Brigg and Immingham MP Martin Vickers has pressed further for action on bright vehicle headlights.
In Parliament’s Christmas adjournment debate, the Conservative MP re-raised several transport matters he discussed in Parliament in 2024. This included the still-awaited return of direct Cleethorpes to London train services, but also renewed calls for measures over the glare from bright headlights.
Mr Vickers held a debate in May on the headlights issue, his interest prompted by a Grimsby Telegraph article on an RAC study. This had found 89 per cent of 2,000 drivers surveyed thought “at least some” headlights on the road are too bright. 74 per cent said they were regularly dazzled.
During the spring debate, it emerged the Department for Transport was carrying out research on the issue. The Brigg and Immingham MP raised this twice last month, as he seeks the results of the research. “I look forward to receiving that update, but I hope that mentioning it yet again today will keep it on the Department’s agenda.
“We all know that lighting technology has changed considerably in the past decade or so. Clearly it is to everyone’s advantage that vehicles are well lit, particularly for pedestrians, but there can be no doubt that the amount of glare has increased,” he said.
“I appreciate that the issue is complex and that the Department will have to do much research before introducing any regulations, but it is important. It is not just that the lights are much brighter, but that some vehicles seem to have far more than required.” He added street furniture, such as speed humps, could also impact the glare experienced, and suggested more larger vehicles on the road might partly explain the increased headlight glare.
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Mr Vickers expressed hope the research could be rapidly concluded and new regulations brought in to improve road safety. He noted the College of Optometrists suggests as many as half of motorists over the age of 60 may have early-stage cataracts in both eyes.
In response, junior treasury minister Anna Turley said he had “raised really important issues on road safety that I had not really thought of, but I valued the opportunity to reflect on them—sorry for the pun.” She said she looked forward to him continuing to work with ministers on it.
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Hoped-for return of London direct service
Mr Vickers also re-raised two railway topics he has lobbied on. He stressed again of the need for London to Cleethorpes direct train services to return, and how he had been campaigning for it since 2011. “As I have mentioned to many Transport Secretaries over the years, my constituency has 10 railway stations, an international airport and the largest port in the country, yet we still cannot have a direct train service to London.
“That is crucial to the development of industry in the area and is fully supported by big business.” He stated he and Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes MP Melanie Onn await a meeting with another transport minister “to hopefully restore that service”.
The Brigg and Immingham MP also repeated criticism of Brigg’s train service timetable. It changed in summer 2023 from a Saturday-only service to running Monday to Friday. However, the new timetable leaves limited time before getting the return train.
In September, a transport minister doused water on prospects of any change. They said adding an additional service could cost between £400,000 and £900,000 a year and create clashes.
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