MP calls for research into night-driving glasses as blinding complaints rise
Brian Mathew says he's used them himself and found them helpful
A Wiltshire MP is calling for more research into special night-driving glasses.
Melksham and Devizes MP, Brian Mathew, wants the case for there use to be made stronger and official standards to be introduced.
He said the figures are "as stark as a bright light coming round the corner at night on a dark country road".
Mr Mathew highlighted some statistics from the RAC, which found four in five drivers complain of bright vehicle lights on the road.
He said: "95% of drivers think that at least some headlights are too bright. 53% have been temporarily blinded while driving." Furthermore, he said that the RAC's research found nearly 80% of drivers struggle to see when a vehicle is indicating due to bright lights, and a quarter of people avoid driving at night.
Mr Mathew added that there appears to be an issue with automatic dipping headlights, with systems not dipping the lights until it senses a directly oncoming light.
He also emphasised the safety risks that are brewing as a result.
"For those of us that can see a light in the distance and consequently dip our headlights manually, this courtesy is not returned until the first flash of the lights as they round a corner and this makes for more bad temper on our roads, occasional retaliation, and, of course, the danger of being blinded."
It's prompted his calls for the Government's Transport and Road Research Laboratory to carry out research into the special night-driving glasses, which he says he has used and found "useful and effective".
The glasses have yellow lenses, which remove the blinding blue light from headlights.
He wants further knowledge to be found on how effective the glasses can be, as well as a potential kite mark issued alongside the British Standards Institute for approved night driving glasses.
He added: "Other problems, such as the fitting of LED bulbs to standard car light housings, are already illegal. Making this point of law more widely known, as well as stats on the issue of issuing penalty points for this offence, would, I'm sure, be widely welcomed and be of public benefit."