Are night driving glasses safe to wear?

Bad weather and shorter days can make driving in the winter difficult, and the dazzle of car headlights can make it even more of a challenge.

With up to nine hours more darkness to contend with each day than at the height of summer, you may be tempted by 'night driving glasses', readily available online, which claim to help reduce the glare of bright headlights from oncoming traffic.

Indeed, when we asked Which? members about the issue of bright car headlights, many mentioned using such glasses in their responses.

But experts told us they had concerns about people using night driving glasses as they can actually make visibility worse. We explain what the problem is, and other ways to make driving at night safer.

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Are car headlights too bright? 

Research by motoring organisation the RAC, published in 2024, found that 91% of drivers surveyed said they are dazzled from the glare of oncoming headlights, an increase from 88% in 2022.

The majority thought that at least some headlights on cars on the road today are too bright (89%), and one in 10 said it takes six or more seconds for them to see again clearly after being dazzled - enough time for a driver travelling at 60mph to travel the equivalent of 40 car lengths.

Government statistics show that since 2013, there have been an average 280 collisions a year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor, with six a year involving someone losing their life. 

Yet the Department of Transport has said there's no evidence to suggest there's an underlying road safety issue associated with modern vehicle lighting. RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis says: 'We urgently need the Government to take a closer look at the issue, ideally by commissioning an independent study to understand what's causing an increase in reports of dazzling and, most importantly, what can be done to keep drivers safe.'

Here are some of the reasons headlight glare is on the rise:

Bulbs have got brighter

Although many older cars still use 'yellow light' halogen headlamp bulbs, new cars tend to be fitted with brighter and more economical bluish-white LED headlights or xenon/high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs as standard.

These newer bulbs can help to improve the driver's view of the road at night, but it can be at the expense of visibility for anyone coming towards them.

Cars have got taller

Research suggests that the increased popularity of SUVs and other taller vehicles are also creating issues for motorists, especially those driving lower vehicles such as hatchbacks, saloons and estates.

For example, a Range Rover Evoque is 1.65 metres high, compared with a Vauxhall Astra that is around 1.44 metres, or a Mazda MX5 which, at 1.25 metres high, is 40cm lower.

The RAC's research found that 62% of drivers of conventional cars blame dazzle on higher vehicles.

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Incorrectly adjusted headlights

Carrying a heavy load in your vehicle can affect the angle at which your headlamps shine. That's why it's important to adjust them, if necessary, as well as regularly checking headlamp alignment (either at home or with the help of a mechanic).

Misaligned headlights can cause blind spots or low visibility of the road if they're too low. Or if they're too high, they can blind oncoming drivers or those driving ahead of you.

Either way, they can cause your car to fail its MOT and even lead to accidents.

Certain eye conditions can worsen glare

Some eye conditions can cause 'disability glare', when a bright light source makes us see objects less well, such as driving towards the sun, and although it's not uncomfortable it can lead to an increased risk of car accidents.

Edward Fox, dispensing optician at the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, says: 'As we get older, many people can develop conditions such as cataracts, which can contribute to glare at night.'

Having said that, when it comes to headlight glare, the RAC found that younger drivers reported more of a problem than older ones – 30% of drivers aged 17-34 thought headlights were too bright, compared with around 19% of those aged 65 and over.

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Why night driving glasses aren't the answer

Glasses labelled for night driving that are sold online typically have distinctive yellow-tinted lenses.

The idea is that the yellow lenses help to block blue light, increasing night-time road visibility and reducing oncoming headlight glare.

However, a small-scale 2019 study showed that yellow-tinted glasses neither reduced glare nor helped motorists see pedestrians more easily, leading the researchers to say they couldn't support them being recommended by eyecare specialists.

We found glasses with yellow lenses being sold online as 'night vision glasses for driving' and 'anti glare' or 'night driving' glasses, with some even claiming to 'solve' the problem of glare from high beams.

Optician Edward Fox told us: 'Tinted lenses of any kind will make dark areas of the road appear darker at night and for this reason they are not safe.'

People with certain eye diseases that reduce contrast sensitivity may find yellow-tinted lenses improve contrast, but only during the day in bright conditions, and this should be discussed with a dispensing optician rather than buying them off the shelf, to ensure they're suited to your needs.

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What lenses can you use at night?

The AA says there are two essential requirements in lenses for driving, namely that vision must remain clear, and sufficient light must get to your eyes to let you see properly.

If you're planning to wear your glasses when driving at night, speak to your dispensing optician first.

It's possible that you may benefit from prescription specs with anti-glare or anti-reflective coatings, which have a very faint green or blue hue designed to absorb and redirect reflected light.

The 2024 RAC research found that a quarter (25%) of drivers experiencing glare said they had benefitted from glasses treated in this way (slightly up from 22% in 2022).

However, this only applies if you already need glasses. Edward Fox warns: 'If you do not need to wear a prescription then non-prescription glasses with anti-glare coating could actually make things worse because adding a lens means there are more surfaces for lights to reflect off.'

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6 tips for safe driving in the dark

1. Get your eyes tested regularly. Edward Fox says: 'If night driving is becoming difficult, the first thing to do is book an eye test.' This will help to pick up any health problems that could be adding to your light sensitivity and enable your optician to help you – for example, by suggesting anti-glare or anti-reflection coating on your lenses.
2. Adjust your rear-view mirror. Although some cars have tinted rear windows or self-dimming rear-view mirrors, most need you to manually adjust the mirror when it's dark – do this to help cut down on glare. 
3. 'Are my headlights dazzling others?' If you're being dazzled, it's possible you're doing the same to others, so check your car's manual to find out how to adjust the angle of your headlights - particularly if you're driving an unusually heavy load.
4. Keep your distance when driving. Our ability to judge the distance between two objects – so-called depth perception – isn't as good when it's dark, so leaving more space between you and the vehicle in front is a good night-time driving strategy.
5. Let your eyes adapt to the dark. Rather than jumping straight into your car and driving off when it's dark, sit for a minute or two to allow your eyes to adjust to the lower light levels.
6. If in doubt, take it slow or stop. The Highway Code says you should slow down and, if necessary, stop if you find you're dazzled by oncoming headlights. 

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Note: Story originally published 9 November 2023, but updated in January 2024 to reference new RAC survey insights from drivers.