Millions of motorists are refusing to drive at night due to bright headlights affecting their vision – and we want to hear your thoughts on the issue.

A recent RAC survey suggests that a quarter of motorists who find vehicle headlights too bright are driving less at night as a result, while 22 percent wish they could reduce their night driving. Almost all acknowledged that headlights can be too intense, with 36 percent claiming most are too bright, while 59 percent said some of them are.

It was also pointed out that motorists under 35 are more likely to brand the vehicle lights ‘too bright’ (41%), similar to those who use hatchbacks, estates or saloons (38%), where the driver is positioned lower to the road than SUVs.

Three out of five (61%) respondents who experience headlight glare report that the issue has worsened over the past year, while just 26 percent disagree. What’s more, 17 percent of nighttime drivers say it causes them to feel tired and fatigued, while 16 percent claim it has led to headaches, migraines, and/or eye pain.

Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, reported that aside from potholes, bright headlights are a quickly becoming a major frustration for Brits – from momentarily being blinded to struggling to judge the speed or position of a vehicle ahead.

He said: “The fact such a high proportion of people are also driving less at night – or wish they could – is remarkable and demonstrates the need for glare to be tackled. This does, however, need to be balanced with the potential road safety benefits afforded to people driving vehicles with brighter headlights.

“We’re pleased to be able to dispel some myths around the topic, such as the one that headlight glare is something that affects only older drivers.” Alarming Department for Transport (DfT) data has revealed that since 2013, there have been an average of 280 crashes every year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor.

Of these, six a year involved someone losing their life. Baroness Dianne Hayter, who has also urged the Government to take action over headlights, said: “Virtually every driver experiences the problem of over-bright headlights, and many find the dazzle sufficiently problematic to stop or reduce their driving at night, with real social and other costs.

“The RAC has produced the evidence, now the Government needs to take action – whether on the colour, intensity or angle of these glaring lights.”

Denise Voon, clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists, said: “Optometrists are hearing from our patients more and more frequently that they’re having issues with night driving because of headlight glare from oncoming vehicles.

“More motorists are experiencing issues with their vision while driving at night earlier than we’d expect them to be impacted by age-related eye conditions, such as cataracts.”

According to the RAC, headlights appear brighter on modern cars due to bi-xenon or LED rather than traditional halogen bulbs, which creates a more intense beam. Other contributing factors may include badly headlights and the widespread use of SUVs, which typically have headlights positioned higher

A DfT spokesperson said: “We know there is increased public concern about headlamp glare – that’s why we have commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes, which will help identify potential mitigations.

“This project is expected to conclude in the summer, and we will update on its findings as soon as possible. There is also work under way at an international level on headlight glare prevention, which we will consider.”

With research suggesting bright headlights are causing problems for motorists, we want to know if you drive less at night? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.

The Mirror will also be discussing the topic with you in the comments section below and you can join in! All you have to do is sign up, submit your comment, register your details and then you can take part.

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