Vancouver city council unanimously passed a motion last week, calling on the federal government to address overly bright vehicle headlights.
The mayor will write a letter to Transport Canada urging action to address excessive headlight brightness, including updates to national vehicle safety standards.
“I remember asking myself when I first started seeing these headlights on the road: how is this legal?” said Coun. Sean Orr, who submitted the motion, in last week’s meeting.
Experts say LED headlights on newer vehicles are brighter, smaller, and bluer than the warmer old-style halogen lights on cars people grew up with. This creates a more intense, concentrated light that causes people to squint in discomfort.
The motion notes that excessively bright car headlights are increasingly common in Vancouver, and are a growing concern for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
Vancouver city council calls on Ottawa to address headlight brightness in new vehicles
Margie Sanderson with Vision Zero Vancouver, a group that advocates for better street safety, says not only are headlights brighter, but on large vehicles they are also higher up.
“They pierce right into your eyes,” said Sanderson on CBC’s On The Coast. “We know that it’s a safety issue, it’s blinding people.”
Sanderson said different jurisdictions, like Europe and Asia, have stricter headlight regulations in comparison to North America.
Similarly, Sanderson said the federal government could enforce rules on manufacturers.
“There are the tools out there and our federal government could actually make the changes,” she said.
She says there are some autobody shops that have the technology to test headlight brightness, for those who want to check.
For those who are concerned about being blinded, Sanderson recommends driving slowly, allowing plenty of following distance, and using the night mode feature on car mirrors in vehicles that have that option.
“Brighter is not always better,” said Sanderson. “We need proper aim so that we’re illuminating the right parts of the road and we’re really able to see well.”
The city will also bring this motion to the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference this summer.
