Headlights Are Too Bright And The Debate Is Just Getting Started

If you’ve driven on a dark two-lane road lately, chances are you’ve encountered an oncoming vehicle whose headlights felt like searchlights. Complaints about glare from modern LED lighting have grown loud enough that lawmakers in Canada and the United States are now taking notice.

In Canada, Vancouver City Councillor Sean Orr has introduced a motion aimed at addressing concerns from drivers who say today’s headlights are distracting and overly intense. In the United States, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has raised similar questions about whether current lighting standards need updating.

At the heart of the debate is a simple question: have modern headlights become too bright for their own good?

Brightness vs. Glare

Today’s LED systems are dramatically more powerful than the halogen bulbs they replaced, and even brighter than HID setups. They illuminate farther down the road and cast a whiter, more daylight-like beam. For the driver behind the wheel, that typically means better visibility.

But glare is not just about brightness. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), glare occurs when stray light enters the eye in a way that reduces visibility or causes discomfort. Headlight design, beam pattern, aim, vehicle ride height, and road conditions all play a role.

The IIHS has analyzed crash data from multiple states between 2015 and 2023 and found that glare was cited in only one or two out of every 1,000 nighttime crashes. During that same period, headlight performance improved significantly, yet the proportion of crashes linked to glare remained relatively unchanged.

What the Data Shows

IIHS research indicates that vehicles equipped with top-rated headlights experience fewer single-vehicle nighttime crashes and fewer pedestrian collisions after dark. In other words, better road illumination appears to reduce certain types of accidents.

Insufficient visibility, rather than excessive brightness, continues to be a larger safety concern overall. However, being blinded by extremely bright headlights from other vehicles needs to be considered a form of insufficient visibility.

There is a statistical challenge when it comes to glare-related incidents. In some cases, a driver who is temporarily blinded may leave the roadway without the other vehicle being directly involved in a crash.

The IIHS notes that glare-related complaints tend to occur more frequently on undivided two-lane roads, in wet conditions, and among older drivers. Drivers over 70, in particular, are more sensitive to bright light due to age-related changes in vision.

Industry Response

Automakers have not ignored the issue. The IIHS headlight rating program evaluates both roadway illumination and glare control. In 2017, more than 20 percent of headlight systems tested by IIHS were flagged for excessive glare. For 2025 model-year vehicles, that figure has dropped to only a small percentage.

Advances in technology are also helping. Automatic high-beam assist systems reduce the risk of drivers unintentionally dazzling oncoming traffic. More sophisticated beam shaping and adaptive lighting systems can dynamically adjust light output based on traffic and road conditions.

As lawmakers consider whether new regulations are necessary, the debate highlights a balancing act: reducing discomfort for other road users while preserving the improved visibility that modern lighting provides.

For now, the data suggests that while headlight glare is an annoyance for many drivers, limited visibility remains the more significant safety challenge after dark.

This article was co-written using AI and was then heavily edited and optimized by our editorial team.

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