A quarter of drivers (25%) who find vehicle headlights too bright are now driving less at night as a result, while more than a fifth (22%) say they wish they could, according to a new study on headlight glare from the RAC.
Findings from what the motoring body has argued is the most in-depth research into motorists’ views on car headlight glare, revealed that three-quarters (75%) of those who drive less do so because intense headlights have make the experience uncomfortable or more difficult.
A further 49% – so nearly half – said it was because they now feel less safe, while one in 20 drivers (5%) said they had stopped driving at night altogether.
Almost all of the 1,866 UK drivers polled agreed vehicle headlights can be too bright – more than a third (36%) believed most are, with a further 59% saying some of them are.
Drivers aged under 35 were more likely to say most headlights are too bright (41%), as were those who drove conventional hatchbacks, estates and saloons. This finding was particularly interesting as it dispelled the myth that headlight glare is something that only affects older drivers, the RAC said,
Six in 10 UK drivers (61%) who suffered from headlight glare said they felt the problem had worsened in just 12 months, with only a quarter (26%) disagreeing.
Looking at motorists who still drive at night, nearly a fifth (17%) said bright headlights left them feeling tired and fatigued while driving, while 16% said they had suffered with headaches, migraines and/or eye pain, the RAC study said.
Meanwhile, six in 10 (59%) said dazzle was making driving more difficult and uncomfortable, a figure that rose to 65% for 65- to 74-year-olds and 67% for those aged 75 and over.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “With the exception of potholes, few motoring topics seem to rouse as much interest among the nation’s drivers right now as bright headlights.
“Our research does suggest that the difference in height of vehicles affects how drivers perceive glare, as does the colour of headlights on oncoming traffic. It also appears to be more of a problem on unlit roads, where drivers’ vision is subjected to greater levels of contrast. We hope our findings prove to be valuable to both industry and government in understanding the effects dazzling headlights are having on drivers,” Dennis added.
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