Car headlights are too bright and are dazzling oncoming drivers more often, a survey claims.
Some 85% of people who find the glare too strong say they are affected more regularly now than a year ago.
Over two-thirds say it takes up to five seconds to see clearly again after getting caught in the beam.
For one in 10 it takes six seconds or more – which at 60mph is enough to go about 175 yards or 40 car lengths.
Around one in 14 say the problem has got so bad they avoid driving at night altogether.
This rises to one in seven for those aged 65 and over, according to the RAC poll of 2,000 drivers.
Since 2013 an average 280 crashes a year have had dazzling headlights as a contributory factor, of which six a year were fatal, official figures show.
Now the motoring group is calling for the Government to commission an independent study into the problem.
The RAC’s Rod Dennis said: “Drivers are more concerned than ever about headlight glare, with a huge proportion wanting to see something done about it. We urgently need the government to take a closer look.”
Headlights may be getting brighter because more cars are fitted with LED lights. These give a much more intense white beam that has a different effect on the human eye than the yellower glow of conventional halogen bulbs.
Over four in 10 of those polled believe the dazzling is caused by badly aligned headlights. Since 2019 poor headlight aim has led to failed MoTs for some 1.6 million Class 4 vehicles, which includes passenger cars, found a Freedom of Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in November.
The RAC has raised the issue of headlight glare with the Department for Transport and has been working with Baroness Hayter to make drivers’ concerns known.
Mr Dennis said: “Brighter headlights can be a good thing as they give drivers a clearer and safer view of the road, but that appears to come at a cost for those on the receiving end of excessively bright lights.
“The numbers of reported road casualties where headlight glare was listed as a contributing factor might be small when compared to something like speeding, but that only tells part of the story. Is it right we have such a high proportion of drivers who feel unsafe driving at night?”
Former Labour shadow minister Baroness Hayter said: “Some car headlights can dazzle, causing a danger for oncoming drivers.”
“We know drivers in other countries share this concern. So, government should take action now to be on the side of road safety and ensure everyone keeps to the Highway Code which states drivers ‘must not use any lights in a way which would dazzle other road users’.”
