Drivers are increasingly complaining about the intense LED headlight glare that comes from newer vehicles, but the issue is not as clear as one might think.
The U.S. is taking baby steps toward smart headlight systems that adjust their beams based on what is in their path and look less harsh to oncoming drivers, but they still could be years away from hitting the roads.
Why Are Headlights So Bright These Days?
Some experts say several factors are contributing to drivers reporting glare. One is that LED lights are not brighter, but the blueish-white light emitted is more irritating to the human eye. The others relate to the position of the headlights, the height of newer vehicles and older drivers.
AAA has published numerous studies about headlights and related issues such as glare and did not find a problem, according to Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and industry relations for AAA Inc. “LEDs put more light on roads where people need it,” he said. “There is no evidence that LED lights are a hazard.”
Drivers Disagree
Still, drivers are reporting discomfort and being blinded by oncoming cars with LED headlights and some are calling for them to be banned.
“There is a problem,” acknowledged Dr. John Bullough, director of the Light and Health Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. “There are some issues (with headlights) people are experiencing more than they did 10-to-20 years ago, and they are making more people complain. But the basic regulations for headlights and how they produce light in certain directions have been the same for several decades. Technology has changed.”
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Download Now!Over the past 10 years, automakers transitioned to LEDs and high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights from halogen headlights, which produce soft yellow light, which is easier on the eyes. On the plus side, LED bulbs last longer and an LED array has many small bulbs, which can be shifted in different directions to shape the beam. The white light also makes it easier to spot road markings and more closely resembles daylight.
But there are drawbacks. “They tend to make glare more noticeable and uncomfortable,” according to Bullough.
Calls to Regulate LED Headlights
Groups such as the Soft Lights Foundation argue that the use of LED and HID headlights “has become a source of dangerous, blinding glare,” and has an online petition asking Congress and federal agencies to regulate LEDs. More than 50,000 people have signed the petition so far.
Other factors are contributing to people experiencing headlight glare, according to Bullough. Many vehicles are higher now, so lights on SUVs and trucks shine directly into the eyes of sedan drivers, he said. “Passenger cars get a brighter splash of light.”
Also, headlights are often misaligned, and drivers don’t realize it. “Consistently, over a few decades, a lot of cars have poorly misdirected headlights,” said Bullough. “If they are too high, the beam hits (oncoming drivers) in the eyes. If they are too low, drivers can’t see much past their car.” Not all states require headlight alignment to be assessed, he added.
The aging of the U.S. population also plays a role, Brannon maintained. There were almost 48 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older in 2020, according to the latest research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is a 68% increase over 20 years ago. “New technology looks different coming toward older drivers, when they are used to seeing a soft yellow glow,” he said. “The LED and HID lights draw drivers’ attention, and then they have a problem with a glare.”
People’s ability to see in the dark decreases every year after age 40, Brannon added, and drivers are less able to recover from glare. To cope with glare, Brannon recommended drivers modify their gaze and look at the road, not the oncoming headlights.
Smarter Headlights Are on the Way
If anything, headlights on U.S. cars should be brighter, Brannon said. The U.S. has a much lower maximum output for high beams than most countries and standards have not changed in decades. AAA research shows that 64% of American drivers do not extensively use their high beams, often out of concern for other drivers. But driving with low beams all the time can be a safety hazard. “If you are driving with low beams over 35 mph and encounter something in the road, you can’t stop in time,” according to Bullough.
Changes are coming, although slowly. More new cars in the U.S. have automatic high/low beam switching systems, which allow drivers to use their high beams all the time, because the headlights switch to low beams if they detect an oncoming vehicle.
Even more advanced technology is available, but not in the U.S., and although high-tech headlights have been approved here, it still could be years before drivers actually see them. Since 2013, Europe and most of the world have been using adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlights, which produce more light and automatically change the direction of the beam to reduce glare for oncoming drivers or pedestrians while not losing forward illumination.
Despite urging from multiple organizations, including AAA, the type of ADBs used by most of the world have not been approved for use in the U.S.
Crafting New ADBs
In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approved ADB headlighting systems similar to what is used in other countries, but with different criteria for performance, according to Bullough.
The U.S. Department of Transportation drew up glare-proof specifications for ADB headlights, but more testing and information are required. Vehicle manufacturers are waiting for detailed specifications before starting to build and install these systems, to avoid misinterpretations and recalls, according to Bullough.
Because these headlights will be brighter, the changes also will require some adjustments by drivers, but the headlights are overdue, said Brannon. “Modern headlight systems put light where you need it,” he said. “Over time, people will become more accustomed to it.”
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How do you feel about headlight glare? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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220 Thoughts on “What’s the Story With Headlight Glare?”
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This article has me wondering why I’m giving money to AAA if they are ignoring an obvious safety problem. These bright LED lights should be banned for use as headlights.
Absolutely not! The lights are more often misaligned and aiming right into driver’s eyes. Auto ‘dimming’ lights are worthless when they head lights point straight out. Whomever wrote this and collaborated on this needs to get out in a sedan and see how bad these lights are AND how dangerous! This is clearly a case of the science being light-years off from where the rubber meets the road.
I have seen the change in head lights and agree with the issue. As far as age being an issue not true many younger people I have spoke with under the age of 30 have actually had to stop, due to being blinded on the county roads where I live. What makes it worse is the fact that there are no divided lane lines at all. I believe it is just another way of controlling . As I have read many articles it is working. People mention ” I no longer drive at night and stay home” its working. Me when I encounter this I just put on my high beams, the opposing car flicks his lights on and off at me, I just leave them on. May be this will make the owner change the lights if they get enough of this action happening. Or they won’t drive at night.
Years ago my Driver’s Ed Instructor told the class that when you use your high beams in response to another driver’s use of theirs then you have two idiots that cannot see doubling the chance of collision. A more adaptive approach is to wear blue light blocking glasses at night.
Hi Ken, Something to consider. Some people don’t think about headlight glare when purchasing a new vehicle. In todays day and age, I am sure many people “can’t” afford to fix/replace LED headlights. You putting on your high beams could cause them to crash from your glare, How would you feel knowing you caused someone/family to crash due to the glare from your hi beams? It’s the manufacturers that need to know or come up with a solution. I thought perhaps a “glare reducing windshield”? or Insurance companies could give out “glare reducing glasses”, both options much cheaper that replacing or coming up with a new design of headlights for car makers and buyers.
I find this article disappointing. I appreciate that you are covering this important topic; but the article sounds, ironically, like gaslighting of all of us who are really struggling with these extremely bright headlights. In addition to all these comments, I have read about this issue, and despite your study showing it’s ‘not a problem,’ there are plenty of studies showing otherwise. I know many people who refuse to drive after dark now simply because of this issue. Some people get yelled at for using high beams when they aren’t even using them, because of this issue. AAA, you are meant to be here for drivers first and foremost. Your article should have supported our concerns and lived experiences more than this article showed.
When driving at night, newer headlights cause so much glare, I can’t see the road. My eyes are fine, I have them tested once a year and I’ve discussed night vision with my Doctors. Another factor is that the painted lines on highways in the northeast are so deteriorated that they are hard to see. I don’t know whether the paint fails more quickly or the highway departments are not repainting quickly enough. Driving on unfamiliar roads at night are truly treacherous.
These LED lights should be banned, and those already in use should have a lens modifier installed. These LED advocates have obviously never driven on winding, hilly, rainy, roads. Numerous times I have had to stop my car because I was temporarily blinded!
I are there liabilities to someone who pit aftermarket LED and causes oncoming traffic to cradh
The lights are awful, I had cataract surgery and hoped that would help. I did find an online place for glasses, priced as they should be. Just get your eye doc to write up your prescription, enter it in when prompted, pick out what you like. There is almost no reason to be blinded while you are driving.
Passenger cars are not to bad because the lights are lower. It’s the Monster trucks and SUV’s they sell today that seem to have their head lights 6′ off the ground! Even with just their low beams on, they blind you! I don’t see the need for any one to be able to see a 1/2 mile down the road @ night! If you need to see that far, your driving to fast!
I get blinded by these new lights and have to shift my eyesight to the curb and hope I am staying in my lane. Something should be done about them.
Too many people don’t care and drive with high beam on. Or maybe on newer cars it’s the computer that decides what lights to turn on. It’s easy to notice, as they have two lights on each side of the car. The solution? Turn on your own high beam. BTW, there are relatively inexpensive LED replacements for older light bulbs, and they don’t burn out as often as halogens.
I started noticing the new brighter lights when I moved from Pennsylvania to New York. At first, I thought that people here were being very inconsiderate by using their high-beams while driving on local roads with lots of on-coming traffic, and I would flash my lights to signal to oncoming drivers to lower their high-beams! Then I learned that these are now standard in a lot of new cars. I frankly don’t see the differen ce between high-beams and these obnoxious lights. Simply put, they are blinding. I am offended by the dismissive attitude behind the idea that it’s just an ageing-eyes problem. I urge AAA to take a firm position against these dangerous lights.
BOOM!
Wake up ! It’s not age related or vehicle height. It’s blinding overly bright lights that cause total blind spots! MANY arrogant drivers will not even attempt to lower their headlight beams, they just drive with high beams always to be just that, arrogant!
And have the article writers ever tried to find the cop behind the newer blinding beacon stobes of their squad cars?? Good Luck… it’s a Hazzard to the first responders as well as the drivers trying to safely move around them.
Some of these folks driving regular pick up trucks (re: Ford 150/ Chevys, ect) have 6 + headlights…how blind are these people to begin with?!
I don’t drive at night because the lights totally blinds me.
It’s nice to see in black and white what has become a glaring (sorry, accidental pun) problem – the blinding effect of the new LED headlights. It’s inconceivable that they’re even legal. We can only hope that help is on the way. But the most surprising thing in this article is that AAA studies haven’t found these lights to be “hazardous.” It’s hard to imagine how that’s possible. Might I suggest that the people conducting the studies get out of the simulators and onto actual roads.
Headlights are way too bright-don’t blame this on age. And with SUV’s the lights are higher off the ground and hit Sedan drivers right in the face. Totally ridiculous.
Driving in the dark has bothered me for many years, so I have been avoiding it as much as possible. Driving on a two-way street or highway in the dark and rain makes the glare from headlights such a horror that I do it only when I have no choice.
I did not see flicker mentioned. It is easy and cheap to make LEDs that do not flicker, but for some reason automobile manufacturers persist in making LEDs that generate enormous spikes of light followed by complete darkness, dozens of times a second. This effect is even worse when ‘temporal dimming’ is used to ‘help’ glare.
You may not be someone who can see the flicker directly, but it does affect many people’s perception of glare. Furthermore, non-continuous light sources ‘tear’ into discrete images when your eyes move across the road, making it much more difficult to see where a glowing object actually is.
Thus far, I’ve only noticed a major problem with tail lights, fog lights, and trim lights. I refuse to drive behind such vehicles at night because they can suddenly set off an aura migraine. I dread these new, supposedly improved headlights, because I expect them to flicker. ‘Progress’ should not majorly endanger some people just because some statistically average human is slightly safer with ‘brighter’ lights.
AAA, please listen to us when we say there is a problem, instead of doing studies based on a misleading average human. And please promote flicker-free highways. A circuit to stop LED flicker costs less than a dollar and can be built by a freshman engineering student. There is no excuse for flicker on the road.
I drive a sedan and find the glare especially from higher vehicles dangerous. I too have limited my driving at night and hope that this country and make the necessary changes to protect all including pedestrians. I pray these changes will come in a timely manner. I much prefer a return to the soft yellow bulbs in conjunction with new technology.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
“LEDs put more light on roads where people need it,” he said. “There is no evidence that LED lights are a hazard.”
Greg must be a blind bat that hasn’t left the house in about 20 years! I am in my mid 40’s with good eyesight and I can’t drive at night anymore. Can’t even imagine how older drivers must feel. AAA you are there to advocate for safer roads not whitewash this!
DO BETTER!!!
I find the headlight glare unacceptable to the point where I no longer drive at night. According to my eye doctor, me eyes have perfect vision for driving so I do not believe it’s me. Even my younger sons have commented about the glare from headlights. But for older persons the only solution I find is not to drive.
LED lights damage the eyes, it can lead to blindness. Glaring lights are dangerous in general the only light up certain areas leaving beyond that impossible to see. Glowing lights don’t help either in front or behind. I’m starting to not drive at night, not use lights and going to bed with the sun.
Meanwhile
All we have / should do
Is just switch to low beam
To incoming traffic…
That’s call
Courtesy
Educated person
Good driver
✏️📁🙏🙏🙏🙏
Seriously, lets post the MSCP of the LED headlamps AND the same data for the proper matching Incandescent in the same headlamp housing.
My eyes are so irritated by LED vehicle light and streetlight glare that I have to shield my eyes at stoplights and when oncoming traffic approaches. In spite of increased risk, when highway driving at night, in addition to adjusting the inside rear view mirror, I have to adjust the driver’s outside rear view mirror to a severe angle in order to eliminate glare of cars behind me. LED lights on the road are a serious problem for me!
Not only are the headlights blinding and extremely dangerous to all on the road, but the cars now have many Lights on the front not just a headlight. If they are suppose to “lighten/brighten up” the road, then they should be pointed down more than they are up. You should not have to take your eyes off the road or to the side as that is just as dangerous. It is not just one car but when there are several cars in a row, you actually are blinded for enough time to have an accident. This is just plain crazy that they don’t go back to the other lights, it’s definitely a safety issue for all!!!
Also, many people have tinted windows now that make it even harder for them to see at night so they just leave their high beams on blinding everyone else. Very selfish and dangerous!
Young or older the problem is experienced the same way. LED headlights are blinding and dangerous. If someone crosses in front of you as a car is heading towards you you can’t see them. I’d like to know the number of accidents blamed on LEDs headlights
If LED lights irritate the eye, then why is government pushing LED lights in homes, e.g., desk lights, kitchen overhead lights, and lights throughout the house?????? The gummint says that LEDs save energy, while in the meantime affecting your eyesight. What’s more important?????
I disagree. They purposely have their high beams on because when I put mine on at them they turn theirs off. And if they are behind me I flip my rear view mirror up so they get blinded too. Fight fire with fire.
Blinding. Glare. You can describe the light situation with different terms and reasonings, but there is no doubt the intensity of oncoming headlights from other vehicles has increased dramatically. I have experienced this when driving at night and I have heard many anecdotes from acquaintances that confirm this is occurring at night. It is without meaning to parse words or criticize others about their concerns and descriptions regarding this obvious situation. It seems people are not intelligent or considerate enough to adjust their lights went they meet oncoming traffic. This is an issue that should be addressed regardless of the exact source of the problem.
I believe the main problem is not headlight brightness as such, but the fact that many vehicles have their lights mounted too high and their beam shapes not properly controlled. With proper engineering, it should be possible to ensure that the brightness of any headlight low beam at the height of the driver of an oncoming small sedan on a level road is not blinding. If that requires mounting the lights on trucks and SUVs so low that they look silly, so be it! High beams have always been potentially blinding, which is why they can be turned off; automatic beam lowering should be required on all new cars.
One other reason that is absolutely intolerable for some older drivers with glare issues is that those who have cataracts not deemed ripe enough for surgery see large shards of light forming a 360 degree ring around these beams of light. This is an accident waiting to happen.
I’ve been driving for almost sixty years. The head lights ARE brighter, no question, and they constitute a hazard. This is a safety issue. The regulatory agencies that are supposed to handle this problem aren’t doing their jobs.
I would also like to replace my rear-view mirror with the ‘old fashioned’ one that I could manually adjust to reduce the glare from behind.
I keep thinking that a ‘glare reducer’ for the lower portion of my windshield would work – I am researching polarized plastic sheets to place In front of the lower third of my windshield. I drive a lot at night and find myself blocking the glare with my hand which totally blocks my view as well – not safe.
I’m only 23 and work night shifts and can PROMISE you this is not a “senior issue.” You can immediately distinguish a car with the blinding LED’s from every other car on the road and as the years pass they become more common, with the majority of new trucks, jeeps, and SUVs having misaligned headlights. This is purely an issue of automakers not properly inspecting/being held to proper standards and it’s clear your “director of automotive engineering and industry relations” isn’t approaching this in good faith.
The new headlights are way too bright and way too high and should be on a more down angle rather than straight ahead. Especially with seniors, that is a big problem. There is not one person I know who has not complained about them. The experts can say what they want but I think they csould listen to the people driving and try to solve the problem.
As a senior citizen who has always suffered with an astigmatism, when driving at night I turn my sight to the curb line at the right of the road in order to avoid the glare of oncoming headlights. It works for me, but I agree …..with all the safety features now in newer cars, this is a no brainer to install self correcting headlights.
This irritates the …. out of me.
Why do the US authorities refuse to accept obviously good products and practices from elsewhere and instead dither for decades making rules and regulations.
Why can’t we have adaptive LED lights, yellow rear indicators (instead of red) and headlight adjustment as a routine, and mandatory, part of every road worthyness inspection.
Yes, These new headlights are bothering me during day and specially at night from oncoming and behind vehicle. The Federal government should act faster to resolve this issue! Old is gold!
The only thing you can do is put at least. 20% tint on rear windows. To stop blinding from rear
And wear night vision. Glasses . To stop frontal. Blinding Glare
Auto co.s should be forced to use glass Lenses and get rid of the dopey plastic.
I don’t know who Mr. Bannon spoke with to get his facts but everyone I know, young and old, is complaining about the glare. No mention was made of another problem I’ve experienced with these headlights. I drive a sedan but with one of the higher SUV’s behind you, the headlight beams bounce off the rear view and side mirrors, temporarily blinding you.
I agree with some of the other comments that I have read. LED headlights are blinding, whether they are coming towards you or when reflected in your rear view window. I also find Greg Brannon’s comment of “looking at the road, instead of the, oncoming oncoming vehicles headlights” to be very condescending and flippant. It’s not just “older” people’s eyes that are an issue. It’s also people with epilepsy and such that have the biggest issue.
The new led white lights are brighter than halogen lights! It’s not just seniors complaining, my grandchildren complain as well. I try to look to the side of the road when I feel blinded but it does not help enough. The government needs to mandate automatic dimmer sensors now!! Many drivers keep their bright lights on constantly and do not switch to low beams with oncoming traffic.
The glare from the LED beams is awful, even if the driver gazes at the road! The other problem with the glare is that it takes time for the eyes to recover and in that period of the glare to recovery it is also hindering the ability to see other elements that may be in the road or beside the road like pedestrians or bicyclists. Overall, as they are at the present time, they are more of a hazard than a safe option. The other problem is that many vehicles and especially trucks now have between 4-8 sets of lights instead of just 2. That, in the opinion of this respondent, also contributes to the problem of glare.
If Europe and other parts of the world use the technology of adaptive driving beam headlights, and they’ve used this since 2013, why is it taking the U.S. over 10 years to utilize these headlights in their cars? I guess big corporations have the money to keep politicians rich, rather than help the consumer.
AAA is finally acknowledging this safety issue. Thank you!
I admit it, I am 84 years young but in good health and with good eyesight and do not wear glasses. Last night I was returning from a fire department installation dinner on the northshore of the east end of Long Island. I was driving in a flat agricultural area with no street lights. The road was curvey and difficult to drive. As long as there was no oncoming traffic one could travel at a reasonable speed. Then out of nowhere around a curve came a pick-up truck with its high beams on. I immediately lowered my beams, the pick-up did not. I could not see the road which was twisting in front of me. I slowed down to almost a stop, paniced that I couldn’t see how to proceed because the headlights were so high, so bright, and uncoming at a higher speed then I would prefer. Yes, by slowing down and staying as far to the right on a country road I was able to survive. There are times when I have to drive alone at night and as long as I am in an urban area with street lights everything is fine. But in black, curvy and flat agricultural area it can be dangerous and life threatening. We need governmental regulations regarding this problem. We need to include enforcement of these regulations. Vehicles here in New York have to undergo annual checks. It wouldn’t be that hard to put in place new and better requirements regarding headlights on vehicles.
Whatever the cause is regarding this issue with car headlights it is definitely a problem. Old vs young, it doesn’t matter. They are blinding and make it dangerous to see the road.
The lights are very bothersome especially from behind. They reflect in not only my rear view mirror but the side mirrors too. I hope the usa starts moving more quickly to adopt what the rest of the world seems to be able to fix.
i worked for over 40 years on the second shift getting out of work anywhere from 1130pm to 230am
and i retired 10 years ago. i do travel at night and i’m blinded by the on coming lights. it’s not only
the height of the lights but it’s the lumens allowed by the DOT. Everything must go thru the DOT
and why are they allowing these bright lights on the highways blinding everyone, does someone
have deep pockets?
My husband & I are now using yellow glare prevention eyeglasses over our prescription glasses & they help immensely with this problem
I’m over 65 and having a terrible time driving at night with the glare from other headlights. Reading this article once again I learn that Europe is ahead of us in providing safety and making quicker needed changes on significant issues that impact our daily lives.
I have a new car with LEDs and a 2014 with dimmer halogens. I have driven in front of and behind both and I can tell you that the LEDs are not a significant problem at all. (Also, I’m almost 60 and have been more sensitive to light these days).
The elephant in the room is the fact that somewhere along the line, people were not educated to not always drive with your highbeams on. In fact, unless I’m on an extremely dark road, high beams for a normal use are not needed and don’t really help.
Just turn off your high beams folks.
Maybe it would be wise to speak to an optometrist on this issue? The eyes need time to adjust as all headlights are different and impact the eyes differently. All vehicles should have the same type headlights.
These new headlight also costs over $250.00 to replace, the car manufacturers are quite happy about that.
The largest problem is that far to many people drive with high beams in mixed traffic!
The correct way would have been “automatic LOW beams!!!
That would have been a far better, safer system.
High beams should only be used on roads with NO traffic at all.
Rudi
As I have gotten older, my vision has been causing big problems at night. Oncoming headlights make a big splash across my vision instead of clearly defined lights. All I could see was the patch lit up by my low beams somewhat ahead of my car. I could not see the highway divider, white lines, and shoulder, and typically lost my orientation to my lane and my position on the road. I had Original Equipment FOGLIGHTS installed and that largely solved the problem. These lights are not particularly bright, but aimed properly low, they illuminate the patch immediately ahead of the car – between the car and the low beams – as well as the sides of the road and shoulder. So I easily retain my sense of position in my lane. A huge help. I wonder if many people are installing brighter lights in search of a solution to this problem. But the answer is NOT more intense light, but the AREA illuminated. Hope this helps.
It is not only the glare of oncoming lights that is a problem but also the glare from lights from cars behind that reflects into mirrors.
when someone gets too close to me at night, i just play with my rear view mirror and when they
get hit with the glair of my rear view mirror they usually back off.
I agree.Those drivers are even more dangerous, because they are right on top of you and you cannot see in the mirror because of the glare.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELF . . . CLICK ON “Older Comments” & Read my “Comments” of 3/18/24 (3) & 3/5/24 (3). Bob (& EVERYONE) The reason LEDs are as bad as high beams is because WAAAAY too many of them are AIMED TOO HIGH. HIGH BEAMS ARE NOT BRIGHTER THAN LOW BEAMS. THEY ARE JUST AIMED HIGHER. When you turn on high beams, a 2nd filament in the same bulb comes on which is positioned so that its light is projected level, or close to level, rather than DOWN AT THE ROAD WHERE THE LOW BEAMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. Since emissions testing started, they can NOT take the time to check the aim of hdlts. for what they are allowed to charge; AND NO ONE IS ENFORCING IT.
EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT THIS , RATHER THAN COMPLAINING. MANY of you are probably PART OF THE PROBLEM. In my “older comments” I give 3 WAYS TO TELL IF Y O U R Hdlts. are TOO HIGH & need to be adjusted down. PLEASE HELP W/ THIS, DON’T BE PART OF THE PROBLEM !
Please give the link to Phil’s article about the 3 ways of testing high beams. Thanks.
Certainly the low beams are aimed too high. I asked the dealer if they can lower them they said no, they are at the legal height… not to mention I passed strict Massachusetts inspections 3 years in a row. I get high beamed 3 times an evening minimum beccause people think I have my highs on. As courtesy, I beam them back to let them know it’s not on purpose. The result is they are blinded even worse XD. Very dangerous situation for everyone involved.
The people defending the LED are really reaching for reasons. The fact is (whether they are brighter or not) the glare does bother drivers, old and young. I’m surprised there isn’t even more people complaining. The lights are a danger. They are as bad as high beams and there is nothing you or the driver of the car with them, can do about it.
Yes indeed. Advising drivers not to look at oncoming headlights? No one is looking at them; we are all tying, despite the blinding glare, to see what’s right In front of us.
So what is the solution in the meantime? Those yellow tinted glasses don’t seem to work that well for people with eyesight issues ( who aren’t necessarily elderly).
A TIP TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM : To GREATLY reduce blinding thru your mirrors, adjust your OUTSIDE mirrors slightly down and slightly out. Then, as you go to look back with your mirrors, tip your head slightly forward and down ( lean forward slightly, if necessary). Experiment with the adjustment until you find what works best for you. For your INSIDE mirror, tip the right side of it down a little, and angle it slightly to the right. This gives you a view out the back of the right side of your car, which is helpful on multi-lane roads. To look straight back with the inside mirror, tip your head slightly to the right. (Another tip : if, on multi-lane roads, you have a lot of cars coming up on your right side, YOU SHOULD BE OVER TO THE RIGHT SO THOSE CARS CAN PASS ON THE LEFT, LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS.) If you want the roads to be safe, then participate & cooperate in making them safe.
The headlights are blinding. You have to shield your eyes or take eyes off the road for a few seconds, which is dangerous.
I’m only in my 30s and I find the lights incredibly blinding. So the age excuse is mildly irritating to say the least. And as for the idea of having lights brighter but angled differently, it’s not a solution that takes into account hills, bumps and bends in roads. I’ve experienced driving while in front of or passing a car with bright leds that seem to be angled down toward the road and one moment it’ll seem fine, the next they go over a little bump and im being blinded or wondering if they’re flashing their highbeems at me.
Headlights absolutely do not need to be brighter and they are 100% a safety hazard. The baseless excuses expressed in this article have nothing to do with fact and very clearly only serve to push the agenda of whoever it is that’s profiting off this.
It is not only oncoming drivers, the glare from behind makes it hard to see out of your own windshield.
The industry gaslighting article is insane.
“To cope with glare, Brannon recommended drivers modify their gaze and look at the road, not the oncoming headlights.”
Genuinely offensive.
I have never understood why headlights have not been redesigned so as to have bright lights positioned at a downward angle so as to illuminate the road before you, and have more moderate intensity lights positioned horizontally so as to illuminate what’s ahead. Only by switching to high beams can I see both. On low beams, I don’t see potholes or road issues. I think redirection and proper positioning is the answer.
Headlights are blinding! I first began noticing this in 2011-2012, while I was in my very early 40’s. It has gotten worse. I do wear very dark sunglasses at night when I drive, which is somewhat dangerous , and still does not alleviate the blinding headlights. I put my hand up to try to block the oncoming light, or to shield my side view mirror from the car behind. These blinding lights make driving almost impossible. It is not a high beam issue, it’s just the regular headlight. I’m not sure that it’s an SUV driven cause either. I drive an SUV and still deal with blinding headlights from front and back.
I go to 2 different eye doctors every year now, been doing this for 4 years, and they all tell me that there is nothing wrong with my eyes. And that some people are just sensitive to light. Now that I have read thus article and the same concerns from so many others, I realize that it’s not me, It’s the car headlights!
I live in RI and can’t get dark window tint due to regulation. Perhaps that would help.
Someone needs to do something about this now, not in 10 years, maybe.
I often have to cover my eyes here in the boroughs just so I can see where I need to go. I can understand the bright lights in places where there are no street lights but in the city boroughs, it is a hazard for traffic facing the lights.
There is a law in New York State about the brightness of head light. Why is this law not being enforced?
It’s not just seniors having issues with these blinding lights. I’m not even 40 yet, and there’s barely a night time drive where I don’t have these lights shining into all my mirrors by a tailgater, or coming at me from the other direction. It’s distracting and painful, not to mention dangerous.
I was taught to look at the white line of someone leaves their beams on by accident, but on some roads the paint is worn off.
Something definitely needs to change.
The headlight glare is awful and I really do not like driving at night because of this. Don’t tell me to look elsewhere as I have been blinded and can’t see the road. I saw a post that says something like: now that you can see 92 miles ahead of you, the rest of us are blinded. These lights are too bright, but in my car it’s not just oncoming traffic, but I get the glare in my rear view and side view mirrors, even if I readjust them they still pick it up. So….blinded front and rear, makes driving really entertaining. I also have friends and relatives who have complained about the same thing, we range from age groups 33 years old through to 70 years old.
I try not to drive at night anymore due to the blinding light from the LED headlights. I went to the eye doctor to see if I could get night driving glasses to improve my night vision. I told him that I get so upset that I flash my high beams at the oncoming cars trying to get them to shut off their high beams. The doctor explained there is no such thing as night driving glasses to combat these headlights. He said he also has trouble with the glare of the LED headlights and he also mentioned that the new city streetpole lights along the road are not as bright as they used to be since they also switched to LED lighting to save money. These lights now only shine directly on the area beneath them and do not project lighting onto the street. I would hope the Federal Highway Department would investigate this problem due to an increase in accidents from these lights.
I have given up night time driving and the blinding glare of these new headlights is the reason. Those who say these headlights are not a hazard are clueless or aren’t senior drivers who are the ones most affected by these headlights.
Glare is not correct,BLINDING is the term I wood use. If you have a lower car as I do, there are times where my entire interior is lit up like daytime! Now of course if you are driving with those headlights it’s great because you can see better but if they were all made a little dimmer and universally the same brightness I think that might help.
Solar powered lighting over roadways..
Don’t overdrive your lamps…off your throttles…Don’t let
Setting your clocks five minutes fast …pickup truck
Behind me at red light..needed to adjust both doors
outside mirrors plus rear view interior.. trafficked light changes , readjust.. stop go stop go , reset lather rinse
Repeat !
Us
I struggle driving at night also because of the bright headlights of oncoming cars. I bought the yellow lens glasses for driving at night and I don’t find them very helpful at all. They actually make my surroundings a bit darker unfortunately so I would love to see changes happen with the type of bulbs used in many vehicles on the roads today.
For drivers, especially with ages north of 65 years, there is little hope near term for resolution of night light vehicle blindness save one.
Major lawsuits won by drivers for pain, suffering and loss of life due to these blinding beams would alleviate and hopefully correct this harmful universal defect.
And no, I am not a lawyer just a normal car driver trying to reshape this regrettable situation.
“Over time, people will become more accustomed to it.”??? Blinding light is not something that one can become safely “accustomed” to. At night, I can easily tell which oncoming vehicles use the BLINDING headlights and which use the mellower, safer, more yellowish headlights. They are much worse than being confronted by an oncoming vehicle with ordinary Bright Lights beamed into one’s eyes. Calling the blinding headlights “glare” is misleading. It is like getting a spotlight beamed directly into one’s eyes. We’ve all heard stage performers say they can’t see the audience because of the spotlights. The blinding headlights have the same effect. Look at the road instead of the lights? Impossible. When they blind you, you can’t see the road or anything else. AAA should not be making excuses for these hazards. There is a reason so many drivers are complaining. Listen to them.
This is the best response.
The NHTSA is so far behind other countries in mandating automatic headlight safety systems its quite embarrassing. For example automatic self leveling headlights have been standard equipment on cars in many places around the world since the 90’s. When the same car models arrive in the USA those headlight functions are disabled or uninstalled from factory. Unfortunately even our State inspections don’t check headlight levels, all they check is if they turn on or not. If we can mandate backup cameras and traction control why not self leveling? The NHTSA has some of the most archaic rules for car Headlights and Taillights, some of those rules date back to the 60’s, it mind boggling.
The new headlights are definitely blinding to drivers, especially on winding, hilly roads in Staten Island, NY. They might be needed out in the country, but on roads that are well lit by streetlights. They are not needed. I am older, but still drive, a small SUV. I don’t have trouble with large SUVs or Trucks coming towards me as long as they don’t have those overly bight lights. I think they should be outlawed in NYC.
Newer headlights are absolutely horrible. They are blinding regardless of a person’s age. Changes can’t happen soon enough!!!!!
I do think that head lights glare is a huge problem for me and drivers in general. Just the other night I almost crashed into a divider driving on the Jackie Robinson parkway in Queens NY. The glare was so bright that it blinded my eyes. I try to avoid driving at night but sometimes I have can’t avoid it.
Something needs to be done quickly or people will get hurt.
Thank you.
Again, LEDs are NOT the problem. The AIM of the hdlts. IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROBLEM. (There is one other aspect of this problem I will get to in a minute.) We have regulations that are NOT BEING FOLLOWED OR ENFORCED. The aim of hdlts. is supposed to be checked at inspection. Raise the fees that the inspection stations can charge(it’s not that much when you think about the importance of it !). Make sure they check what they are supposed to check. (Even if it’s not checked every time, people will have to be aware of it.) Make it worth checking it, let them charge something for adjustment, if quick and easy, or fail the car & make the owner get it adjusted or fixed & come back. This has been a problem since before LEDs. It’s just gotten worse and worse because of the lack of awareness, compliance, and enforcement. LEDs are NOT the problem. The other aspect of this problem (which I forgot about earlier, but someone else mentioned, THANK YOU) is wet roads. We can’t stop roads from getting wet, and we can’t stop light from reflecting off of the wetness. For this reason, the brightness, or intensity of hdlts. needs to be limited. They’re going to reflect up in your eyes off of wetness, even if they’re properly aimed DOWN AT THE ROAD. Jean(and everyone else) are your LOW beams aimed down at the road where they’re supposed to be ? Or, are you part of the problem ? Just like with “keep right except to pass”, if you want the roads to be safe when you’re using them, you need to participate and cooperate in making them safe. Drivers don’t need to see further down the road when going slow. On the highway, or a dark, desolate road you can tell if there’s an obstacle or problem ahead, by the reaction of cars ahead, if you’re paying attention ! If there’s no one ahead of you, you have HIGH beams USE THEM. That’s what they’re for. By the way, turn off the stupid “auxiliary lights” in & around the city, where they are NOT NEEDED. They are usually blinding & are for the German Autobahn, where there’s no speed limit, for when you’re going 100something mph. They look stupid in the city, especially when they’re blinding other drivers.
Thank you AAA for finally acknowledging this issue. It’s a real problem. LED headlights should never have been allowed. Now AAA should pressure the government to catch up to Europe and implement better headlight standards sooner, not later, for the SAFETY of its members and all drivers. Safety is what I pay dues for.
AAA is unfortunately not ‘really’ acknowledging the issue with the headlights and the problem it causes for older people who drive at night. I’ve been a part of a group who are trying to get the government to help with this. Nothing helpful has happened in the 3yrs I’ve been following this terrible situation. Unfortunately I’m sure a few high payment lawsuits will help this cause.
Sal Torrisi made a very good point about truck hdlts. & even some cars. . . Hdlts. could be positioned lower. BUT, if they are properly aimed down at the road it’s only a problem when you are very close. And, what’s with the newer Ford pickup hdlts. They should ALL be gotten off the road until they’re fixed. WOW, the cost ! The cost would be a GREAT fine for Fords blatent stupidity. Two hdlts. isn’t enough to blind us ? ? ? NO, THEY NEED 4 HDLTS. TO MAKE SURE THEY BLIND US !
The Ford trucks are ridiculous bright. I have sensitivity to light and loose the road every time one is oncoming. It’s like having four high beams hitting you. Please, please, please get them off the road for EVERYONE’s safety.
ATTENTION PEOPLE (including the supposed “experts” in the article) : THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE PROBLEM. The ENTIRE issue is the AIM OF THE HEADLIGHTS. Do you think there may be a good reason why, for decades, cars had adjustments for the aim of the headlights ? Both side-to-side AND up/down. (Not sure if they still do.) Do you think there may be a good reason why motor vehicles(at least, since 1930) have had BOTH low beams AND high beams ? This issue has been aggravating me and angering me for years. It keeps getting worse and worse with brighter and brighter headlights, ignorance, and neglect. The ignorance about the dangerous weapons people are driving, and about light in general, and about headlights in particular, boggles my mind. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT : PEOPLE, PLEASE, DON’T BE PART OF THE PROBLEM : WHEN ON A FLAT PIECE OF ROAD OR PARKING LOT, Your LOW beams should be visibly hitting the surface 25 to 30 feet in front of your car(1½-2 car lengths). Also, find a parking lot or driveway that is flat AND LEVEL, right up to, or very close to, a wall, garage or other building. (They should be square, 90° to each other or very close.) When your car/motor vehicle is back 3 car lengths or more, the intense “spot” part of your LOW beams should NOT be on the wall. As you move the car closer to the wall, that intense “spot” part of the LOW beam will come up on to the wall. With the front of the car about 1 car length from the wall(& the car on flat, LEVEL surface) that intense “spot” of the LOW beam should be a little LOWER on the wall, than your headlights are off the ground. If not, please get them adjusted. Hopefully they CAN be, easily ! THANK YOU ! ! ! I think manufacturers are part of the problem, and should be part of the solution. AND WE DON’T NEED MORE TECHNOLOGY AND “SMART” HEADLIGHTS. We need smart people AND people paying attention to what they’re doing and what’s going on ! ! ! ANOTHER SIMPLE TEST : PAY ATTENTION : If, when driving around curves on a flat road at night, your LOW beams are blasting in people’s windows, up on houses, walls, fences, or trees. . .YOUR LIGHTS ARE TOO HIGH ! GET THEM ADJUSTED, PLEASE ! ! ! The headlights should be easily adjustable AND the adjusters should not corrode & become unadjustable. It probably doesn’t take much of a bump in front to knock a headlight, or 2, out of adjustment. People have died because of drivers being blinded by headlights out of adjustment.
NOW. . . LEDs. . . are NOT the problem, NOR IS AGE ! ! ! (THE IDIOT THAT SAID “ADJUST YOUR GAZE, DON’T LOOK RIGHT AT THE HEADLIGHTS” SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THIS !) I am 65 yrs. old, drive a VERY low car(’91 Accord) full of plumbing stuff(a lot of weight in middle & back) which tips the headlights up. So, I adjusted my headlights down. I am NOT blinded by LEDs. NOT EVEN BOTHERED A LITTLE BIT, by the FEW that are AIMED DOWN AT THE ROAD WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ! ! ! I am blinded by LOADS of led AND TRADITIONAL headlights that are aimed at or near my eyeballs, where they’re NOT SUPPOSED TO BE. BUT, TRY A LITTLE EXPERIMENT. Do what I do VERY frequently. When a car coming toward you(on a FLAT piece of road) does NOT seem to be blinding you, (making sure it’s clear ahead of you) stare right at the front of that car as it approaches & starts to pass by. Occasionally (because this has gotten so bad), you will find a car, even with LEDs, that doesn’t bother you AT ALL. That’s because the LOW beams are aimed DOWN AT THE ROAD, WHERE THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE. The aim of LOW beams IS SUPPOSED TO BE CHECKED AT INSPECTION. I’m shocked that the article suggested that some states don’t require it. In any case it’s NOT done these days. We used to have to get inspected twice per year, before emissions testing started(at least in MA). Since then, it is once per year. We have a big & growing problem because of ignorance by most drivers, AND ignorance & negligence by manufacturers, regulators, and inspectors. The first thing that probably needs to be done is raising the fee for inspections. Next, force them to do more thorough inspections with a little emphasis on the aim of hdlts. Then, how ’bout some education of the public. Where’s AAA in this ? Talking about technology, “smart” headlights, brightness, tint & how it affects the human eye. (haven’t we got enough extra crap on cars these days, to try to compensate for ignorance, neglect, not paying attention, and laziness, ALL MAKING CARS MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE ?) How ’bout focusing on the real problem and not make it way more complicated than it needs to be ! ! ! The article barely mentioned the real problem. The AIM OF THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE IGNORANCE & NEGLECT OF IT. One woman mentioned people flashing high beams at her. THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO GET THEM ADJUSTED DOWN if your HIGH beams were not on ! ! ! AND, they did NOT check them at inspection, or did not want to deal with it or fail you for it.(It’s not a big deal, right.) They don’t have time, OR don’t want to take the time for what they can charge. AND, how would you know if they checked the aim of your hdlts. These days(at least in MA) you are NOT allow in the shop OR in the car during inspection. About ⅓ of hdlts. are blinding, about ⅓ are about where they should be, the other third ? They are the FLICKERS. They flick up in your face every time the car hits a little imperfection in the road surface. They should NOT do this. If you notice your hdlts. frequently flicking up on cars, houses, walls, trees etc., PLEASE GET THEM ADJUSTED DOWN ! As mentioned earlier, I’m not sure if hdlts. are adjustable these days. I’ve driven a friend’s car(2010, very good condition) a number of times & I HATE driving it at night, because the hdlts. are way too high & I know I’m blinding everyone I go near. I took a look & could not see how to adjust them. If your hdlts. are too high & someone tells you they can’t be adjusted, FIND OUT WHY. If they just weren’t designed to be adjusted, or were designed with some crappy automatic adjusters, DEMAND ACTION. If you get no satisfaction from a dealer, call the manufacturers regional office and make a stink. DON’T TAKE IT “LYING DOWN”. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”. Over 40 yrs. ago I bought my only brand new car. Young & foolish, I drove it, & shifted it, VERY hard. After the manual transmission started slipping out of gear, they replaced a small part, which helped, but, young and foolish I kept driving & shifting it hard. When the same problem came back, I think now a little OUT of warranty, I called the manufacturer’s regional office and was persistent & insistant & they had the dealer I bought it from, rebuild the trans. FREE OF CHARGE. Squeaky wheel. . . Don’t take it “lying down”. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE.
Just as bumper heights are regulated for safety reasons, headlights should be also. Also, when a turn signal is activated, the corresponding headlight should automatically be turned off.
It’s a huge problem! Both my husband and I encounter this every time we drive at night!
I drive a small coupe, so most oncoming-SUV headlights shine directly in my eyes. The overall height of my car is less than the hood height on some pickups. I would like to see a beam-height regulation, which means the height of the headlights themselves must be limited.
The problems with new headlights are more than simply being LED or HID. I am not familiar with HID, so cannot comment on those… but the LED creates light in a completely different manner than halogen bulbs. The properties of light are fundamentally different. Without accounting for and adjusting for those differences, people are bound to experience problems with LED headlights.
LED headlights are harsh for several reasons.
1) The light waveform is pulsed in a hard on/off sequence — basically a high-frequency strobe. The waveform of halogen is much smoother and consistent. Sunlight is even smoother.
2) New headlights tend to be smaller with the apparent light source condensed to a small point or several small points. Older headlights use shaped reflectors to spread out the “source” of the light when viewed from a distance. 1,000 lumens originating from 50 square inches is much easier on the eyes than 3,000 lumens from 10 square inches. The intensity is so much higher even if the lumens were the same. Sunlight is much brighter, but gets diffused through the Earth’s atmosphere.
3) The light color spectrum is different.
4) The brightness is different. Human eyes adjust to whatever amount of light is present. If I am driving during the day, my eyes adjust to the sunlight. If I am the only one driving down a back road at night, my eyes adjust to the light from my old halogens. If I install brighter bulbs, my eyes would adjust to that. The problem arises when some headlights are 1,000 lumens and others are 4,500 lumens. When my eyes adjust to the 4,500 lumen headlights, then my 1,000 lumen headlights make me feel blind by comparison.
This statement, “…LED lights are not brighter, but the blueish-white light emitted is more irritating to the human eye”…is absurd. Yes, the color “temperature” (a measure of the color tint of the light) is different — more blueish than yellowish, but that has very little to do with the actual, MEASURABLE lumens (a value of intensity of that light). There is no question LED lights as they have designed them in car headlights on modern cars is in the blue-ish area of the visible spectrum, typically in the 6000 kelvin range, while incandescent/halogen light clocks in around 3400kelven, which is a yellowish color, but no matter what the “tint” of color of that light, LEDs are pumping out significantly more lumens than the brightest incandescent bulbs ever did. Today, LED’s “normal” beam is even brighter than the “high” beam on cars using the older incandescent headlight bulbs. It wouldn’t matter if the LEDs were designed to emit yellowish light, they are still much brighter than incandescent bulbs. And BTW, LEDs can be made to emit the whole spectrum of color temperature; you see that when you buy household LEDs, they offer the same bulb brightness in what they call “Warm White,” “Neutral,” and “Cold White.” Manufacturers can make them any color in the spectrum they want — problem is, they are making them brighter and brighter. The public seems to think bigger, i.e., brighter, is better…until it’s aimed in THEIR eyes from on-coming traffic.
The question is, when does it stop? Since there seems to be no regulation at all when it comes to how BRIGHT headlights can be…how many lumens those LEDs can emit, with the trend being as bright as they can. even to the point of adding a larger number of them, what is the point of no return? When will regulators say, for safety sake, enough is enough? It seems the manufacturers have determined that the brighter they are, the more appealing they are the car buyer, and of course that drives the industry — it is a marketing hook, not a safety hook. If next year, LED technology were able to double the lumen output of an LED emitter, they would stick them in as headlights no questions asked. Well, someone has to ask the question, how is this going to impact the driver of cars in the path of that blinding LED headlight. The safety issue needs to be made part of the equation and limits need to be imposed. Anyone who has had super bright LED headlights shined in their eyes knows that they see spots in front of their eyes for minutes afterward. There is no question that this is a safety issue. I have many times myself instinctively either looked away or put my hand up to block the blinding light of an on-coming car’s headlights. This cannot be a good thing yet it seems that it is being woefully overlooked.
Let’s also add reflective glare on wet pavement in the rain to the mix; this has always had an impact on visibility, but doubling or tripping the headlight intensity as we have now over older incandescent headlights, certainly exacerbates the problem. Double the lumens hitting the wet, reflective road and you double the glare to the driver; triple it and you triple the glare — it’s just math, and it’s making a bad thing worse.
It is imperative that serious testing be done on how keep the advantage of LED brightness, while making sure it doesn’t impact the vision of other drivers — then regulate position, angles, etc., so as to avoid the situation that we have now where with brightness, the sky’s the limit — a manufacturer can put in the brightest LED headlights available on the market, no matter it year after year that brightness keeps increasing.
Couldn’t NHTSA mandate that LED headlights give off a warmer light? After all, LED light bulbs come in a range of color temperatures, including yellow bug lights. This would help a lot.
Something that wasn’t mentioned in the article is that the brighter lights make it harder to see turn signals. On most cars these are close to the headlights and can get lost in the glare. They should be further from the headlights. They should also be visible from the side, so that you can tell in which direction a driver on a side street intends to turn.
Along with LED headlights, it’s time for auto manufactures to re-engineer the automotive vehicle Windshield Wiper switch so that when someone turns of their Windshield Wipers, the automobile/truck headlights are turned on!!
Automobile cars and/or trucks driving in the rain are not easily seen in most rain storms, especially on highways … AND THAT IS THE POINT .. OTHER DRIVERS SEEING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN …
Most states already have a “Wipers On Lights On” law but it’s not enforced and lots of drivers just do not turn on their vehicle headlights in the rain (when they turn on their windshield wipers).
Re-engineering the electrical components of the Windshield Wiper to automatically turn on headlights would solve this problem.
The automotive industry was able to re-engineer vehicles to “turn-off” at stop lights and other times when stopping through the break switch, they can most definitely do the same for “Wipers On – Headlights On”.
Greg Brannon should be fired.
They’re definitely is a problem with LED headlights.
Obviously he does not drive at night and if he does, he must drive a large pick up truck/SUV with the current generation of LED headlights. They are great for the driver behind the wheel, but blinding to oncoming traffic in many situations.
For all the reasons listed in these comments, oncoming traffic is blinded by LED headlights.
Mr. Brannon owes every AAA member and explanation and response to his statement or be fired.
Tim
There used to be Federal Government standards concerning automobile and truck headlights. All American auto manufacturers had to adhere to set parameters as to height and placement of headlights (amongst many other Federal regulations concerning automobile manufactures) Alas, these have been allowed to regress. When states had more stringent, mandatory yearly auto inspections, like New Jersey, head lights were checked for proper alignment. Those vehicles not passing the head light exam were failed, had to get the lights aimed correctly and return for re-inspection. Back then every thing was checked…wheel alignment, glass, tire wear, brakes etc. Now only anti-pollution devices are checked.
I have been talking about how dangerous the extremely bright LED headlights are for over a year now. Painfully blinding, distractingly stressful when driving at night, it’s urgent that these headlights be banned as soon as possible. Do not depict this as a problem for elders only. Friends and family, young and old, all agree: the intensity of these LED headlights make driving harder and more dangerous. Thank you for the article. Please follow up with more.
Last year after I had had a few good years not needing to wear glasses for distance because I had had cataract surgery in both eyes, I was having difficulty especially at night because of the glare from these new headlights. I went back to wearing glasses full time and I even had the no glare coating applied to them. A year later the problem seems to be getting worse. I am 78 but I am going to see if the coating is still on my lenses.. I do try to lower my high beams when another car is approaching me. Sometimes it seems they don’t bother to reciprocate but I won’t flash my high beams at them because I don’t want to cause someone to have an accident if I was wrong in my assumption.
I am also78 and I can no longer drive at night because of these lights. I even have to Time medical appointments so I am home before dark.
I am 78 also and my husband also. We have been told that we have cataracts growing on our eyes which makes those headlights blinding and blurry. This time of year the white stripes on the edge of the road are so worn that they are very hard to see, as well. We have some difficulty scheduling drives to concerts, etc. because of headlight interference. Unfortunately it puts us in the “elderly” age group at 78, which I don’t think of as elderly.
My opinion on the LED Headlight Glare issue is that the old days mostly everyone drove a sedan or a coup. They were lower to the ground. The headlights projected straight ahead. Some pickup trucks were higher but overall no Glare problem – only someone with Hi-Beams on.
Now the road is full of SUV’s that sit higher. The truck manufacturers keep building pick up trucks higher and higher, hence their lights go straight through the rear windows and fills up your entire enclosed space plus blind you on your rear mirror. The DOT should mandate that all vehicles headlights can not be over 36 inches high from the road surface. Let the light beam go down the road and eliminate the Glare – High or Low beam going directly through the rear window. Notice that the highly popular pickup trucks are very high plus modified pick ups are really higher. Where is the nationwide enforcement to ticket these people? Why doesn’t DOT tell manufacturers to place their lights no higher than 36 inches off the street surface. Why doesn’t the insurance company pursue this idea to reduce accidents and lower our insurance premiums? May stop a form of Road Rage with Hi-Beams. Put in place these idea’s and it is a win-win-win situation for the driving public. Also, add the Big Rig’s that drive the roads – some of their trucks already have lower mounted head lights. The answer is simple. No rocket scientist required to figure this out. Only common sense and the effort by the government to enforce it.
Greg Brannon suggests “drivers modify their gaze and look at the road, not the oncoming headlights”. This reminds me of when Steve Jobs said that it wasn’t the iPhone that caused dropped calls, rather users weren’t holding the phone right. There are technology improvements and tech solutions. It’s high time the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation got off their collective buts and approve better and practical specifications. This applies to headlights, rear-view mirrors, and other safety equipment. Stop being stuck in the past and MOVE FORWARD!
Sorry, AAA, but you are dead wrong on this one. LEDs are indeed a hazard! Because we have a yellow sun, our eyes are attuned to the yellow part of the spectrum, so the harsh blue light of LEDs is blinding to us. Softer lighting is far more effective, both at illuminating the road and sparing other drivers. It’s not just car headlights – glaring streetlights create deep shadows around them instead of illuminating an entire area as softer lights do. Check out DarkSky.org for more info.
LEDs can be hard to escape – I’ve even seen Christmas lights with that harsh blue glare – and I’m very grateful that my car has halogen lights instead, so I’m not part of the problem.
I understand that scientists and engineers are working on softening the glare of LEDs, but until that happens I’ve found a solution. When it gets dark and the car headlights come on, I wear yellow glasses – it really cuts down on the glare and helps me to drive safely. Best is a wraparound model that has no rims, so there are no blind spots and your eyes are completely protected. Try it – it works!
Maybe the automakers should make antiglare windshields,the same technology used on eye glasses
Today’s headlights and highbeams are outrageously bright! Whether in a sedan or an SUV, when those lights hit you, you are completely blinded! I was taught to shift you eyes toward the white line on your right but even that doesn’t work anymore! I used to love driving at night but now I dread it. Also age isn’t the problem because my 20-year-old son has had the same problems! There needs to be a solution not a debate, sooner than later for everyone’s safety!
This is a subject near to my heart. Why not require auto and truck manufacturers to set the height of headlights the same as a sedan? There is no good reason for a pickup truck to have his lights aligned with my eyes when the light provided by my sedan height lights provides enough light on the road for either a sedan or a pickup truck.
I made a mistake in my earlier comment. My relative who is a retired senior designer for a luxury British car manufacturer said that LED headlights do NOT illuminate further down the road, they are a driving hazard, and they should be outlawed. Period
A relative of mine is a retired senior designer for a luxury British car manufacturer. He says that current LED headlights do illuminate farther down the road and their brightness is a driving hazard and they should be outlawed. Period.
The issue is not “brightness’, but the color of the light. Lumens measure brightness. Color is measured using the Kelvin scale. Warm (yellow) light is in the 2700-3000 Kelving scale. Direct sunlight is 4800-5000-on the Kelvin scale. Cheaper LEDs tend to be in the direct sunlight range. Auto LED headlights are pretty much just like looking into the sun. Restricting Kelvin ratings while maintaining Lumens would be rationale. LED headlights are simply caustic to the human eye. Rules need to be changed to include the ergonomic effect on the human eye
I already made a comment about the bright lights. But another thing that would help is better markings on the roads, especially side roads. I know the government will say it’s not in the budget to keep repainting the lines. But if they were to use something more reflective or even a paint that abosorbs light and then glows in the dark. That might solve some of the problem.
Recently I kept thinking everyone was being inconsiderate and keeping their high beams on. Then my son pointed it that it’s not high beams it’s just the way headlights are on newer cars. Very irritating and in wet or foggy weather a real dangerous glare.
Many tests in the time when i first looked up information on this topic several years ago, on another kind of new but actually far more expensive headlight bulb technology, were focussed on very limited questions to decide whether the lights were good. They initially published testing and reporting on: how bright and how clear objects were to a Driver with the new lights but not the impact on those trying to see who might be driving toward the driver. (It is another case of emphasizing the individual over the group of people who may be affected by their actions, and these reports ignored any discussion of why amber lights used to be the color of choice). There was a new light someone i met had played some role in its development or discovery, and was so excited about it, and i told him – why not try to get these lights used on the signs (where they would be pointed downward and not toward oncoming traffic) rather than on the new cars where their bright lights could cause other drivers to have accidents!
I am always complaining to my son about how I hate how bright the lights are when cars are coming at me. When someone is behind me on the highway it shine in my rear view and side mirror and I have to change lanes. It also shines in mirrors at red lights. I always look down at the road when bright lights are coming toward me, but that’s just a bandaid for a growing problem.
I also feel that senior drivers should be required to take a driving test after a certain age. Your reflexes are as quick as they once were. It’s not degrading, it’s true. There have been too many accidents because people have mistaken the gas for the brake and when their car doesn’t stop they step on it harder and they cause damage, injuries and sometimes death.
Thankfully my mom knew when it was time to hang up her keys. I’m 60 and when my time comes I’d be more than happy to take a driving test and hang up my keys.
I absolutely agree that some headlights can be blinding and are unsafe for oncoming drivers as well as the driver of the bright headlights because they could be injured by someone that is blinded by their car.
I find the headlights to be blinding, esp. on the taller cars like SUV’s/trucks. Being an older driver contributes to the fact that my eyes are more sensitive to light, making the newer headlights not only annoying, but actually blinding – similar to sun-glare.
there are things that are not being addressed in this article, understanding the Leds are brighter and safer because of this.
1. There are very many unconscious drivers out there. one of the things they do is to drive with their high beams on. Blink your lights at the oncoming vehicle if you suspect this is the case.
2. The SUV’s and Trucks have headlights that are placed higher than sedans. Thus the lights will be in you face more if you are driving an sedan.
3. Don’t look into the headlight of an oncoming Car, SUV or Truck as this will temporarily blind you.
4. Clean the inside of your windshield. A dirty filmy inside glass will cause the oncoming light to “scatter” and appear bigger than it is. Find out how to do this the right way and do it as often as need be.
5. A motorcycle with an led headlight is FAR safer to drive. Unless you ride one you wont understand but trust me, its VERY much safer.
I find the LED headlights in oncoming traffic extremely uncomfortable and blinding. I think they should be banned unless another alternative is provided quickly. With how blinding they are I expect the result will be more accidents.
Someone in the article said the bright glare is not dangerous, but I certainly disagree. I have often had to pull the curb and stop because the oncoming car’s glare made it impossible for me to see the road ahead of me. If I continued and there happened to be a pedestrian or an animal in my lane, I would surely hit them. That sounds dangerous to me. I see very little helpful information in the article. “Don’t look at the lights,” one person says! Patently ridiculous advice. When the approaching car comes around a corner or over a hill, you are already hit with the lights. Something needs to be done about this.
Rest assured absolutely nothing will be done to mitigate the problem. I am particularly interested in the age aspect of the issue: Older drivers are more likely to be impacted by the harsh, blinding glare of LED. Am I to understand that the drivers who are “young” and unaffected will not be in fact part of a future populace that will be affected as we who are now “old” are affected? Is there a plan to dissuade drivers of a certain age? And finally I happen to know “younger” drivers age 40 and up who do indeed experience the painful glare of LED . For people to say “It doesn’t bother me” is quite ridiculous
I am a “young” driver at 36 and have been having issues with these blinding lights for years. I drive a SUV ( an older Honda Pilot, and a Newer Jeep GC, so I am not lower than the newer vehicles. Some lights are so bright and blinding that I also have to slow my car and sometimes just creep down the road until the truck passes. Also on the highway when they are coming from behind, the lights shine so brightly in all my mirrors that it blinds me from seeing what’s in front of me. Extremely dangerous. Nevermind the fact that if I need to change lanes I can not see if there is a car on my sides because the lights just block out anything that could possibly be there. When the fog is out forget it. I just stay home at night, I’d rather not die.
Yet another case of the “unintended consequences” of the envirtonuts’ “green” agenda.
I often get other drivers flicking their high beams at me at night when I don’t have them on. I had my yearly car inspection and my lights were all checked, This is annoying.
Finally I have someplace to comment on this. These extra bright lights are blinding! Even if you look straight ahead it’s impossible to avoid the blinding glare. It is too dangerous. It is urgent that something be done asap.
Thanks for answering my question with this article! I’m often affected by the intense glare of many headlights, especially on smaller roads where you’re right next to oncoming traffic. It is distracting and makes safe driving more difficult.
I enjoyed reading the AAA article, as well as the plethora of comments. Yes, I am getting older, and supposedly part of the aging driver demographic. But at the same time, I think we can all agree with the facts as stated regarding the color and intensity of newer headlights, as well as their position being higher up with Jeeps, full size SUV’s and pickup trucks. I think it should also be mentioned that there seems to be more Jeeps, full sized SUV’s and pickup trucks on the roads these days; unfortunately more of a fashion statement than a necessity (at least where I live, Westchester County).
As mentioned in one of the comments below, I also recently purchased a pair of anti-glare yellow glasses for driving at night. I was immediately happy with my purchase; less than $10.
I am still somewhat annoyed by the glare from Jeeps, full sized SUV’s and pickup trucks, but it is less of a problem now. It’s an interim solution for a problem that won’t be going away anytime soon. If anything, it will only get worse as the older cars with regular headlights are retired, and people with disposable income trend more towards their vehicles as a fashion statement. 🌞
It’s not always the high beams that can be annoying and blinding, but the positioning of the headlights. I’ve often encountered vehicles like some Jeeps where the headlights are positioned so high on the vehicle that even low beams appear high because they are aimed directly your eyes. There should be some rule governing the positioning of headlights on vehicles to avoid that occurrence.
Lighting is pure phydicsband math.
NHSTA, DOT, etc should mandate a uniform headlight placement height off the pavement for all new vehickes (cars and trucks) sold after a certain date.
The comment re same here is absolutely correct.
The new Ford pickups, for example, are a HUGE problem, as are many SUVs..
And … it’s not just tech and/or placement. Jeep is using (or prrhaps offering as an option ?) a round headlight with a clear horizontal strip on its old timet looking basic vehicles that even on low beam is blinding if it hits a bump or in any way is coming up an incline.
Headlight aim is snother issue. Many oncoming vehicles have headlights askew, with one usually pointed at oncoming traffic and the other off in space.
Annual inspections are useless. They apparently don’t check or aim headlights, but instead just see if they work (,light up).
Sadly, even if height off the pavement, aim, and/or an auto dimming system (for those who “forget” to drop their high beams for oncoming traffic) is mandated, it takes many years for the national “fleet”
to be replaced or turn over and thrreby realize any gains. That time period has likely expanded due to the high cost of purchase and better vehicle reliability meaning less sales (ie useful life).
It seems like those government and agencies as well as those officials tasked with these issues have been so in name only.
Change and improvement won’t happen if it never starts somewhere.
For now there appears to be no real will or intent to do anything.
While reading this article another angel occurred to me. Why isn’t the focus on more adequate street lighting?
I just wrote a comment related to this – but it isn’t posted yet. The lights were tested by what they help a driver to see, but not how they might affect oncoming drivers. But the extra brightness could be useful if shining down toward the road to illuminate what the drivers need to see. (Although over use of lighting has other downsides, so roads should not be lit up to look like day). Road and lane edges, exit signs and other street signs and hazards could be better lit – and some of the newer LED and other lighting technology could usefully do this, aiming their lights at what we need to see but not at other drivers coming down the road).
I agree with you. PS You meant “another angle” I think rather than “angel” – but i hope you meet all kinds of helpful and caring angels too along your path. And not just the last kind (We should advocate for better policies, safer products, not just complicated inspections and expensive fixes.. and Please let us join with those in AAA and other good citizens and people from all places we meet along the roads in doing more to help since There should be no more untimely losses from very preventable hazards on the road!).
I personally don’t buy that people see better, this is just a trend where they think its cool to have brighter lights and thats the only reason. Try driving in a dark two lane whining road and tell me these lights are safe. I’ve seen people driving cars and SUV with LED bars and their high beam and fig lights on in a lighted street what’s the purpose for that? The halogen light we had are more then sufficient, we’ve driven with them for so many years and I never heard anyone complain, it’s all about more expensive lighting for the looks only.
I recently rented a Maserati Grecale while on a trip and the automatic lights were exceptionally conservative, dipping the beams even when the highs reflected off of a road sign. The low beams were on the vast majority of the time. I had to switch to manual mode (aka be extra sure to turn them off when you exit the vehicle…) in order to use the high beams whenever oncoming traffic was not present. I don’t know if that is a setting purely for the U.S. market or if that is indicative of the type of systems the author is referring to as being in use in Europe, but it’s far too cautious in the name of playing it safe, in my opinion. I drive older European cars in the U.S. and Canada and I never have any issues – and I love how crisp and clear the beams are in any setting compared to U.S. market cars. In my experience (I have been restoring cars for 30 years) the problem is the drivers, not the cars. People leave their high beams on by accident due to distraction constantly, and drivers are generally far more aggressive now than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago. It is far more common to have someone use their high beams as a weapon now than it was not that long ago, along with much more dangerous driving behaviours like tailgating and failure to use directional indicators. Better headlights are only better in the hands of responsible people. And people are increasingly disconnected from one another in daily life, and more likely to treat one another like enemies in a video game than real people who can be harmed by these aggressive and/or negligent behaviours. All of this is to say that there is a reason we cannot be trusted with superior technologies here, and it has nothing to do with road conditions or a preference for taller vehicles. It’s because we cannot be trusted, period. And that is a far larger societal problem than the type of headlights in your car.
more than once the new head lights have blinded me and came very close to me having a serious accident
Headlights have absolutely gotten brighter! They’re blinding! They need to be changed! There is no need to have the regular lights on a car be that bright and then you have the high beams! What’s the point!??! I am at the point where I don’t want to drive at night and I’m not that old! If the guy who’s being quoted in the article named Brannon says they should be brighter, well he needs to be fired! Ha!!! NO!!! Not brighter!!! Ugh 😩
Agree! Ive been uncomfortable with the LED lights since they began to crop up many hears ago, and it has definitely gotten worse. These lights used to be illegal in the US, only found in other countries, inc. Europe. I have seen them increase and wondered for years how people got away with them, but clearly, the law changed. Higher vehicles and/or badly adjusted aim of car lights certainly worsen to the issue. The idea that anyone going over 35 mph should have their high-beams on is also absurd! I believe it is very rude, if not illegal, to use high beams on state or interstate highways—who the heck wrote this article? And yes, there is an increase in people over 65 ( i am not one of those, yet!), and yes, such people & all the rest who are bothered by overly bright lights whether due to car design or misalignment or new regulations, should be considered when making regulations about such things. We have to get a car inspection every 1-2 yrs in Mass., why can’t the tilt of headlights be part of that mandatory check, & not pass people whose lights are set to blind oncoming drivers. Where i live there are many small dips and rises on surface roads and i always think someone has their brights on when they appear at a rise, until the start downward. This was a poorly written article, full of presumptions, dumbcomments and a lack of concern for the many who suffer from driving due to changes in headlights over the past 20+ years. Imho
The LED lights are uncomfortingly glaring. The ABD information does not adddress this. It’s not that the lights, at full brightness, are too bright. It’s that the lights at normal driving in traffic give off too much glare.
What are the scientific instruments used to determine the glare aspect of LEDs? It’s disconcerting to read that the lights aren’t “bright enough” in the face of the reaction of thousands of (older?) drivers. Do older drivers not matter?
AARP needs to push harder on this; not just accept authoritative reports. What’s the accuracy of the reports and what’s the science behind what I and other older drivers are experiencing?
Finally I see this problem being addressed. I’ve been complaining for the past 4 years, this is a BIG problem!! I’m 59 and not only does it affect both young and old but it’s not safe!! In the winter/fall I get so anxious to drive. I hate it and say a prayer everyday when I drive and it’s dark. Especially when there’s only one way in each direction. I drive a Nissan pathfinder and it’s scary that I want to just stop driving and pull over! Why can’t they ban these headlights and just increase the street light brightness and add more of them????!!!! We pay enough in taxes here in Mass! There’s never going to be a time when they will fix the headlight problem and not many of us can afford these newer cars. Just look at the amount of accidents there have been out there. Please do something that’ll fix the problem, not just talk about it! And the same goes for the daylight savings crap! When will that ever get resolved?!!!!! Both these issues are keep the drug companies rich giving out their medications and increase the depression in us all! WE NEED TO ADDRESS THESE BOTH!
I’m interested in your source of lights causing more accidents. What does the drug companies have to do this this?
I agree with the headlights. They are blinding especially if they have the extra lights in the bumper. So they’re 4 lights you have to contend with.
They have been using them in Europe so why do we have to wait to develop them here. Use their technology. Also I seeots of foreign cars on the road
I agree with the above comments. Those blue, white lights are glaring and blinding to an oncoming vehicle. I wish engineers thought these
things out or experimented long enough to see the hazards they design. And I’d like to know why we can’t learn from other countries and implement their superior designs asap. The U.S. is notable for not keeping up with a lot of better inventions. The only thing I can think of is money as usual. If our auto safety organizations say they care about motor vehicle safety, then prove it by opting for better lights. One other thing that has amazed me, is the dark windows that are allowed in many cars. For police alone, they should be banned, so other drivers could identify people in them if necessary, especially if there is an abduction or accident. Witnesses are crucial if they could see through windows.
Recently, while driving down a winding, twisty road, a Jeep came up behind our vehicle. His lights were so bright that my 30 year old son, who was in the back seat could easily read the newspaper on the seat beside him. Since we live in a rural area of West Virginia, I understand the need for good headlights, but we also have deep drainage ditches that run along the roads, so blinding an oncoming driver could have very, very serious consequences.
Those headlights are surely a problem. My husband flicks his bright lights on an oncoming vehicle assuming that they left their brights on. We are so annoyed by this. Something has to be done to correct this annoyance.
Thanks for this timely article. I have given up driving at nights . It’s too dangerous for me. I drive a smaller SUV, but my vehicle is flooded with light from behind, rear view & side mirrors are out if use in this situation, then the oncoming vehicle is blinding..I have no idea if these lights are in regular modes or not BUT it’s too much & poses a danger. I think something should be done.
I have a problem with saying it’s only older people who have a problem with the new LED lights. I had my cataracts done a couple of years ago mainly because night driving was so difficult and it has not made a difference. I do have an older smaller car and I think that all the SUVs and trucks on the highways now do make it harder as they are higher, but something still needs to be done as the brighter, higher lights could cause many accidents to happen which could have been avoided!
I dread driving at night due to headlight glare. In order to avoid being blinded, I must look down and to my right, EXTREMELY close to the front my car. I therefore can’t look at the road ahead of me. I end up slowing down SIGNIFICANTLY so that I can see the road in front of me. The bright lights on emergency vehicles are also a terrible problem that needs to be addressed. It takes your eyes a long time to recover from having those bright lights shining in your eyes as you pass the police cars on the shoulder, making it hard to see the road. You can’t avoid police lights parked on the shoulder by looking to the right!
Incandescent or LED, I find it’s a combination of new drivers, who are oblivious that their high beams are on, mis-aimed headlights, and the OEM implementation of high beams as daytime running lights, which results in drivers NOT turning on their headlights at night, so you can’t see them in front of you in the dark, as their running lights aren’t on. LEDs, HIDs, and halogen headlights make for safer driving as they illuminate so much more, IF AIMED PROPERLY! Even the act of replacing a headlight bulb may require re-aiming, as the slight variance in filament placement, may be enough to blind opposing traffic.
I’m not sure whether high-beams are the norm with DRLs (they’re not on my Corolla). What annoys me is that many DRL configurations do not illuminate the tail lights, but they do illuminate the dashboard. Hence, the driver is unaware that they’re using DRLs and not full headlights. If a car has DRLs, they should either illuminate the tail lights or the dashboard should not be lit – maybe when they went to check how fast they were going on a two-lane road and couldn’t see the speedometer they’d get the hint. That way the driver behind them in the rain would have a clue that they were there.
The new LED headlights are not just irritating to the eyes but dangerous. I am afraid when I must drive at night now, and because of this fear, my activities at night have narrowed. Many, many friends, older and younger, say the same thing. On darker roads, I must almost come to a stop while an LED car passes by. SEND HELP IMMEDIATELY!
I believe that a significant factor in this issue is that most drivers today haven’t got a clue that there is a difference between high and low beams – they don’t even know that there are two settings and that there are laws about when to use which one. Most of my driving is in suburban areas, where high beams are not needed. I wonder if new automobiles are coming from the factory already set to high beam, and the purchaser doesn’t know it, and doesn’t know enough to know that both high-beam and low-beam exist.
I am 70 years old, and high beams are more problematic for me now. I know it’s high beams, because when I look at other oncoming vehicles, I can see a distinct difference: The low-beam lights, even LEDs, are not bothersome at all. I drive a subcompact, so I am subject to more intense light from higher-frame vehicles, but I recognize and accept this factor
If I flash my high beams, as a request to turn theirs down, I get no response. Thank God for the single white line at the right edge of my lane, for me to use as a guide until I’m past the blinding offender.
I agree with most of these comments and some of the statements in the article. I am only in my early 30’s and I have pretty good night vision… however, I have been blinded by bright lights from on-coming traffic. Even looking to the side it is hard to see the road. Some are people who don’t understand how high beams work, some are just inconsiderate, and I definitely think that some lights are way out of adjustment. I have driven both a sedan, a higher Chevy equinox, AND a Ram 2500 and I have been blinded with headlights while driving all of those vehicles. I know not every LED bulbs are too bright, some look bright at a distance, but they don’t blind you when you drive by. I’ve “flashed” several people who seem to have their brights on and sometimes (if they understand what that even means) they flash back and it’s definitely the low beam that they are driving with!!! But it’s not easy driving at night on a road with on-coming traffic anymore, I try to avoid it whenever possible. It got so bad on my local 2 way highway, I was forced to wear light colored sunglasses to help my eyes when I would drive home from work around midnight. Yes, I’ve tried the tip of looking to the side, however, this does not work at all, when the lights are too bright and not adjusted properly. It barely works with sunglasses on.
This is not just a problem with oncoming traffic either, sometimes someone behind me has lights that are too bright and I can barely glance into my side and rear view mirrors to see if I can change lanes. This is even true when I adjust the rear view so that it doesn’t glare. I can’t just “flash” my headlights at them, (they are BEHIND me) and I sometimes have to block my side mirror to see the road ahead of me!!! I’ve even had to slow down to make them pass me so I could see the road again.
I also remember seeing cars advertised with headlamps that adjust around turns… is this still available or are they just a “special” one time feature? I’m so confused by people saying that their data for those that complain are people over 60… I have to ask, what is their sample size? I am already aware that, when it comes to taking polls and surveys, that the younger generations have a lower participation rate than someone over 50. Does the data have a substantial younger generation for their demographic? Because, when I ask people who are my age and younger (who drive) they do say that they have noticed the same problem.
I do think that yellow lights are definitely easier on the eyes than bright blue, and there are some over the top specialty blue ones out there that are definitely annoying 😂. But those are the occasional rare ones. The standard ones that I have seen that are troublesome are the ones that need to be addressed. We already have LEDs that produce a softer “warmer” light, it’s not that hard. I don’t know if they make them for headlamps yet though. It could be argued that the lenses could be tinted slightly. This is definitely something that needs public attention, if not people learning how to use their brights properly, mechanics adjusting the headlamps angle as part of yearly inspection/ oil change, or solving the problem with the bulb itself. I have had too many near misses to say that it is just an “old person’s” problem or that it is just okay and that everyone should just deal with it.
I read the AAA article about newer vehicle headlight glare. I do not recommend automatic dimming headlights. They might dim automatically even when there is not a car coming, and that alone would create another safety issue. I find a lot of the headlights to be too bright, as do others.
Having had laser eye surgery years ago, I am constantly blinded by both LED headlights and LED police light bars.. Do the police know that with their lights flashing, lots of people cannot see anything within 10-15 feet of the vehicle, including them standing near their vehicle in the dark? I cannot believe how unsafe that is for an officer!
Absolutely NO ONE ever seems to talk about the fact that glasses with a strong prescription act as a prism, so as the light gets spread out depending on the angle of the oncoming headlights, the blue color of the headlights *separates* from the main headlights, creating a “ghost” pair of blue lights apart from the main lights!!! So not only do the new lights appear incredibly bright, they also turn into 4 lights instead of two. I have never understood how this was ever ever allowed to happen. PLUS, blue lights are used on police and some other emergency vehicles. Some of the headlights out there are SO blue that I have mistaken them for police cars, especially on high-riding vehicles. I absolutely HATE the direction that headlights have gone in my 30 years of driving. I think it’s very dangerous and have thought so since the very first blue-tinged headlight I saw on the road. So frustrating.
I thought it was just me having night vision difficulties with the glare from oncoming vehicles and that maybe I was developing eye problems! I’ve pretty much curtailed or avoided when possible, driving at night, which is rather inconvenient.
And I totally agree and concur with Prof. Gammarano’s comments above.
Thank you for this article!
Those headlights are awful!!!! So blinding and makes it more difficult for me to drive safely!!!!
Absolutely hate them! Especially where I live. Many streets have no lights
Had I known there was a petition, I would have signed it and had all family members sign it. I am over age 70 and have been driving most of my of my life. As of December of 2022 I announced to my family that I would no longer be driving at night. I have tried all different methods of handling the glare but nothing seems to work. Even as a passenger the headlights are an issue. I feel I would be jeopardizing the occupants of my car and others if I continued to drive at this time of day. I’ve always been an excellent driver with a clean record. I do still drive in the daylight, with no problems. And having discussions on this topic have found many, many people are having the same difficulty. Please do something about these lights.
I’ve been struggling with being blinded by headlights at night for a while now… I end up driving with my left hand out in front of me, blocking the glare so I’m not blinded. I find the blinding lights extremely dangerous, and don’t understand why this is allowed. It seems to me that any advantage of these lights for the driver is outweighed by the disadvantage to oncoming traffic. I can’t tell if someone has their high beams on- they may as well, it’s just all blinding. I drive a lower car, a VW Golf, so my lower position adds to the problem. I’m 64, so maybe it’s partly my eyesight, but I can tell the difference when a car has the old style, warmer yellow lights, which are so much more pleasant and not a problem at all for my eyes.
The LED light glare is really bad at dusk. I miss those soft headlights of the past.
One other difference is that in newer vehicles, the cut-off for the top of the headlight beam is very sharp and abrupt making the oncoming (or rearview mirror image) seem to flash as the attitude of the approaching vehicle changes over rises, dips, or bumps in the road.
I find that newer cars and trucks have headlights that have much more glare than older cars and make it very uncomfortable for this 77 year old, especially when raining.
It’s annoying and definitely a driving hazard. And blaming it on older drivers and their vision (one of the “experts” explanations) is unfair.
LED light are particularly dangerous in the light bars of emergency vehicles.I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to drive past a traffic stop or actual emergency scene on faith alone since I couldn’t see a thing in all the glare.
I concur with responses that include driver attitudes and aggressiveness as contributory factors to the problem of blinding glare. And I too reject those explanations that are dismissive of the problem. This is a real problem. However, I want to mention a related and more critical problem that likewise needs to be addressed: Emergency lighting on law enforcement and safety vehicles responding to accidents or supporting night maintenance work on the highways. The light bars with strobes, the combination of red, blue, and white flashing lights, the large spotlights illuminating work areas, and the general confusion, disarray of traffic patterns and redirection by on-scene officers/troopers can create more safety hazards then helps.
In the midst of such disorienting explosions of light, one traffic officer with a hand-held flashlight is nearly impossible to see and the meaning of any directional signals given by the hand-held light are impossible to interpret if indeed they can be seen at all. Add to this a cluster of impatient, aggressive drivers, and big vehicles with glaring headlights and you have the perfect storm for a major disaster.
Thank you for this timely and relevant article.
Ed Keazirian
I agree with Edward and his well stated comments!
As others have stated, it depends upon the vehicle. Retrofitted LED lights just are not as precise as those designed by the vehicle manufacturers. My Rivian R1T has a very precise beamwidth that focuses the light on the road, not upward. It also has automatic dimming of high beam lights when it senses oncoming traffic. Eventually, all vehicles will have these lights designed to focus on the road.
Mr. Bannon is wrong and perhaps too close to the industry he is tasked with relating to. The LED and halogen lights are a major problem. And it isn’t just an aging population. Over the past few weeks I have spoken to teenage drivers, and several people in their 20’s and 30’s and they say they have a problem with the glare from the new lights, as well as the masses of people who drive around with their high beams on constantly. Even the police do it now. And the comment on the egregiousness of the “Jeep Wrangler” drivers is absolutely correct. I am glad that AAA did this article. Something needs to be done about it. These lights are more of a menace than a help.
Oncoming LED lights, especially those with a blue tint, absolutely are blinding. Toss in astigmatism, which I’ve had since childhood; those painfully bright lights take on halo and starry qualities, which makes seeing much more difficult.
I’d be so glad to see those lights banned, along with the aftermarket light bars so popular with segments of the pickup/‘boom car’/Jeep-driving population.
I have been complaining about the glaring lights now for a few years. Glad to know that I am not alone. After reading this article that Europe has the automatic, lights just wondering why we don’t have them and why are we so behind.? I thought the US is at the forefront of technology. In any case I tried using these yellow glasses which do cut down on the glare by changing the color from bright white to yellow or green. A bit better on the eyes. Change can’t come soon enough for new cars but what about the millions of older cars without the new technology?
I agree that the newest high-intensity automobile headlights are not only annoying but dangerous. I have often been momentarily blinded by oncoming glare from this type of headlight. This can negate the so-called increased safety factor of brighter lights.
Yes, the glare from oncoming headlights has increased exponentially in my experience over the last 5-10 years. And I don’t think that all of it can be attributed to my increasing age.
Sorry Mr. Brannon. It isn’t all in our heads. And it isn’t only a problem for older people (though by itself 48 million drivers over 65 with a problem should be cause for concern). It is the lights. And they are dangerously blinding. Thanks.
Brighter lights are definitely a problem, but an equally important issue is the people who drive with their high beams on at all times.
It is not just older drivers; these new lights are BLINDING! “More than 50,000 people have signed the petition so far”, I feel if people knew about this petition, that number would be much, much higher
I have been bothered by the LED/HID lamps on cars, but I have found one method of dealing with these lights. I have found that using my sun visor in the down position helps a lot, as it blocks out most of the light coming from on-coming cars when they are farther away and this helps me to see my side of the road much better. As the oncoming car gets closer, the sun visor does not block out the light as much, BUT because the car is now much closer, the light does not seem to have as broad of a beam and seems to be more downward focused and is thus not as much of a problem for my eyes. The only drawback to using my sun visor at night has to do with having to move it to see traffic signal lights when I am stopped at one.
I am constantly blinded by these bright headlights. It’s just a matter of time before these things cause me to crash into something.
Today’s Headlights are absolutely blinding! I drive a sedan and can not safely drive at night now. I had to get a prescription pair of special yellow tinted eye glasses to make it somewhat reasonable to handle the glare. This must be changed. USA so far behind in safety in so many ways!
My husband and I find the LED headlights to be blinding even when the headlights are on low beam. The lights are especially blinding when higher on trucks, SUV’s, etc. both in oncoming traffic and when behind our vehicle.
It’s also a real problem when reflected in rear view mirror and side mirrors.
No mention of ppl just buying replacement LEDs off Amazon and installing themselves in cars. And if you search these aftermarket LED bulbs they range in lumen intensity which is the main cause of light glare. Most of these LEDs have lumen intensity for off-road use. Do an article on this which is the problem. not the car manufacturer
Headlight glare is definitely more and more of a problem for our aging population. The fact that our laws have not already required headlight glare control like some other countries is shameful. Too much time seems to be wasted by our lawmakers on issues of personal or party gain and fund raising.
I am grateful that i’ll never have to replace my driver side headlamp again. There was barely enough room between the battery and the lap top remove it and replace it, and 3 screws holding the hood release cable in place also needed to be removed. LEDs will probably never need to be replaced. However it seems that while incandescent bulbs out put light across the visible spectrum fairly evenly, LED’s have a much narrower spectrum and concentrate their output there. It looks to me like green, orange and white reflectors work very well in the LED light, but red and the occasional blue reflector seem duller in LED light then they did in incandescent light. It also does seem like a lot of peoples lights are not adjusted properly, when a trailing car lights up the inside of my car it’s nearly always LED lights doing this. As for automatic beam switching, i recently drove a rental, and the damned car wouldn’t allow me to turn the high beams on when there were no cars around. it seemed to mistake reflectors for tail lights. i’ll never get automatic high beams. I do think that day time running lights are a great safety feature and if you have them use them. if you don’t, please turn you lights on in tunnels, especially if you’re driving a dark colored car with no chrome. Please also use your full lights in rain storms, not your parking lights, those just don’t do the job.
AAA : “duplicate comment”. “Looks like you have already made that comment” ???? WHAT?
I’ve SLOWly become accustomed to oncoming LED’s in past few years. Just got new car, and what I CAN’T adjust to is drastic cut-off on the top of my headlights beams. I live in hilly terrain with lots of curves in road, too. Driving into a dip in road, suddenly lose sight of much of oncoming roadway. Lots of fun in middle of curve. And if I am cresting a rise, I can imagine and see reaction of oncoming car as it suddenly catches LED under cutoff. Lots of fun…….not
I often experience glare from oncoming headlights and find it hard to determine why : are their high beams on? Is it because it is a truck and is higher directing their beams at eye level for lower riding cars? Or is it because their beams are in fact very much brighter LEDs? My sense is auto manufacturers do pretty much what they think are such great ideas and if you buy what is apparently a good car, these “great” ideas come with it. Like the remote FOB that automatically unlocks the door as you approach the door. What – does the car company think : you are being chased by a gang of killers and that you need the door unlocked to escape? What is so demanding about taking the key out of your pocket and hitting the unlock button? I like to drive to an area to exercise and would usually hide my key somewhere under my car. But I cannot do that anymore as the car will be unlocked! Now that is inconvenient …
I agree with your critique of the remote starter/key!! They also are vulnerable to hackers!! However, nowadays you very well could be running from a gang of killers!! Also however, jumping into your car wouldn’t save you from such a gang!! The second amendment might!!!
I don’t know how this story gets done and doesn’t mention IIHS’s work and the progress that has been made. “Manufacturers have taken steps to reduce glare as part of their response to IIHS headlight ratings. For the 2023 model year, only 6% of the headlight systems tested had excessive glare, compared with 20% in the 2017 model year.” Here is the link https://www.iihs.org/topics/headlights
What a condescending expert. I am in my 30s and for years have dealt with being blinded by LEDs. I do watch the lines in the road and don’t look into on coming traffic. I can no longer use my rear view mirror because I am blinded by LED lights reflecting in my rear view and side mirrors. As a result of LED lights I can no longer safely drive at night which is a serious problem.
Along with Blinding glare from LED headlights is the directional signals lamps/lights in use are blinded out by the LED headlights.
Orangeish Amber directional signals were more prominent years ago.
I’m 75 years old and have trouble with night driving due to the glare from oncoming traffic. To compensate I’ve purchased
yellow glasses that fit right over my prescription glasses. This has solved my problem!
Blinding! Even driving in the city. I’ve considered wearing sunglasses at night…cue song.
As far as age?? This has been discussed with a broad range of people of different ages
And if it isn’t the oncoming lights -it’s the lights in the rear view mirror & side mirrors. You just can’t get away from them!!
What a condescending expert. I am in my 30s and for years have dealt with being blinded by LEDs. I do watch the lines in the road and don’t look into on coming traffic and I can no longer use my rear view mirror. As a result of LED lights I can no longer safely drive at night which is a serious problem.
1) Totally agree that newer headlights can be blinding, especially to drivers of compact sedans/wagons. Suggest all headlights be subject to a maximum height over road limitation, regardless of front design (Have seen over the road trucks with suitably low mountings; new Ford Bronco is dazzling both coming at you and in the rear view mirror)
2) Sealed beam headlights always threw a limited amount of light well down the road, allowing drivers to pick up road signs, lane markings, etc. well down the road even at highway speeds, without blinding oncoming drivers. More ‘modern’ designs create a blackout limit beyond which nothing is visible, and 35 mph is about the limit of safe operation, whereas running lights provide longer reach at the expense of less near-term detail — far better for use on rural roads/parkways with limited oncoming traffic but roadside issues.
3) The adaptive headlight issue is yet another instance of the auto industry using phony ‘safety’ issues to create trade barriers isolating the US market from Europe, ending the ability of US motorists to pick from a broader array of more suitable products (as a good example, absence of manual shift models that are readily available in Europe). AAA should be lobbying for a policy that US and EU/UK standards (safety, crash test, lighting, etc.) are functionally equivalent, acceptable for US use without further Federal or state regulation, acceptable for private imports, and unacceptable as a legal claim in a lawsuit.
Thanks for a very timely article on a critical safety topic !
The statement of Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and industry relations for AAA Inc. “LEDs put more light on roads where people need it,” he said. “There is no evidence that LED lights are a hazard.” <—-excerpted directly from the subject AAA article, is misleading when he states "…no evidence that LEDlights are a hazard."
As thankfully also reported in this article, 50,000 drivers can't be wrong…and that ddoesn't include the many thousands more (including me) who would have signed that petition had the opportunity been there.
"Near-miss" accidents aren't recorded, but for every collision there might be as many as 10 or more "near-misses", but for good luck/fortune in circumstances.
It is undeniable that the LEDs have not been 'designed' or 'structured'/positioned in the automoble/motor vehicle headlights to eliminate or vastly reduce that known gare factor/hazard.
If any decisionmakers in this area are reading this, then expressing here as a DDC (Defensive Driving Course) Instructor of five years:
Thanks for considering !
P J G, Sr.; M.A., JD
Missing road lines create need for brighter lights. 80% of all local roads controlled be state highway commissions are DEVOID of any center lines on all northeastern states. State highways including interstates are 50% DEVOID OF PAINTED LINES.
I have called local and state authorities no less than 40 times on the past year and while they recognize my name and remember my request to paint road lines they say it’s out of their control or the weather and it never gets fixed. This is a safety hazard and brighter lights avoid accidents due to roads not having lines. This problem is outrageous in MA.
Have the matter investigated and that is where you will find answers about lights.
Good luck.
Kenneth Goldberg
Lynnfield MA
Yep!! The “no evidence” trope is used whenever someone wants to deflect unwanted criticism of their preferred mantra!! There’s “no evidence” that you’re about to be eaten until you turn around and see tiger!!!
That petition is still up and is active with a march 2024 updated correspondence. So far, nearly 100 new signatures today
Thank you so much for your response. There is definitely a problem with the headlights, they are so bright and glaring that I literally have stopped driving at night. When I need to go out at night, I am constantly looking for a ride. That is ridiculous when there are 50,000 drivers complaining about the same thing.
Patsy
The worst though is the drivers who leave on their brights on purpose. Also happens to be every single jeep wrangler owner. Just sayin’
These studies miss the most important facts. The new cars with LED’s are fine. They are aimed very accurately and don’t cause many problems at all.
The older cars have terrible headlight output so all these kids put LED bulbs in so they can see and the LED bulbs in older headlight buckets have a terrible light spread – they weren’t designed for these new LED bulbs – and they irritate other drivers. And let’s not forget about the brodozers with the LED light bars. That’s what the people have an issue with.
This is absolutely true. Headlights designed for LEDs have a distinct cut-off line that prevents the lights from affecting oncoming drivers. Halogen housings are not designed for the output pattern from LEDs.
Good points!! And… it’s not just the “kids”!!
You’re 100% correct… The other issue is that Amazon sells ridiculously bright LED’s and some of them even have to be wired into the car to power the fans that keep these lights cool. There’s no regulation, so anyone can buy them and turn their vehicle into an nuisance for other drivers. And the worst part is, if you flash your beams at these people to make them aware their high beams are on, they actually hit you back with their actual beams and it all but blinds you. You’d think they’d know their lights are super bright and understand your error thinking their beams are on and just let it go, but no… Most of them blind you back unnecessarily.
The reason people are complaining about the lights is because they are too bright. A person driving in rush hour traffic has no problem with seeing. But they are giving everyone else a problem. The cars are higher and the lights are blinding people. It’s not that the older people aren’t “used to” the lights. Don’t blame the victim
It’s the lights. I plan to drive in rush hour traffic with my high beams on all the time to join in the fun of blinding and annoying other drivers while waiting for the young jerks who created this to fix the problem they created.
Have to agree with your comment, SG., there seems to be no choice at this point.
The manufacturers are very likely going to face some hefty lawsuits as an incentive to adjust the technology back down to the capabilities of the human optical anatomy !
AAA has published numerous studies about headlights and related issues such as glare and did not find a problem, according to Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and industry relations for AAA Inc. “LEDs put more light on roads where people need it,” he said. “There is no evidence that LED lights are a hazard.”
Thousands upon thousands of people, including myself, are being blinded each night by bright headlights and this Brannon fella is saying there’s no evidence that the LED lights are a hazard.
Not sure what type of evidence he’s searching for, but I’m familiar with anecdotal evidence.
I’m 59 and my vision is just fine, thank you… 20/20 in fact. I’m with SG – the only alternative for folks with lower vehicles is to keep our high beams on regularly. The industry and “technology” have created this mess.
I agree that a change to European style adaptive headlights is overdue
LOL!! I just went from a Mercury Mountaineer to a Toyota Echo and noticed right away that now the on-coming headlights are right on my eye level!!!
Spot on!!! Thanks for saying this…