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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218 Thoughts on “What’s the Story With Headlight Glare?”
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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.