In 2023, the number of accidents in which the glare from headlights was a factor rose to 216 in England. Now, 1,000 drivers want to ban LED headlights.
LED headlights have come under fire in the UK, with thousands of drivers calling for them to be banned. A survey by the Automobile Association found that three-quarters of its members felt dazzled by LED lights in traffic.
"Our members have told us they are feeling the strain of brighter headlights more than ever before," Edmund King, chairman of the Automobile Association, told the Daily Mail.
The dissatisfaction has led to a petition started by Gemma Mooney, who wants a ban on LED headlights in the UK. At the time of writing, over 1,300 have signed.
"I think they (the LED lights, ed.) have some dangerous light," Gemma Mooney tells the Express newspaper.
The situation has prompted the British government to launch an independent investigation into the safety of LED headlights.
This is reported by Sky News .
The study comes after a rise in the number of accidents where glare from headlights has been a contributing factor. In 2023, the number was 216 accidents, an increase from the previous year.
Graeme Downie, a member of the Labour party in the British parliament, has expressed concern to Sky News.
"The increased safety for individual drivers cannot be at the expense of other road users and pedestrians."
LED lights have long been used outside the EU, but it was not until 2020 that the technology was fully approved within the union's borders.
– A test conducted by the German motorists' organization ADAC at the end of last year concluded that all car owners in the EU should switch to LED headlights, as they provide better lighting and have a longer lifespan than traditional halogen bulbs.
The results of the British study are expected to be published later this summer. Until then, it is unknown whether LED headlights will be banned in the UK.
Last year, it became much easier to replace older halogen bulbs with LED bulbs. Following approval in Germany, the Danish Road Safety Agency confirmed to Boosted that the light source is completely legal to use in older cars. Read more about it here .
