Transport Canada illuminates issue of bright vehicle headlights and glare

People walk through the headlights of vehicles in the evening fog in Toronto, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston)

If you’re bothered by bright vehicle headlights and night driving glare, Canada’s transportation department wants to hear from you.

Transport Canada has launched an online survey that aims to illuminate issues caused by modern vehicle headlights.

“While new headlight technology in vehicles can help drivers see better, they can also cause problems for other road users,” Transport Canada says. “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.”

If you have feedback to share, you can take Transport Canada’s anonymous online survey until April 20. It takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Modern vehicles are increasingly using newer technologies like LED headlights to replace traditional incandescent bulbs. While such headlights might better illuminate roads for drivers, they can also cause distracting glare for other motorists. Found in some premium vehicles or as after-market upgrades, xenon lights have a bluish hue and can also impact the vision of other drivers.

The online survey asks Canadian drivers about night driving, headlight glare and potential solutions.

“We want to hear about your experiences, attitudes, and behaviours with vehicle headlights and how glare from other vehicles’ headlights may impact you or make it harder to see while using roads at night,” the survey states. “This includes travel by driving, walking, cycling, and any other modes of road transportation.”

The Transport Canada survey comes after Vancouver’s city council passed a unanimous motion in January asking the federal government to create clear, enforceable limits on headlight brightness.

“I think it indicates that political will is developing in regards [to] headlight glare,” vehicle lighting expert Daniel Stern told CTV News Vancouver at the time. “Probably one of the biggest issues on how did we get here with these headlights being so bright is that Canada has long handcuffed itself to the U.S. regulations on how cars are built and equipped, and the U.S. regulations don’t care about headlight glare.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver