GLARING ISSUES

The number of drivers reporting problems with headlight glare is on the rise. Paul Critcher looks behind the stats and searches for some illumination

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I love driving. As soon as I was old enough to learn, the L-plates were fitted and I was heaving my Dad’s old Maxi around the corners of my local highways and byways without a care in the world.

I'm sure that for many of you, like me, driving is a hugely liberating experience. It expands your universe, freeing you to explore the world around you – including, of course, by towing a tourer.

I still love it today, 35 years or so on, but lately there’s been a bit of a niggle, something that’s made life on the road a little less fun. So what’s the problem?

In short, it’s headlight glare. Yes, the blinding lights from oncoming vehicles, particularly at dusk and at night – but sometimes even during the day – have made driving less comfortable and a touch more stressful, particularly when towing.

It’s not just me finding our roads a bit too dazzling. Research conducted by the RAC in February 2025 revealed that almost all drivers surveyed said they find at least some car headlights too bright.

And an RAC survey in December 2024 showed that 61% of drivers who say they are affected by headlight glare believe the problem has got worse in just 12 months. The RAC’s study was based on 1866 UK drivers who hold a full, current, UK driving licence and drive at least once a month.

The AA has also surveyed drivers about glare, with equally troubling responses: 76% of those surveyed said they were blinded by the headlights of oncoming vehicles, and more than half (52%) had been dazzled by headlights from cars behind them.

This is often thought of as an older person’s issue, but the AA data suggest that’s not necessarily always the case, with 70% of 18-24-year-olds saying they had been blinded by oncoming headlights.

As the charts here and over the page show, glare is a serious problem affecting driver comfort and confidence. Since 2013, there were an average 280 collisions a year where dazzling headlights were a factor.