Yahoo News Cleethorpes MP calls for action to 'reduce the dazzle' caused by bright car headlights
Martin Vickers has called for stronger regulation to be considered "to reduce the dazzle" caused by bright car headlights to oncoming drivers after starting a debate in Parliament on the dangers of glare.
During the discussion, the Cleethorpes MP was told by Transport Minister Anthony Browne that 208 accidents were at least partially caused by dazzling headlights in 2021. As he started the debate, Mr Vickers referenced a Grimsby Telegraph story published earlier this year featuring comments from local road users which came following a report issued by the RAC on the matter.
That research surveyed 2,000 drivers and revealed 89 per cent think "at least some" headlights on the road are too bright, which three in 10 feel "most" are these days. The RAC called on the Government to commission an independent study into the issue after a rise in complaints over recent years.
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At the time, one Grimsby Live reader posting on Facebook described them as "absolutely blinding", adding: "I wonder how many accidents are caused by the new LED car lights. I hate night driving."
During the parliamentary debate, Mr Vickers spoke of technology that often sees lights adjusted automatically and, though the driver can override the system, they are often unaware and can find it difficult.
Road humps are another source of lights rising up and causing momentary blindness, all of which can be dangerous. Mr Vickers raised a number of specific questions for the Transport Minister who spoke on behalf of the Government.
Firstly, he suggested more stringent testing of lights at the annual MOT. He added: "Secondly, the Minister should direct the National Institute for Health Protection, or another suitable body, to sponsor research to establish how vehicle lighting is causing discomfort in drivers, other susceptible individuals, and road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians.
"Thirdly, the research should be used to develop a set of realistic safety standards for headlights and other vehicle lighting, and to outlaw those that do not meet the standards."
In conclusion, the Cleethorpes MP stated two things were evident. He said: "First, car headlights should be better regulated to reduce the dazzle they cause to oncoming drivers. Secondly, it is not sustainable for the Government and the car industry to say that there is not a problem when the vast majority of motorists know that there is one, not just here in the UK but around the world."
In reply, the Minister said: "To cut to the chase, he asked me a question, and the answer is yes - but I had better expand on that a bit. I notice glare as a driver myself, I get a huge amount of correspondence about it from members and constituents, and I spend a lot of my time as a Minister answering letters about it, so I know that it is a real issue and one on which the Department has done quite a lot of work."
He continued by quoting some accident statistics, saying: "The actual figures are that, in 2021, there were 208 accidents where dazzling headlights were cited as a partial cause. That was down from 373 in 2005. We have the statistics for Cleethorpes, which I thought my honourable friend might be interested in: from 2013 to 2022 - so in the last 10 years - there were five accidents where dazzling headlights were cited as one of the causes, which is obviously five too many.”
Mr Browne added that once the research has been completed, the Government will consider the findings and share them both domestically and with international lighting specialists, as requested. Following the research, they will evaluate if any additional changes to rules and regulations are necessary and will engage in discussions at an international level.
Mr Vickers is set to persist in collaborating with fellow MPs, industry stakeholders, and the Department of Transport to further investigate the issue.
