Drivers call for rules to regulate LED lights

Drivers are calling for tighter rules on LED headlights which focus on their height, brightness and have automatic levelling to protect other drivers.

Three quarters (76%) of drivers have told The AA they are being blinded by the headlights of oncoming vehicles, while half (52%) have been dazzled by headlights from cars behind them.

Meanwhile, a quarter (26%) of drivers say they have been blinded by brake lights while sat in stationary traffic, while one in six (17%) say they have been dazzled by brake lights when moving.

Almost a third (31%) also said that they have been dazzled by traffic lights.

Government collision statistics shows that since 2013, there has 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.

Last month, the RAC called for the Government to commission an independent study into the problem of headlight dazzle. 

The AA also wants the Department for Transport (DfT) to investigate. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said: “Being dazzled by headlights is something most drivers experience, but it seems that many drivers are now overwhelmed with bright lights.

“Whether you are sat in a jam or in the flow of traffic, there’s a strong chance someone near you is in some discomfort with drivers struggling with bright brake and traffic lights.

“The effects and impact of LEDs across our road network, be it from vehicles or infrastructure, needs to be investigated by the Department for Transport and its agencies with recommendations made to protect road users.”

One cause of discomfort and dazzling from vehicles is the increased sales in SUVs which have headlights positioned higher than ‘traditional’ saloon cars, says the AA.

Another reason seen across vehicles and traffic lights is the transition from halogen bulbs to LED (light emitting diode) lights.

LEDs last longer, use less power and are usually smaller than their counterparts, which enables vehicle manufacturers more flexibility when it comes to designing cars and vans.

More than half (56%) of the drivers questioned by the AA say that there should be tighter rules on LED headlights.

More than a third (35%) believe they should be a ‘warmer’ orange colour rather than the ‘brighter’ white colour currently used.

Two fifths (39%) of drivers also claimed that brake lights are brighter now than they used to be, while 27% say the design of brake lights on cars are ‘more style over substance’.