Calls have been made for ‘blinding’ LED headlights to be banned amid fears they’re causing accidents.
AA president Edmund King said he believes the very bright lights are a major contributing factor which are causing collisions on the roads.
A petition on the House of Commons website has called for them to be banned, and it said: “We believe LED headlights need to be banned on public roads. A recent survey found that almost 9 in 10 people think at least some headlights on cars on the road today are too bright.”
In a new question at the Commons, Jim Shannon from the Democratic Unionist Party asked the Secretary of State for Transport, “what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the safety of LED headlights on cars (a) generally and (b) on country roads.”
And Lilian Greenwood replied yesterday (January 20) that a new study has been commissioned – and would be looking into potential ‘countermeasures’. She said: “All types of road vehicle headlamps are designed, tested, and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare and ensure safety on a broad range of roads and environments.
”However, noting increased public concern about headlamp glare, Government has commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes and develop potential countermeasures. This work is underway and due to deliver in summer 2025; it will include real-world assessment of glare on a broad range of road types and scenarios including country roads.”
Mr Downie, the MP for Dunfermline and Dollar, has raised the issue previously and said: “I have heard from constituents, as well as from family and friends and my own experience driving round the constituency that cars with newer LED lights can be blinding for other road users.
“While they might illuminate the road well for the driver, they dazzle in the eyes of other road users and could be dangerous. In addition, technology such as automatic beam control that is more common means some drivers are less aware of the impact their own lighting might have on others.
“The safety of individual drivers cannot be at the expense of other road users and pedestrians. I am glad this is something the Government is now looking at and I look forward to the results and what action can be taken to improve road safety.”
Data also shows that of the 216 collisions allegedly caused by brilliant headlamps 11 of them were each in Kent and Surrey, the worst affected council areas. The 216 total was up from 211 the year before, but down from 315 in 2017 and 309 a decade ago, reports the Express.
AA president Edmund King said: “Our own research shows it is an issue for some drivers with three quarters saying they have been blinded by oncoming headlights. Our members tell us that they are feeling the strain of brighter headlights more than ever before, as well as brighter brake and traffic lights.
“Conversely, they also say brighter lights enhance road safety. The problem seems to be LED lights on higher vehicles such as SUVs. The Government-sponsored investigation into the use of LED lights on our roads should help clarify this issue further, as well as provide appropriate measures where needed.”
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “Few issues we deal with have triggered quite as much of a reaction among drivers as the brightness of headlights. It’s clear that, for a proportion of the driving public, glare affects them profoundly on the roads at night.
“But while the frustration is evident, the causes of the problem and what can be done about it are much less clear. That’s why the Government-funded project is so important.”
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