Posted on 01/07/2026 11:48:50 AM PST by Red Badger
Key Points
* Headlight brightness has doubled in a decade, with widespread driver complaints and frustration.
* Regulatory loopholes allow manufacturers to increase brightness because of outdated federal standards.
* Regulations capping maximum brightness for LED headlights have still not been formulated.
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Illuminated headlights on an urban street at night
The Bright Headlights Crisis Is Far From Over
If you find yourself squinting while driving at night, you’re not alone. The IIHS reports that average headlight brightness has roughly doubled in the last decade. The NHTSA receives growing consumer complaints regarding headlight brightness. There’s a real, widespread anger out there; there’s even a subreddit with over 44,000 members complaining about this growing and very real crisis.
The numbers support the public’s frustration. Older halogen bulbs produced approximately 1,000 lumens. Newer factory-fitted LEDs produce up to 4,000 lumens or more. Some aftermarket LEDs have been found to produce 10,000 lumens or more. But the problem is that the federal brightness standards for automotive headlights have not changed for decades.
Regulatory Loopholes Made The Issue Worse
The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 hasn’t had significant updates since 1986, with an addition allowing Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) headlights coming only in 2022. The NHTSA last investigated the issue of headlamp glare in 2003. The current standards include huge loopholes for auto manufacturers to emit as much light as desired, as long as the manufacturer meets the requirements of the other parts of the regulation.
LEDs can be made to focus light using lasers, and auto manufacturers use this ability to their advantage. The regulatory standard prohibits excessive light in certain areas by referencing old technologies, but manufacturers design the areas in question to be shaded so that the total light output can still be increased greatly overall. Manufacturers want as much light as possible in order to get a high score for the IIHS headlight safety ratings.
Blinding Headlights Are a Global Problem
Blinding headlights are something that people from all over the world are complaining about, but very few countries have taken proactive measures. The UK has decided to require all new vehicles sold after December 2025 to have adaptive headlights. Since 2010, European countries have utilized ADB technology, which automatically dims the light in areas that are directly ahead of oncoming vehicles. Although the U.S. finally approved the ADB technology in 2022, manufacturers are wary of implementing it because of conflicting regulations, with a few exceptions, such as Rivian.
Less Brightness, More Logic
To fix this problem, the first step is to update Standard 108 with a cap on the maximum allowable brightness for LED technology. Next, states should begin requiring headlight alignment inspection during vehicle inspections. Finally, NHTSA should enforce a ban against the sale of aftermarket LEDs that exceed the allowed brightness, at least for on-road use.
The Soft Lights Foundation has collected over 77,000 signatures calling for federal action to limit headlight brightness. People are frustrated with being temporarily blinded while driving, and it’s high time some regulation was put into place. Vehicles have become cleaner and safer through smart regulation; the same just needs to be done with headlights.
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About the author
Simran Rastogi News Editor, Autoblog
Simran Rastogi is an automotive journalist with over a decade of experience writing and road testing for leading Indian and international outlets, including OVERDRIVE, India Today, and HotCars. Passionate about both modern and classic cars, he combines deep research with engaging storytelling to make automotive content accessible to all audiences.
Right but the low beams are still way too bright
4k or 6k lumens compared to 1k low beams 30 years ago.
I love my LED headlights. I won’t buy a vehicle without them. Automatic dealbreaker.
Because of auto-dimming rear view mirrors. Both my truck and my CUV have auto-dimming mirrors, inside and out. Both also have LED headlights, which I love.
HID headlights are not prohibited. My 2015 Hyundai had them. Manufacturers have simply moved on to LED headlights, which I like much better.
Both my 2024 GMC Sierra and my 2022 Subaru Forester have auto-dimming rear view mirrors and auto-dimming exterior mirrors on both sides.
My 2003 GMC Envoy Denali had them.
That's a 23 year old vehicle!
He's not wrong ... it's just even worse than that. All those lights create a "wall" of light that I can't see past. I can't tell which (if any) lane is open, or where people might be walking, or even what the nature of the situation is. It's very dangerous.
You’re correct. A few years ago I was driving and came upon two stopped patrol cars with all the lights on. I moved over to the left lane. The two deputies, dressed in black were standing fully in the right lane near the left lane markers. I honestly didn’t see them until I was about 20 feet away.
The problem stems from people just buying and installing more powerful/brighter LED bulbs in their headlight. The original headlight assembly is not designed to refract LED light. When installing LED lights, you must install the full LED headlight assembly and have it adjusted correctly.
It’s the LEDs. They put out a brighter, whiter (actually bluer) light than the old incandescent bulbs...........
I believe some of the issue now is that many of the new autos have AUTOMATIC dimming headlights.
So, unlike US that remember the little button/switch on the left side of the floor(to the left of the CLUTCH pedal). There is no way to DIM some of these modern cars.
Here in NH the AIM of your headlights was part of the annual inspection. To make sure your lights were NOT pointed too high. However, as of 2026 you no longer are required to have an annual inspection of your automobile here in NH.
I have mixed feelings on that particular subject. I personally think they should have changed it to every two years.
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