Urgent warning over ‘blinding’ new-style headlights experts label as ‘potential killers’ – is your car affected?
AN URGENT warning has been issued over a ‘blinding’ new style of headlights dubbed ‘potential killers’, say experts.
Drivers are at risk of serious or even fatal smashes as car manufacturers increase bulb brightness, claimed campaign group LightAware.
Concerning research has been drawn from the RAC, light experts, specialists and independent surveys.
Baroness Hayter, who is presenting the data on behalf of LightAware to Department of Transport‘s Lords Minister, Lord Davies, said: “The group’s first interaction led ministers to say: ‘No problem here, no evidence of deaths or serious injuries’.
“Since then, the public have reached out to tell us they disagree, and that many are stopping driving at night, with eight out of ten drivers surveyed wanting action to reduce glare.
“The Highway Code states ‘You must not use any lights in a way which would dazzle…other road users’ – a requirement breached on every road every night.”
The Baroness dubbed super-bright headlights a “menace”, especially for those travelling down country lanes when full beam isn’t switched off fast enough.
‘They are too bright, too blue and are blinding over too long a distance’
Dr John Lincoln of LightAware, the report’s lead author, explained many modern headlights are dangerous and “incompatible” with our eyesight.
“They are too bright, too blue and are blinding over too long a distance,” he said.
“Regulation is required to cut the risk of accidents and reduce driver fatigue.”
Meanwhile, Rod Dennis from the RAC said their surveys saw a “large majority” of drivers claim blinding bulbs made travelling behind the wheel more difficult.
The expert explained while regulations are set at an international level, they need to be reconsidered by the Government.
“There is a good argument for independent research to be commissioned that gets to the root causes of headlight glare so that the problem so many drivers face can be tackled,” argued Rod.
The RAC previously said official government data revealed in the last decade there had been an average of 293 accidents a year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor – six were fatal.
‘Manufacturers need to do something about this’
As well as beam intensity, headlight positioning is also wreaking havoc – especially for older motorists.
A surge of SUVs on Britain’s roads is exacerbating the problem, according to a qualified optometrist, who explained the level of bulbs is more likely to spark momentary glare, even when dimmed.
Professor Shahina Pardhan, director of the Vision and Eye Research Institute at Anglia Ruskin University, argued: “The manufacturers need to do something about this, to make sure that headlights are correctly levelled.
“We can’t just tell older drivers not to go out at night, as that’s reducing their quality of life.”
The science behind it
When regular light hits your eye, it in focused on the retina – which sends a message to your brain and allows you to see.
However, a ray from LED headlights get bounced around all over the eye, which causes “disability glare”.
This can be described as seeing rings of light around the oncoming car rather than a clear image – and it get worse with old age.
Sai Kolli, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, explained: “This will be one of the first things [elderly people] say when they come for a consultation – they might be just above the legal limit but they never drive at night because they get too much glare and halos and they can’t separate objects.
“People with dry eye get lots more glare, but it’s a problem which can be treated just with lubricating eye drops,” Sai added.
Last May, the College of Optometrists revealed cheaper LED headlights are replacing halogen bulbs.
They cast a brighter and cooler light which makes it easier for drivers to see in the dark -but more likely to dazzle oncoming drivers.
‘Dazzled’
It turns out nine-in-ten drivers feel car headlights are too bright – and 88 per cent are dazzled by them on the roads.
According to the RAC research, which surveyed 2,700 motorists, this problem is on the rise.
Their report outlined: “The problem appears to be getting worse with 63% of drivers who get dazzled saying it’s happening more often than a year or two ago, with one-in-four (23%) claiming they’re now dazzled a lot more regularly.
“And, of all of those who believe headlights are too bright, a huge 64% think they risk causing other drivers to have collisions while two-in-three (67%) say they can’t tell if the headlights of oncoming cars are dipped or on full beam.”
And, despite focus being placed on the older generation, it was younger drivers complaining about increased bulb brightness.
With 30 per cent of those between 17 and 34 reporting headlights were blinding- as opposed to 19 per cent of those aged 65 and over.
And, 70 per cent believe this increases the risk of accidents – with many avoiding roads at night altogether.
Meanwhile, one-in-five drivers thought their own headlights were probably inflicting too much glare.
“The RAC’s research also asked dazzled drivers to estimate how long it typically takes for them to be able to see clearly again,” the report continued.
“While most (65%) said it took between one and five seconds, one-in-10 (12%) said it took upwards of six seconds.”
One second travelling at 60mph equates to covering the distance of more than six cars.
This means six seconds of vision loss leaves a distance of 40 car lengths open to risk of accident.
The RAC’s Rod Dennis previously stated: “It’s clear that the problem of drivers being dazzled by the headlights of others isn’t going away.
“Modern LED headlight technology may have a part to play as the human eye reacts to the so-called ‘blue light’ from LEDs differently to the ‘yellow light’ of conventional halogen headlights.
“This presents a real irony: the brighter and better your vehicle’s headlights are, the clearer your night-time view of the road ahead is, often it seems at the expense of anyone coming towards you.
“In short, being dazzled isn’t just about discomfort, it also represents a significant road safety risk.”
Safety Checks
The RAC advises checking your car’s manual if you think the headlights are blinding.
Find out how to adjust the angle, which may need to be changed frequently depending on how many people are in the car.
It is also worth contacting a garage or dealership for help.
“Figures from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in 2018 showed that of the 26.5m million MOT tests completed that year for Class 4 vehicles (which includes cars) over three years of age, 6% failed as result of headlamp aim problems,” the report continued.
“Two years earlier, in 2016, the DVSA also stated that ‘headlamp aim consistently tops the MOT compliance survey as one of the most likely items to be assessed incorrectly by testers'”.