With up to nine hours more darkness to contend with each day than at the height of summer, you may be tempted by 'night driving glasses', readily available online, which claim to help reduce the glare of bright headlights from oncoming traffic.
Indeed, when we asked Which? members about the issue of bright car headlights, many mentioned using such glasses in their responses.
We asked the experts and found that night driving glasses aren't a good idea, as they can actually make visibility worse. We explain what the problem is, and other ways to make driving at night safer.
Are car headlights too bright?
Research in 2022 by the RAC found that 63% of drivers complained of being dazzled more often by glare from oncoming headlights than a year or two before, with some avoiding night-time driving altogether because of it.
RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) is often contacted by people concerned about headlight dazzle, something which was listed as a contributory factor in 273 collisions in 2019, resulting in 84 serious injuries and five fatalities.
The Department for Transport says there's no evidence to suggest there is an underlying road safety issue associated with modern vehicle lighting, but RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis says: 'The truth is we need the government to investigate the topic properly.'
Here are some of the reasons headlight glare is on the rise:
Bulbs have got brighter
Although many older cars still use 'yellow light' halogen headlamp bulbs, new cars tend to be fitted with brighter and more economical bluish-white LED headlights or xenon/high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs as standard.
These newer bulbs can help to improve the driver's view of the road at night, but it can be at the expense of visibility for anyone coming towards them.
Cars have got taller
Research suggests that the increased popularity of SUVs and other taller vehicles are also creating issues for motorists, especially those driving lower vehicles such as hatchbacks, saloons and estates.
For example, a Range Rover Evoque is 1.65 metres high, compared with a Vauxhall Astra that is around 1.44 metres, or a Mazda MX5 which, at 1.25 metres high, is 40cm lower.
More than half of drivers in the RAC research said SUVs were the main reason for being temporarily blinded when driving at night, either by oncoming traffic or from behind.
Incorrectly adjusted headlights
Carrying a heavy load in your vehicle can affect the angle at which your headlamps shine. That's why it's important to adjust them, if necessary, as well as regularly checking headlamp alignment (either at home or with the help of a mechanic).
Misaligned headlights can cause blind spots or low visibility of the road if they're too low. Or if they're too high, they can blind oncoming drivers or those driving ahead of you.
Either way, they can cause your car to fail its MOT and even lead to accidents.
Certain eye conditions can worsen glare
Some eye conditions can cause 'disability glare', when a bright light source makes us see objects less well, such as driving towards the sun, and although it's not uncomfortable it can lead to an increased risk of car accidents.
Edward Fox, dispensing optician at the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, says: 'As we get older, many people can develop conditions such as cataracts, which can contribute to glare at night.'
Having said that, when it comes to headlight glare, the RAC found that younger drivers reported more of a problem than older ones – 30% of drivers aged 17-34 thought headlights were too bright, compared with around 19% of those aged 65 and over.
Why night driving glasses aren't the answer
Glasses labelled for night driving that are sold online typically have distinctive yellow-tinted lenses.
The idea is that the yellow lenses help to block blue light, such as that emitted by LED or HID headlights, increasing night-time road visibility and reducing oncoming headlight glare.
We found glasses with yellow lenses being sold online as 'night vision glasses for driving' and 'anti glare' or 'night driving' glasses, with some even claiming to 'solve' the problem of glare from high beams.
Optician Edward Fox told us: 'Tinted lenses of any kind will make dark areas of the road appear darker at night and for this reason they are not safe.'
People with certain eye diseases that reduce contrast sensitivity may find yellow-tinted lenses improve contrast, but only during the day in bright conditions, and this should be discussed with a dispensing optician rather than buying them off the shelf, to ensure they're suited to your needs.
– what methods could destroy your specs and what you should use insteadWhat lenses can you use at night?
The AA says there are two essential requirements in lenses for driving, namely that vision must remain clear, and sufficient light must get to your eyes to let you see properly.
If you're planning to wear your glasses when driving at night, speak to your dispensing optician first.
It's possible that anti-glare or anti-reflective coatings on your prescription lenses could help. These have a very faint green or blue hue designed to absorb and redirect reflected light.
However, this only applies if you already need glasses. Edward Fox warns: 'If you do not need to wear a prescription then non-prescription glasses with anti-glare coating could actually make things worse because adding a lens means there are more surfaces for lights to reflect off.'
6 tips for safe driving in the dark
undefinedGet your eyes tested regularly. Adjust your rear-view mirror. 'Are my headlights dazzling others?'Keep your distance when driving. Let your eyes adapt to the dark. If in doubt, take it slow or stop. source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/are-night-driving-glasses-safe-to-wear-a20Q17g8xnyD