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UK Sets Out Headlight Glare Crackdown, With 2027 Automatic Headlamp Levelling and Consultation Under Way

Ministers set out plans in a new road safety strategy to curb glare from modern vehicle lights.

Overview

  • The Department for Transport says on-road testing and a scientific review were completed over winter 2024–25, with a review due to conclude before the end of 2025.
  • Proposals would require automatic headlamp levelling on all new cars from September 2027 to maintain correct beam aim under different loads.
  • The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has stepped up action against illegal retrofit LED bulbs, with penalties for sellers of up to £1,000.
  • A consultation on updating decades-old lighting regulations is open until March, alongside UK engagement with the United Nations on international standards.
  • The push follows strong evidence of risk and concern, including a DfT study showing 97% of drivers report distraction from oncoming lights and RAC data averaging 263 glare-linked collisions a year with about five fatalities.