare? How will the manufacturers respond? And that all takes time. Also, with modern electronic systems the more expensive vehicles have automatic dipping when oncoming vehicles are detected. What are the regulations governing that operation? How far away should the oncoming vehicle be before the dip beam is operated? What happens if it fails — should that be an MOT failure — and how will the system be tested?

These days it does seem as if the vehicle manufacturers are developing increasing numbers of electronic features on their vehicles, but with no liaison at all with the Government as to how such systems — which could, if they fail, present a risk on the roads — can be examined as part of an MOT Test. Modern headlamps, their systems, and excessive intensity of the light beams they emit are evidently one such modern feature.

Conclusion

Finally, with at least six deaths every year primarily caused directly due to headlamp glare, and in all probability as many again in fatal crashes where glare was a serious contributory factor, it is to be hoped that before matters get worse the Government would do something to reduce the blinding glare from modern headlight systems.