Contributing Factors:
- New headlamp technology
- More nighttime driving
- Aging population
- Trucks/SUVs with higher-mounted headlights
Why Glare is A Safety Hazard:
- Nighttime driving glare causes temporary blindness, reduces contrast, and increases stopping distances by up to 90%.
- Glare triggers poor driving behaviors like squinting, body shifting, and mirror avoidance.
How glare affects the eye:
- Nuisance Glare - distracting or mildly uncomfortable
- Disability Glare - reduces ability to perform critical tasks
Global Policy: A Turning Point in Glare Regulation
The dangers of headlamp and rearview mirror glare are getting regulatory attention.
In late 2024, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) established the Task Force Glare Protection (TFGP)—a global working group focused on assessing the impact of glare on road safety. The task force brings together international experts to evaluate glare’s contribution to nighttime accidents and impaired driver visibility, with the goal of recommending new safety measures and regulations.
Gentex auto-dimming mirrors detect light and dim precisely in response to glare using electrochromic (EC) gel.
- Darkens precisely to the level necessary to eliminate the glare detected
- Reduce glare by up to 94%
- Maintains driver visibility while preventing rods and cones in the eye from becoming oversaturated.
Auto-dimming mirrors are a proven active safety feature that:
- Improves reaction time and reduces stopping distances.
- Reduced eye fatigue and strain
- Contributes to higher safety ratings and driver satisfaction.
- Allows integration of displays & cameras (ADAS), telematics, smart home automation (e.g., HomeLink), microphones & lighting, and more.
Stats from TÜV Rheinland:
- 87% of drivers bothered by glare
- 92% say auto-dimming mirrors make driving safer
- 85% believe they help prevent accidents
Stats from European Survey Glare On Road Traffic by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA):
- 71% of the respondents find the glare unbearable or annoying
- 32% almost always or regularly feel dazzled
- 51% of respondents pinch their eyes shut or even close them briefly
- 58% have problems perceiving objects in the vicinity of the dazzling light source
- 30% stated that they continued to see an image of the light source for a limited time after passing it (afterimage), or even felt pain - indication of physiological glare and restriction of perception/vision
- 75% of those surveyed consider it is necessary to review and update the regulations on reducing glare from vehicle lighting. The survey thus gives the mobility clubs a clear mandate to take action to protect consumers and introduce measures that ultimately lead to less glare in road traffic.
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