Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the impact of vehicle headlight glare on road safety; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that vehicle lighting standards adequately protect road users from being dazzled by headlights.

Historical police recorded collision statistics in Great Britain identified glare from headlamps as a contributory factor in some collisions. Whilst those statistics do not show any discernible trend over time that would suggest an underlying road safety issue linked to advances in road vehicle lighting technology, the government also acknowledges that glare is a real frustration for many drivers and may be discouraging motorists from driving at night.

Modern vehicle headlamps are designed, tested and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare across a wide range of road and environmental conditions. Nevertheless, given the concerns raised, work is underway at the international level to understand and address the issue. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, the government is also undertaking further targeted research in this area to inform that international work.