Majority of US drivers say headlights being too bright is a serious issue that's gotten significantly worse in recent years

A survey has found that a majority of US drivers think that headlights being too bright is a problem.

According to a AAA survey of 1,092 American adults, 60 percent of drivers think that headlight glare is a serious issue when driving after dark.

And of those who feel it’s an issue, 73 percent feel it’s getting worse.

These figures raise the question – what sort of safety risk does this pose, and what can manufacturers do about it?

US drivers aren’t happy about headlights being too bright

Drivers have undoubtedly faced this issue at one point or another.

You’re driving down the road late at night, letting your eyes adjust to the road ahead.

Then, out of nowhere, a pair of bright headlines stun you into squinting your eyes.

It might only last for a few seconds, but it’s enough to throw you off your game.

And this is hardly a new phenomenon either, as headlights have changed colors over the years to accommodate people experiencing this.

If you’ve ever felt this was an issue that needed addressing, this recent AAA survey proves you’re not alone.

“Headlight glare has become a major source of frustration and concern for millions of drivers,” Greg Brannon, the director of automotive engineering and research at AAA, said.

“As vehicle lighting technology evolves, so must our understanding of glare, its impact, and the steps drivers can take to maintain safety.”

Increasingly bright headlights are down to several factors, including more advanced LED headlight technologies, as well as taller vehicles.

Interestingly, women were more likely than men to report headlight glare, at 70 percent compared to 57 percent.

Having a prescription for eyeglasses also increased the odds of reporting glare.

And it’s not just here that the brightness of headlights is proving troublesome – over in the UK, the government announced it would be looking into whether headlights were too bright.

How to limit the effects of headlight glare

What does AAA advise in these scenarios?

First and foremost, there’s the instruction not to look at the light as the car passes by you by.

Keeping your windshield clean should also reduce glare, in addition to wearing glare-reducing glasses.

You might expect that these brighter lights would pose a safety risk, particularly if they’re bothering other drivers on the road.

However, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

For the drivers using said headlights, the brightness is so effective that emergency braking is likely better because of that, Carscoops reported.

There’s also the fact that an Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) study last year found that glare had only been cited in one or two of every thousand nighttime crashes.

And that’s not a figure that’s been increasing alongside the brightness.

“Although it can certainly be uncomfortable, headlight glare contributes to far fewer crashes than insufficient visibility,” IIHS president David Harkey said.

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