Are ‘White’ Car Headlights on Toronto Roads Becoming a Driving Hazard? Share Your Thoughts with Transport Canada.

There is growing concern about the increasing brightness of car headlights, particularly LED headlights, and their impact on road safety in Toronto. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians have reported difficulties seeing at night due to the glare from these bright headlights, which can be distracting and potentially dangerous.

Fortunately, this issue is now attracting the attention of influencers, commentators, and public officials, who are urging the City to take immediate action for public safety.

Alec Hodgson, a high school student and new driver, commented, “I have been driving for almost four months now, and one thing that makes me very uneasy is the new white headlamps that some cars are fitted with. They are almost blinding. As a new driver, it can be nerve-racking when all you can see are headlights coming towards you.”

Dr. Christina Schropp, an optometrist, noted that her patients have been discussing vehicle headlights more frequently than ever in her 35-year career.

“Their top complaint is that the headlights seem brighter than what we’re used to,” Schropp explained. “With the new types of car manufacturing and advancements in light technology, including LED and halogen, the brightness of headlights has definitely increased.”

Schropp mentioned that some of her patients have reported difficulties driving due to headlight glare, especially at night and on highways.

Another new driver, Carter Smith, expressed concerns about sharing the road with larger vehicles, saying, “I drive a smaller car, so the lights hit right in my eyes when I am driving.”

The problem extends beyond drivers; pedestrians are also affected.

Praise Soewu, another high school student, stated, “When I’m walking, I have to avert my gaze to the right. Every time I go up a hill, the lights are always too bright.”

The good news, according to Schropp, is that while bright headlights do not affect eye health—thanks to the protection provided by vehicle windshields—they do pose safety concerns.

“We refer to it as ‘the startle.’ A bright light can startle the visual system and impair its ability to focus due to that sudden brightness entering the eye,” she explained. “The problem with ‘the startle’ is how unpredictably a person’s body might react. Some drivers might sharply turn the steering wheel or hit the brakes suddenly, which can lead to losing control of the vehicle, a scenario that can result in an accident.”

Recently, the Vancouver city council unanimously passed a motion calling on Transport Canada (TrC) to address this issue. Meanwhile, an optometrist from Saskatoon, Rachael Berger, has urged TrC to discourage the trend among car owners of using ultra-bright LED headlights.

These calls for action have prompted Transport Canada to gather data on Canadians’ experiences with headlight glare via a survey on its website.

This is an opportunity for everyone to voice their opinions on this matter and inform TrC about the public’s concerns. The survey can be accessed at: https://bit.ly/4c1rfFS.

The survey will remain open until April 20, 2026.

It is open to drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists and includes questions about nighttime travel, driver behavior, and potential system changes to enhance public safety.

So far, more than 142,000 Canadians have participated in the survey, according to an emailed statement from the government.

Some respondents have expressed hope that TrC’s initiative will lead to new guidelines for headlights.

Once the survey closes, the government plans to publish a summary of the feedback on its website.

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