UK: Government to review car headlights, tackle glare issue

The Government of UK is considering plans to limit the type and power of car headlights. The United Nations Working Party, of which UK is a member, is looking into this after increasing public concerns. The move comes after a survey revealed that over 65% drivers faced trouble due to oncoming vehicle headlight glare even when dipped.

The survey was conducted by RAC, a British organisation that currently provides roadside assistance throughout the UK. The survey revealed that 15% of drivers were involved in a close call after being blinded by headlights of oncoming cars, or when looking back from the rear-view mirrors. Further, over 58% of respondents consider that the brightness of modern headlights is putting car drivers in danger of accidents. It was also reported that after getting blinded, it could take up 5 seconds for the driver's vision to normalise. This means, a driver in a car travelling at 96 km/h could take up to 120 meters before seeing clearly. The survey also pointed out that over 66% of drivers can't make out if the main beam of the other car is high or dipped.

The head lamps of the newer generation cars were found to be especially bright. Just 12% of motorist said the lights were at a correct brightness level. However, 66% reported that some cars have bright headlights and 22% felt all the new cars these days have excessively bright ones.

Currently, cars sold in UK must meet EU standards for headlights. But, recent advances in the technology have caused an increase in the intensity as well as the throw of the lights. Lights these days are either based on halogen projectors, high intensity discharge (HID) Xenon bulbs or LED lamps. It is also illegal to retrofit HID bulbs in older vehicles with halogen headlamp units.