Members of the motoring organisation have said that LED lights on vehicles are among the factors causing them to be “blinded” while driving.
AA president Edmund King said: “Our own research shows it is an issue for some drivers with three quarters saying they have been blinded by oncoming headlights.
“Our members tell us that they are feeling the strain of brighter headlights more than ever before, as well as brighter brake and traffic lights.
“Conversely, they also say brighter lights enhance road safety. The problem seems to be LED lights on higher vehicles such as SUVs.”
Members of the RAC (Royal Automobile Club) have also expressed their issues with brighter LED headlights on the road, according to its senior policy officer Rod Dennis.
He said: “Few issues we deal with have triggered quite as much of a reaction among drivers as the brightness of headlights. It’s clear that, for a proportion of the driving public, glare affects them profoundly on the roads at night.
“But while the frustration is evident, the causes of the problem and what can be done about it are much less clear.”
How many incidents on roads are caused by brighter headlights?
According to national collisions data, dazzling headlights were a contributing factor in 216 incidents in 2023.
This was up from 211 the year before, but down from 315 in 2017 and 309 a decade ago.
The Government expects independent research examining headlight glare to be published this summer.
The topic was brought up in Parliament after Labour MP Graeme Downie asked a written question.
He had heard from constituents, as well as friends and family that newer LED lights were blinding for them.
The MP for Dunfermline and Dollar in Scotland added: “In addition, technology such as automatic beam control that is more common means some drivers are less aware of the impact their own lighting might have on others.
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“The safety of individual drivers cannot be at the expense of other road users and pedestrians.”
Lillian Greenwood, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Future of Roads, wrote a response to Mr Downie’s question.
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Asked for the Department for Transport’s assessment of the safety of LED headlights, said statistics “do not show any discernible trend to suggest that advances in lighting technology are contributing negatively” to road vehicle collisions.
She added: “However, noting increased public concern, Government has commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes of headlamp glare and develop potential countermeasures.
“This work is under way and is due to deliver in summer 2025.”