As more teens get on the road, many drivers have noticed the car headlights seem to be blindingly bright. Are headlights actually getting brighter? According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), headlight brightness has nearly doubled in the past decade.

With this increase, some drivers are questioning safety. However, the IIHS reports that “from 2015 to 2023, headlight glare was cited as a factor in only one or two out of every thousand nighttime crashes across 11 U.S. states.” Telling drivers that it’s a minimal cause of crashes.

Even so, many drivers say glare remains a problem. “When I’m driving at night, I can barely see the road because of all the bright lights blinding me; creating an unnecessary safety concern for me and others around me,” Brianna Voung (12) said. While headlights may not be a leading cause of crashes, they can still create safety concerns and unpleasant driving experiences.

As vehicle technology continues to advance, the debate remains: should more be done to reduce headlight glare, or does current research show it is not a major safety threat?