Glare from car headlights can be a killer – Scotsman comment

Headlights that dazzle other drivers are a serious problem on the roads (Picture: National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

It appears some motorists are blissfully unaware of a simple fact: headlights can kill. Or rather, over-bright headlights or drivers who fail to dim them can cause an accident that results in someone’s death. So the UK Government’s decision to launch a review of headlight glare will be welcomed by many who have found themselves momentarily blinded while driving.

It comes after a survey commissioned by the RAC found considerable concern about this issue among motorists. Modern cars’ use of LED lights, which can create a more intense beam; badly aligned headlights; and an increase in the number of SUVs, which sit higher on the road, are thought to be behind rising complaints.

Hopefully, manufacturers are paying attention and will take this seriously. However, all of us who drive should start by making sure our headlights are adjusted correctly and that we dim them when necessary. Good vision is important when driving. But if you blind an oncoming driver, at a combined closing speed of up to 140mph, the consequences could be just as fatal for you as for them.

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