Government commissions research into headlight glare following College involvement in campaign

We need to fully understand all the factors that cause glare and that requires support from central policy makers and funding. 

The previous government committed to commissioning research on the issue, but there was no guarantee the new administration would do the same. 

The College, and colleagues in other sectors, continued to keep this issue on the public radar, appearing regularly in national media and trade media outlets. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe then continued to look at the issue and the new UK government commissioned much needed research. 

The Department for Transport (DfT) has commissioned TRL¹ to undertake initial research to understand the factors that can cause glare, and how to address them. 

The project will run from October 2024 into the Spring of 2025. TRL will instrument a car and use it to measure light levels experienced by drivers during real driving on UK roads. In order to build a complete understanding of the conditions that are most likely to give rise to high brightness levels, and glare, the following factors will be taking into consideration: 

• other vehicles
• weather conditions
• ambient lighting

The College and other stakeholders will be involved in a review of scientific evidence This is to ensure that the project generates actionable recommendations for the Department for Transport to take forward in international working groups related to the issue. 

1. TRL was originally formed as the UK government’s Road Research Laboratory. The organisation conducts research into infrastructure, vehicles and human behaviours to enable safer, cleaner, more efficient transport.