Highland motoring expert agrees with RAC survey on ‘terrible’ new headlights

A HIGHLAND driving expert agrees with the view that new car headlights are too bright.

A recent study by the RAC showed that a quarter of drivers who find vehicle headlights too bright are driving less at night as a result.

And this week Andrew Chatterton, publicity officer for Highland Advanced Motorists said that some LED lights are “terrible”.

The study showed that 75 per cent of those questioned who drive less then they used to do so because intense headlights make the experience uncomfortable or more difficult.

Sixty-one per cent of respondents who suffer from headlight glare said the problem has worsened in the past12 months and 59 per cent said dazzle makes driving more difficult and uncomfortable.

That latter figure rises to 65 per cent for 65 to 74-year-olds and 67 per cent for those aged 75 and over.

Mr Chatterton, who has been driving for 52 years, said: “When you leave Inverness and travel down the A9 and other roads, you are very quickly in unlit areas.

“The glare is much more noticeable and it’s concerning how bright the lights are.”

Community news

Sign up to receive our free email newsletters

Headlight glare may be caused by a variety of factors including the alignment of headlights, changes in lighting technology – from halogen to bi-xenon and LED – and variations in vehicle height, as more drivers switch from conventional hatchbacks that sit lower on the road to higher-riding SUVs.

Following campaigning led by the RAC, The College of Optometrists and others, the UK government commissioned a project looking at the conditions most likely to lead to headlight glare, and to see what can be done to address them. The project is due to report by the summer.

Of the 97 per cent of drivers who told the RAC they are affected by glare in some form, eight-in-10 say they find it hard to tell when some vehicles are indicating, while 77 per cent say it’s difficult to judge the position of oncoming vehicles on the road when their headlights are so bright.

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.

“It’s undisputable that public concern is increasing, but the reasons for glare and what can be done to reduce it aren’t nearly as clear. That’s why we’re pleased the government heeded the calls of the RAC and our partner organisations on this issue and commissioned an independent project to look into it. We’re aware other European countries are now taking the matter seriously too.

“What has gone from a mere frustration is now having a profound impact on people – whether that’s momentarily being blinded while driving or struggling to judge the speed or position of a vehicle ahead.

“The fact such a high proportion of people are also driving less at night – or wish they could – is remarkable and demonstrates the need for glare to be tackled. This does, however, need to be balanced with the potential road safety benefits afforded to people driving vehicles with brighter headlights.”

Official government statistics show that since 2013 there have been an average of 280 collisions a year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor.

Of these, six a year involved someone losing their life. However, this only includes those collisions where a police officer attending could be sure that headlight dazzle was a factor.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.