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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn a December 2024 survey commissioned by the RAC, one in four UK drivers who said headlights were too bright also said they were driving less at night because of them. The result describes respondents’ reported behavior—not a quarter of all drivers, and not a measurement of glare or crash risk.
What does the RAC’s “one in four” figure mean?
The RAC published the finding on 17 February 2025, based on a survey conducted in late December 2024 among 1,866 UK drivers. Of the drivers who found vehicle headlights too bright, 25% said they drove less at night as a result. The survey was conducted for the RAC by Online95, according to a contemporaneous report; the RAC and the College of Optometrists collaborated on the research. RAC survey release College of Optometrists
The survey reports people’s perceptions and stated choices. The available release does not supply a full questionnaire, response rate or detailed weighting information, so the figures should not be treated as direct observations of driving or as a precise estimate of every UK driver’s experience.
How do drivers describe the impact?
Among drivers who said headlights were too bright, 36% believed most headlights were too bright and a further 59% believed some were. These are survey opinions, not technical assessments of headlamp output.
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Among drivers who said they were driving less at night, 75% cited the experience being uncomfortable or more difficult, while 49% said they felt less safe. Those reasons can overlap; they do not add up to separate portions of a single whole. Five per cent of the relevant respondents said they had stopped driving at night altogether.
The RAC also reported that, among drivers who continued to drive at night, 59% said glare made driving more difficult or uncomfortable, 17% reported tiredness or fatigue, and 16% reported headaches, migraines or eye pain. These are self-reported experiences, not clinical diagnoses or proof that glare caused a particular symptom. RAC survey release
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Why do headlights seem so bright at night?
There is no single cause established by the survey. The RAC points to several possible contributors: headlamp alignment, differences among lighting technologies such as halogen, bi-xenon and LED, and the difference in height between vehicles. The findings do not show which factor matters most, or that LEDs or taller vehicles alone explain the reports. RAC guide to headlight glare
Alignment is a practical issue to check on an individual car. The RAC guide attributes to DVSA data that 1.6 million of 32.4 million MOT tests carried out in 2022 on UK Class 4 vehicles failed because of misaligned headlights. That is a count of MOT tests in a specified vehicle class and year—not a share of all cars on UK roads. The guide also quotes a 2016 DVSA statement that “headlamp aim consistently tops the MOT compliance survey as one of the most likely items to be assessed incorrectly by testers.” That is a historical statement, not a current rule or a new finding. RAC guide to headlight glare
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Are bright headlights making night driving unsafe?
Some respondents said they felt less safe, and others said glare made driving more difficult or uncomfortable. Those reports matter as accounts of drivers’ experiences, but they do not establish how much glare changes crash risk. The survey did not measure headlight intensity, compare specific technologies under controlled conditions or determine whether glare caused collisions.
A House of Commons debate about vehicle headlight glare standards took place on 29 October 2025. It discussed the RAC survey and policy concerns; a debate transcript records discussion, not a technical causal finding or proof that regulations changed. House of Commons debate, 29 October 2025
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What can you do about headlight glare?
If you suspect your own headlights are misaligned
- Have the aim checked if the lamps appear to point unusually high or if other drivers frequently signal or flash you. An MOT inspection is one route to identifying alignment problems.
- Do not assume that adjusting your own lamps will solve glare from other vehicles. Alignment is one possible contributor, not a universal explanation.
If glare is affecting your night driving
- Give yourself more following distance and avoid looking directly into oncoming lamps; use the left-hand edge of your lane as a visual reference where appropriate.
- If symptoms or difficulty seeing at night persist, discuss them with an optometrist. College of Optometrists clinical adviser Denise Voon said optometrists were hearing more frequently from patients about night-driving problems related to glare from oncoming vehicles. College of Optometrists
What did the later RAC survey find?
The RAC’s current guide cites a separate survey conducted in February 2026: 25% of respondents who found headlights too bright said they were either driving less at night or had given up altogether. That combines two outcomes and comes from a different survey wave than the 2025 release’s “driving less” figure. It is not a like-for-like comparison or evidence of a trend by itself. RAC guide to headlight glare
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