Automakers Don't Want to Fix Their Blindingly Bright Headlights

Everyone agrees there's a problem. The problem-makers don't want to fix it.

Photo by: Benda Motorcycles

By: Jonathon Klein

Jul 22, at 9:10am ET

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Lately, I've truly hated riding at night. Not because of the critters I have to duck. Not because it's cold. Not because it's even dark and spooky in my night skies-loving hamlet with no outdoor lighting. No, it's because every damn new car, truck or SUV has lights that amount to the sun's lumen count. TL:DR; they're bright as all hell.

The issue has become one that most everyone knows and everyone complains about, as in recent years, new trucks, cars and SUV lights have seemingly gotten brighter and brighter with each passing year. And while most automakers won't cop to such increases in brightness, they've been forced to admit its actually a thing in court numerous times now, with Tesla and the NHTSA going to battle in the most recent case.

What sort of battle, you ask? Well, Tesla says it shouldn't have to do anything because of its blindly bright lights because it doesn't affect road safety in any real way. The NHTSA says, no, it does. But Tesla isn't alone in not wanting to fix the problem of the ever-increasing headlight brightness, as multiple automakers argue it isn't a thing either.

A few years before Tesla's latest case, as detailed by our friends at The Drive, GM was the subject of a campaign to get the goliath automaker to change its headlights to something that didn't resemble that of a nuclear blast. GM said, like Tesla, everything was fine, and the parts were operating as specified. Likewise, they said no one officially complained about their headlights to the NHTSA, so the organization couldn't go after GM because of their own feelings and vibes.

GM also said that the fact that its headlights were too bright was "inconsequential" to drivers. A vast majority of the driving public would disagree with that statement, though. Porsche, on the other hand, voluntarily recalled a number of its own 911s to fix its own too bright headlights. But Tesla isn't Porsche, and Tesla didn't want to fix its headlights, just like GM.

According to our siblings at InsideEVs, "Technically Tesla was in the spotlight back in 2024. Tesla notified the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that about 20,000 Model 3 and Model Y EVs had headlights that exceeded the maximum allowable brightness allowed by law in specific zones (in some cases, by nearly double)."

They added, "Tesla's petition to NHTSA said that the defect was 'inconsequential' to safety. Now, more than two years after the automaker tried to play off the lighting defect as no big deal, the feds have revisited the issue and denied Tesla's petition to avoid issuing a recall. Tesla has since been ordered to remedy the defect." Whether Tesla complies or fights the order, however, given Tesla's Elon Musk's relationship with the current administration, has yet to be determined. But the NHTSA going after these headlights is good news for consumers, as it helps reduce the massive glare they produce, as well as the blinding beams that could cause an accident.

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There could also be further hope, as Congress—as dysfunctional and feckless as it is—introduced the LIGHT (Limiting Intense Glare for Highway and Two-lane) Safety Act, which would directly the Secretary of Transportation's office to study the growing problem and relay what should be done after the study is over. Now, if that sounds like more bureaucratic nonsense designed to allow Congress not to have to make a call, you're absolutely correct. They have the power to do something, but they're rather pass the buck down the road for someone else to deal with.

Meanwhile, we're all riding our motorcycles in the dark and blind as bats whenever someone in a new car is in the opposing lane. Great stuff! sigh