Overview
- The government‑commissioned TRL study used more than 50 hours of on‑road night testing with luminance cameras and found a clear link between brighter lights and reported glare.
- Researchers identified higher risk on uphill sections and right‑hand bends, with tentative indications that taller vehicle shapes such as SUVs may be more often associated with glare.
- Survey data cited in the report shows 33% of drivers have reduced or stopped night driving due to glare, with a further 22% wishing they could cut back but feeling unable to do so.
- The Department for Transport says the findings will inform the forthcoming Road Safety Strategy and shape the UK’s position in international vehicle‑lighting standards talks.
- Officials have trailed potential regulatory steps, including MOT implications for inappropriate bulbs and a move toward mandatory automatic headlamp levelling targeted for September 2027.