‘Ban those lights’: 83% of SurreyLive support a ban on ‘dazzling’ LED headlights

83% of SurreyLive would support a ban on LED headlights in vehicles, our poll shows at the time of writing. Hundreds of readers took part in a poll on the SurreyLive website, with an overwhelming majority calling for a ban.

It comes after figures showed dazzling headlights contributed to 216 crashes in 2023, with Surrey one of the worst affected areas. In our poll, 93% of readers said they had been affected by dazzling LED lights from other vehicles while driving in the past.

Over on our Facebook page, readers continued to have their say. Tony Freeman wrote: “Ban those lights.” Nick Parfitt proposed a solution, suggesting headlights could be tinted yellow ‘like they used to do in France’.

Have your say in our poll below and make your voice heard. Would you like to see a ban on LED headlights? Take part below, or if the poll doesn’t load for you, click here.

However, not everyone agreed they were a problem. Warren Gill said: “Get used to them, they’re standard fitment on most cars and all EVs, like it or not. If you don’t like them, hand your licence in.”

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis 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.”

Lilian Greenwood, Parliamentary under-secretary for Department for Transport, stated: “National collision statistics, which can record headlamp dazzle as a contributory factor, do not show any discernible trend to suggest that advances in lighting technology are contributing negatively to road vehicle collisions.

“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.”

Image Credits and Reference: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/ban-those-lights-83-surreylive-30787379