Are Vehicle Headlights Blinding You at Night?

[IronNoggin]

Are Vehicle Headlights Blinding You at Night? Transport Canada Asks the Public to Weigh In​

If you think bright headlights are becoming an issue on Canadian roadways, Ottawa is giving you the chance to have your say.

Transport Canada has launched a nationwide consultation to collect public feedback on increasing vehicle headlight glare, with a focus on LED technology, high-mounted lights on SUVs/trucks, and improper aiming.

The survey, which runs until April 20, seeks input on how these bright, blue-toned lights impact safety, comfort, and night driving for Canadians.

“While new headlight technology in vehicles can help drivers see better, they can also cause problems for other road users,” the ministry said in a post last month. “Transport Canada wants to learn how headlight glare affects road users and what vehicle or lighting features may influence how people experience it at night.”

The 30-question survey, which opened on March 6, asks about personal experiences driving at night, specific factors creating glare, and driver behaviours, such as the use of high beams or installing modified bulbs.

All respondents must be at least 16 years old and reside in Canada to participate.

The consultation comes in response to complaints from drivers and formal requests from municipalities like Victoria and Vancouver to review safety regulations for vehicle lighting.

Victoria’s city council unanimously passed a motion in February urging federal and provincial governments to review and update regulations for vehicle headlight brightness, height, and glare. The motion led by Coun. Dave Thompson calls on Transport Canada to treat headlight glare as a serious safety issue, particularly for older drivers as well as for those on foot or bicycles.

The City of Vancouver also passed a motion urging Transport Canada to look into the headlight issue.

The motion from Coun. Sean Orr calls on the federal government to set more precise and enforceable restrictions on headlight brightness, beam pattern, and mounting height. It also asked Ottawa to improve supervision of adaptive and high-intensity lighting technologies while also improving regulations and enforcement concerning non-compliant aftermarket vehicle lighting.

Transport Canada’s headlight regulations fall under the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard—CMVSS 108—requirements. The rules focus on technical aspects like brightness, aiming, and height, but don’t explicitly address glare.

The regulations require that all new vehicles sold in Canada as of September 2021, have either tail-lights that come on automatically with daytime running lights, headlights, tail-lights and side marker lights that turn on automatically in the dark, or a dashboard that stays dark to alert the driver to turn on the lights but glare is not addressed.

The ministry has said it is working on headlight glare by updating federal rules for new vehicles, and allowing adaptive systems, but added that the agency has said that enforcement of aftermarket LED swaps falls to the provinces.

Are Vehicle Headlights Blinding You at Night? Transport Canada Asks the Public to Weigh In

www.theepochtimes.com

SURVEY HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/F9WBTLZ

 

[pescador]

Yes. It’s a problem. Done.

 

[MRWood]

This says it all lol.

 

[M1SF1T]

Problem is mostly with aim not the type of device emitting light...

People used to complain about high colour temperature halogens when seal beams went away too.

 

[sly_karma]

Problem is mostly with aim not the type of device emitting light...

People used to complain about high colour temperature halogens when seal beams went away too.

... and how many people re-aim their lights after installing a lift or leveling kit?

 

[ab1752]

Im also finding that a lot of people do not dim their highbeams on the highway any more, just set and forget. Tesla seems to have the most intense lights around for whatever reason. The aftermarket led kits rarely have any directors to aim correctly and just scatter the light all over the place.

 

[pescador]

My 2011 BMW lights look like 2 flashlights strapped to my fenders when I compare them to these modern high intensity lights.

 

[Corey_lax]

Im also finding that a lot of people do not dim their highbeams on the highway any more, just set and forget. Tesla seems to have the most intense lights around for whatever reason. The aftermarket led kits rarely have any directors to aim correctly and just scatter the light all over the place.

I think teslas are aimed too high from the factory

 

[MRWood]

Problem is mostly with aim not the type of device emitting light...

People used to complain about high colour temperature halogens when seal beams went away too.

I’m not sure why aim is a problem. Have the manufacturers forgotten how to adjust their lights properly. Seems like very basic issue if in fact that is the issue.

 

[Rain City]

Im also finding that a lot of people do not dim their highbeams on the highway any more, just set and forget. Tesla seems to have the most intense lights around for whatever reason. The aftermarket led kits rarely have any directors to aim correctly and just scatter the light all over the place.

I'm pretty sure most Vancouver drivers don't know that they can turn high-beams off. Or know that they're even on for that matter.

What I've also learned is that driving toward people and flashing your high-beams to let them know that they've left them on just pisses off your wife and you shouldn't do it 40 times on the way to Superstore.

 

[M1SF1T]

... and how many people re-aim their lights after installing a lift or leveling kit?

I don't know. Wouldn't matter though if its halogen projectors or LEDs.

I had some sweet PIAAs in my old truck that were like a laser beam. Had to be aimed though, both to get performance and for the sake of other cars.

Last thing we need is more government studies and regulations surrounding headlights.

 

[sly_karma]

I don't know. Wouldn't matter though if its halogen projectors or LEDs.

I had some sweet PIAAs in my old truck that were like a laser beam. Had to be aimed though, both to get performance and for the sake of other cars.

You got it, the light source is less of a problem than the aim and driver behavior. The thing that makes it more problematic now is population has grown, more cars on the road, and there's more trucks and tall SUVs.

 

[M1SF1T]

For sure people are the problem... People are stupider than ever too.

But whatever problems we have, the government is the last group we should be looking to to fix it. They're likely to just ban driving after dark... problem solved.