Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Road Safety: Headlight Glare

08 May 2024 · 4 other contributors · 3,670 words

Opened by Martin Vickers Con Brigg and Immingham

Responding minister: Anthony Browne

Transport

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Martin Vickers raised concerns about road safety: headlight glare in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Mr Vickers is concerned about excessive brightness of modern headlights causing discomfort and potential road accidents.
  • Mr Vickers suggests the government should convene stakeholders to research and set safety standards for headlights, including limits on blue light.
  • The minister acknowledges the issue of headlight glare and its importance but does not commit to specific actions or research initiatives.

Key requests to Government

Mr Vickers asks the Minister to bring together car manufacturers, lighting industry representatives, eyecare professionals, neurologists, and other interested parties to better understand headlight glare. He suggests sponsoring research by a health protection institute to establish safety standards for headlights and limit blue light spectrum. Legal limits should be set for blue light in vehicle headlights, guidance provided during MOTs on inappropriate after-market LED bulbs installation, and international efforts to address the issue.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Martin Vickers Con Brigg and Immingham

Mr Vickers is concerned about the excessive brightness of modern headlights, which cause discomforting glare for drivers and potentially increase road accidents. He cites a study by the Royal Automobile Club showing that 89% of UK drivers think some or most vehicle headlights are too bright. The issue disproportionately affects older drivers due to conditions like early-stage cataracts. Many drivers restrict their night driving, leading to social isolation and under-reporting of glare issues.

Other contributors (4)
  • Andrea Jenkyns Con West Yorkshire

    According to the latest figures in her area of Leeds, there were 1,585 personal injury collisions last year. She believes local councils should proactively implement measures such as speed cameras to prevent accidents rather than waiting for an incident to occur.

  • Carla Lockhart DUP Upper Bann

    Echoing the debate's topic, Carla Lockhart commended the hon. Gentleman and pointed out that an investigation revealed 44% of drivers believe headlight dazzle is caused by misaligned headlights. She proposed that MOT centres could play a more proactive role in ensuring proper alignment. Ms Lockhart supports Mr Vickers's call for more regulations than just MOT tests. She notes that automatic headlamp-levelling systems are not addressing the current problem of existing high-intensity headlights.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Committed to the hon. Gentleman for bringing forward the debate on road safety concerning headlight glare, Jim Shannon highlighted that his constituents face issues with vehicles having headlights that seem overly bright or 'one-eyed monsters'. He suggested that learner drivers should have more time practising nighttime driving as it can be overwhelming.

  • Paul Girvan

    Thanking the hon. Member for initiating the debate, Paul Girvan pointed out legal limits on vehicle headlight temperature and highlighted issues with retrofitted higher temperature bulbs available online that can exceed these limits. He noted a lack of checks during MOTs to verify bulb temperature.

Government Response

Anthony Browne

It is wonderful to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers) on securing this timely and important debate about headlight glare. The UK has some of the world's safest roads, but glare from headlights is a perennial issue that needs to be addressed. All vehicle headlights are designed and tested to follow international standards developed under United Nations rules to ensure they illuminate the road adequately without affecting other road users. However, there are challenges as police collision statistics do not indicate an increase in accidents caused by headlight glare, despite real concerns from constituents. In 2021, there were 208 accidents where dazzling headlights were cited as a partial cause, down from 373 in 2005. The Department has raised the issue at the United Nations international expert group on vehicle lighting and agreed proposals to mend headlamp aiming rules with mandatory automatic headlamp levelling expected to take effect only on new vehicle types from September 2027. The Government have allocated £185.8 million local authorities via the safer roads fund to improve safety and launched a plan for drivers in October last year setting out measures to help driving and address concerns. Over recent years, research has been commissioned to understand underlying causes of dazzling headlights, including consulting relevant experts and conducting real-world trials. The Government will consider outputs fully once completed and share them within the UK and with international lighting experts.

▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy