Are the increasingly common LED headlights on newer vehicles making our roads more dangerous?
If you’ve been blinded by the light and you’re revved up about it, Transport Canada wants your input.
The federal government department launched a public survey on the topic earlier this month that will remain open until April 20, 2026.
“While new headlight technology in vehicles can help drivers see better, they can also cause problems for other road users,” the survey’s introduction reads.
The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and Transport Canada says feedback will remain anonymous, adding that data will be aggregated for “reporting purposes.”
“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,” Transport Canada wrote.
“This includes travel by driving, walking, cycling, and any other modes of road transportation.”
A petition on the topic was also submitted to the House of Commons in February. So far it’s garnered 9,668 signatures.
The petition, initiated by a resident of Quebec, calls on the government to modernize federal regulations governing motor vehicle headlights and more strictly regulate the colour spectrum, power and dispersion of light beams (particularly those using LED technology).
A Reddit thread on the topic included several comments bemoaning the new, seemingly brighter headlights.
“I had an instance recently where I legitimately couldn’t see if someone’s blinker was on because their headlights were so bright,” one commenter said.
“I’m annoyed at the brightness of my own lights,” another added. “People constantly flashing me.”
Another drew a parallel with distracted driving when it comes to the associated dangers.
“It’s basically the same as looking away at your phone while driving, which is deemed distracted driving and illegal. I can’t see anything for a good couple seconds when I have a vehicle’s headlights blinding me.”
