We speak a lot about potholes, speeding, and poor road design. But there is another hazard spreading fast, and it comes with an on switch.
Whether you are on a two-wheeler, driving a car, or simply crossing the road. Suddenly, a bright white light hits your eyes. For a couple of seconds, you cannot fully make sense of what you are seeing. You slow down, squint, and try to regain orientation. Those few seconds matter, because that is exactly when a pedestrian, a pothole, or an unexpected turn can become dangerous.
This is no longer a highway-only problem. It happens on city roads as well, including in Bengaluru, and it feels like it is increasing day by day.
What is changing is not only traffic volume, but the intensity and type of light being thrown at other road users. High power LED headlights, often cool white and harsh, are now common across many kinds of vehicles. This includes not only new vehicles that come with brighter headlamps, but also aftermarket upgrades that can be purchased and fitted with minimal checks. We now see powerful LED setups even on scooters and mopeds, sometimes on vehicles with missing or unclear number plates. Many gig workers and delivery riders use very bright lights, likely to improve visibility and safety for themselves. But whatever the intent, the impact on others can be severe, especially when the lights are too bright, poorly aligned, or used continuously on high beam.
High beam exists for a reason. On highways, in genuinely dark stretches, it can help a driver see further. Even then it is meant to be used briefly and switched back when there is oncoming traffic. But on urban roads, high beam is often treated as the default. Some drivers keep it on without thinking. Others switch to high beam reflexively, particularly when they feel uncertain. The problem is not always ignorance. It is that this behaviour has become normal, and enforcement is rare.
There is also a belief that white light is modern and yellow light is outdated. In practice, cool white LEDs can create harsher glare, especially in rain, dust, or when light reflects off signage and road markings. What looks premium to the owner can be punishing for everyone else.
On highways, glare becomes even more dangerous. Oncoming high beams can confuse drivers in complete darkness, when visual cues are limited. Powerful lights from behind can flood rear view mirrors and disturb drivers who are otherwise driving steadily. Glare from both directions can affect judgement during overtakes, curves, and high-speed driving. We often hear that nighttime accidents happen due to lack of visibility. That may still be true in some places, but the story is changing. Many roads are visible enough under normal headlamps. What increasingly causes trouble is uncontrolled and disproportionate lighting from the front, the back, and the opposite lane.
This may be contributing to accidents and near misses, but clear data linking glare to crashes is limited. That itself becomes part of the problem, because what is not measured is easier to ignore. High end LED lights were once limited to expensive cars. Now they are a routine accessory available in the market, often fitted for a few thousand rupees, with little oversight. This is beginning to resemble light pollution on roads. It forces everyone’s eyes to constantly adjust between glare and darkness, increasing fatigue and reducing night vision.
If we take road safety seriously, we should treat this as more than an irritation. It is a risk factor that affects everyone. Have you experienced this on city roads or highways? When and where does it happen most? Share your experience, because this is a problem we should not accept as normal.