Millions of drivers urged to make crucial car change to avoid headlight glare and £5,000 fine next month

With Britons preparing to drive more frequently during darker hours, despite the risk of bright headlights dazzling other road users.

Data from the RAC has shown that millions of motorists struggle to deal with the impact of headlights in the winter months, with elderly drivers "disproportionately affected".

A quarter of Britons said they were driving less because they find headlights too bright, while 22 per cent said they wish they could stay off the road during darker months.

Almost half (49 per cent) of drivers said they feel less safe as a result of bright headlights, while five per cent have been forced off the road at night altogether.

However, to combat the impact of dazzling headlights, experts have called on drivers to make changes to their own cars to reduce glare from headlights over the autumn and winter months.

Graham Conway, from Select Car Leasing, said drivers had only recently realised that rear-view mirrors have a "night mode" that can reduce the effect of headlight glare for motorists.

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He said: "In most vehicles, the mirror itself is a wedge-shaped piece of glass that has, essentially, two surfaces. One is fully reflective, the other is only partially reflective, and you can toggle between the two surfaces via a tab or button.

"During the day, the default position is fully reflective. But when the sun goes down - when you risk being dazzled by headlights looming up behind you - you can switch to night shift mode, which brings the dimmer, less reflective surface into play."

Modern vehicles also have a huge impact on the intensity of headlight glare, given that most cars have brighter LED lights, which appear to be white.

This is in contrast to older vehicles that tend to contain halogen bulbs. These tend to have a yellow hue and are generally seen to dazzle other motorists less frequently.

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The buying habits of motorists are also having an impact, most notably with the rise in SUVs. These larger vehicles have a more targeted beam of light, which can often be focused towards the faces of oncoming drivers.

Mr Conway added: "If headlight glare is blinding you, look towards the left edge of the road, try not to swerve, and give your vision time to recover by slowing down or coming to a complete stop.

"If you continue onwards with compromised vision, you actually risk being charged with an offence of careless driving, which attracts a minimum £100 fine and three penalty points.

"The fine could even rise to £5,000 in the most serious cases while you could be hit with nine penalty points. Don’t take the risk."

The Government, alongside the Transport Research Laboratory, conducted tests to analyse the impacts that bright headlights have on drivers.

GB News has confirmed that the trials have concluded, with the Department for Transport assessing the findings in the report.

A DfT spokesperson told GB News: "We know there is increased public concern about headlamp glare - that's why we have commissioned independent research to better understand the root causes, which will help identify potential mitigations.

"This project is expected to conclude in the summer, and we will update on its findings as soon as possible.

"There is also work underway at an international level on headlight glare prevention, which we will consider."