A Car Pro Show listener wrote recently and asked a question that a lot of drivers have probably wondered about while squinting at oncoming traffic at night: “Why are headlights on newer cars so bright they almost blind you?”
If it seems like headlights are getting brighter every year, you’re not imagining it. Several changes in the auto industry over the past decade have combined to make nighttime driving feel more like staring into a spotlight.
The biggest change is the widespread switch from traditional halogen headlights to LED lighting.
For decades, halogen bulbs were the standard. They produced a yellowish light and were relatively inexpensive. But they also weren’t very efficient and didn’t last particularly long. Automakers began moving toward LED headlights in the early 2010s because they use far less energy, last much longer, and allow designers to create thinner, more distinctive headlight shapes.
LED lights also produce a much whiter and more intense beam than halogen bulbs. That brighter, bluish-white light improves visibility for the driver of the vehicle using them, but it can appear extremely harsh to drivers coming the other direction.
Another factor is the rise of SUVs and pickup trucks.
Today’s roads are filled with taller vehicles than they were 20 years ago. Jacked up, lifted 4x4 trucks and SUVs are everywhere now. And because headlights are mounted higher on the vehicle, they often shine directly into the windshield of lower vehicles such as sedans and sports cars. Even if the lights are properly aimed, the height difference can make them feel much brighter.
Headlight design itself has also changed.
Modern LED systems project a very focused beam pattern compared with older halogen lights. The idea is to illuminate the road ahead while limiting glare for oncoming traffic. But if the lights are slightly misaligned, that concentrated beam can easily shine directly into another driver’s eyes.
Federal safety standards regulate how headlights are designed and aimed in the United States. The rules are set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and automakers must certify that their vehicles meet those standards. However, even when a headlight meets the legal requirements, it can still appear extremely bright to other drivers depending on the angle of the road, hills, or vehicle height.
Some newer vehicles also use automatic high-beam systems. These systems switch between low beams and high beams automatically when sensors detect oncoming traffic. In theory, they improve visibility without blinding other drivers. In practice, some systems are slow to dim, which can make it seem like the driver left the high beams on.
There are also more advanced systems beginning to appear on vehicles in the United States called adaptive headlights. These systems can actually adjust the direction or pattern of the beam depending on speed, steering angle, or traffic conditions. Some versions can even dim small portions of the beam to avoid shining light directly at oncoming vehicles.
Those systems are designed specifically to reduce glare, but they are still relatively new and not yet common on most vehicles.
If you feel like headlights are becoming a bigger problem on the road, you’re in good company. Researchers and safety advocates have been studying headlight glare in recent years as brighter lighting becomes more widespread.
In the meantime, there are a few things drivers can do to make nighttime driving easier. Keeping your windshield clean inside and out helps reduce glare. Properly adjusting your rearview mirror to its night setting can also cut down on brightness from vehicles behind you. And if you drive a taller vehicle yourself, make sure your headlights are properly aimed so you’re not adding to the problem.
Headlights today are designed to help drivers see farther and react faster at night, which improves safety overall. But as anyone who has been momentarily blinded by an approaching SUV can tell you, sometimes brighter isn’t always better.
Image Credit: Vukasin Antanaskovic/Shutterstock.com.