NIGHT DRIVING - Blinded by the Light

“Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce
Another runner in the night”  

Manfred Mann

Has this ever happened to you?  You’re driving on a narrow road in the dark, when the headlights of oncoming traffic suddenly blind you, leaving you wondering where is the road and whether you might crash.

With sunset now coming as early as 5 pm (thanks to the return to Standard Time), driving in the dark becomes a real challenge if not a danger.  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data shows nighttime crashes are three times more likely than daytime, even on dry roads.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?                 There are several reasons that headlights appear so bright.  The first is that the headlights may not be properly aligned, aiming too high.  And with more vehicles riding higher from the road (think SUVs and trucks), their headlights shine more directly into oncoming traffic.

Most problematic are the new kinds of headlights we use.  The older incandescent (yellowish) lightbulbs are being replaced by LED or xenon lights, which are blue-white and more glaring to your eyes.

That’s because bright oncoming headlights, especially the bluish ones, cause the pupils in your eyes to constrict rapidly, literally blinding you until the oncoming vehicle passes and your eyes adjust.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?                When bright lights come at you, don’t look into the oncoming beam.  Instead, look to the right edge or lane marker of your driving lane.  Use anti-glare mirrors, especially  in your rear-view mirror,  so headlights on vehicles behind you don’t hit your eyes.  Most of all, slow down!  Being blinded on darkened roads, coated with wet slippery leaves, is dangerous.

WILL BLUE LIGHT GLASSES HELP?             Even with good driving habits, glare from new headlight technology can still feel intense leading some drivers to look for solutions like special glasses.  But the jury’s still out on this idea.  

Stylish... but safer?

Some manufacturers and optometrists say that lenses designed to block or filter short-wavelength blue light can help reduce the perceived glare by filtering out that part of the spectrum.  Some glasses described as “for night driving” (the ones that are often yellow in tint) also have reflective coatings. 

Doctors say some patients swear by these specs, making them more confident.  But safety experts say you shouldn’t take this as license to drive faster than is safe for the road conditions.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?                 You can start by making sure you’re not part of the problem.  Get your own headlights checked for alignment at your mechanic or national chains like Midas or Goodyear.  It’ll cost you about $100.

It used to be that the Connecticut DMV checked headlight alignments during your bi-annual emissions tests, but that ended in 2001.  A bill (HB 6163) before the Connecticut legislature in 2023 would have restored those tests, but it never became law.

In the UK they’re taking this problem more seriously, upping testing of headlight brightness and where they aim down the road.  Some are even calling for a ban on super-bright LED and xenon bulbs.  UK stats claim 280 collisions a year in that country are caused by the dazzling bulbs.

Meantime, take it easy on the roads at night.  Maybe even avoid driving in those hours, if you can.  Try the glasses, if you’d like.  But above all… stay safe!