New rules needed for over-bright LED headlights

Look out! There”s a car headed towards you with headlights so bright you are unable to see the lines in the middle or the shoulder of the road.

It passes but eyes take a while to adjust to such blinding glare. Add snow or icy conditions and losing contrast in one’s visual field can feel very unsafe when driving.

It used to be the result of a neglectful driver leaving their high beams on, but not any more; new model low beam lights of the LED variety are more common and can render any driver unsighted for a period of time, endangering highway safety. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, glare is most evident in drivers over 50 whose eyes contain more dead cells increasing scattered light and a “veil” over the scene.

The ability to see through such visual disturbances is a characteristic of younger eyes, which deteriorate as we age.

Up until last week I was reluctant to drive at night fearing an LED headlight would result in two large halos overtaking my field of vision. Fortunately, cataract surgery has given me some resilience to this luminescent veil. As I await surgery on the other eye, I have to wonder just how many drivers are having their driving compromised by this new means of vehicular lighting.

It takes a number of years before eyesight degrades to the point of cataract surgery but in the interim many drivers are being blinded by lights on vehicles that clearly should not be allowed. Visual acuity becomes compromised with age and Transport Canada needs to respond to this safety concern.

The City of Vancouver has recognized high-intensity discharge (HID) and light-emitting diode (LED) headlights as a hazard and council has unanimously passed a motion calling on the federal government to create regulations to restrict them. In response, Transport Canada has decided to conduct a nationwide survey related to headlight glare and driving performance. This road danger is not new, it has been recognized for decades and little done.

Car manufacturers and after market lighting suppliers need a set of standards. More light makes it easier to see the road in front of a car, but having a temporarily blinded driver headed in your direction is a consequence to be avoided. Weather such as we experience in Canada can accentuate the problem of LED lights as the intense blue-white light is reflected from snow, rain or fog.

Halogen headlights have been replaced in many cases with (LED) headlights due to their energy efficiency and lower use of a car’s electrical system — these can be four times brighter that other lights. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that in 2025, 16 per cent of headlight systems tested were rated marginal or poor and driving at night was found to be three times riskier than driving in the daytime.

Considering these factors and the need to aim headlights or position them in a safe manner, it is time to act.

Headlight regulations were last updated in 2021 by Transport Canada who focused on visibility and height, as well as levelling devices and automatic lighting.

These did not address the problem of headlight intensity and glare, yet the world is recognizing this problem and recommending action. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, (UNECE) that includes 56 states found in their 2024 study that over three quarters of its respondents were in favour of amending existing regulations to reduce glare in traffic. They recommend the luminescence of light sources be limited, and that specifications for headlight design take into account the risk of glare.

Britain’s Royal Automobile Club (RAC), found that dazzling headlights were a contributing factor in 263 collisions/year between 2014 and 2023, of which five were fatal. They also acknowledge that these are only the reported ones, and these statistics are likely much higher. Complaints from constituents resulted in a debate on the issue in Westminster Hall last year. A motion called for the regulation of LED brightness to improve safety for all users.

Even with a new lens in both eyes, the problem of headlight glare will continue to affect my night driving. The research has been done in various countries — now it is time for the government to act.

The Department of Transport doesn’t need another survey, the research has been done. Both our city council and provincial government should be following Vancouver’s lead insisting on new regulations for headlight specifications that reduce glare and save lives.

Dave Taylor is a regular contributor to the Winnipeg Free Press. Please see his blog at https://variousfp.wordpress.com/