The Blinding Reality of Modern Headlights:
- Mark Dworkin
- Jul 30
- 4 min read
John F. McKeon
This article will explore the reasons behind the rise in blinding headlights, their potential impact on road safety, and offer a solution for drivers on our Island to minimize the effects of glare, as well as shed light on a simple solution to a dangerous problem Let us all admit that St. Croix nighttime driving has always presented challenges, but a growing number of drivers are experiencing a more potentially dangerous obstacle: the increasingly bright and often misaligned headlights of other vehicles. What was once a necessary aid for nighttime visibility, the very technology designed to improve road safety – especially the advent of LED headlights – has inadvertently led to a surge in complaints and concerns about glare and its impact on driver safety.
Blinding headlight glare only adds to the problem clearly, potentially leading to hazardous situations and increasing the risk of accidents. While LED headlights offer undeniable benefits in terms of brightness and energy efficiency, their higher intensity and bluer light spectrum, compared to traditional halogen bulbs, contribute significantly to the glare experienced by oncoming motorists. Added to that is the increasing prevalence of taller vehicles, like SUVs and pickup trucks, as a contributing factor, as the higher positioning of their headlights can direct the intense light more directly into the eyes of drivers in lower-sitting cars. on the efforts being made to address this growing concern. But there may be a simple solution to what seems to be a complicated problem.Lets consider the problem that we face in the Virgin Island. Our vehicles have headlight beam patterns for left-hand drive cars in left-hand traffic!
Throughout the world the Countries that drive on the left side of the road typically use right-hand drive (RHD) cars. However, in the VI a left-hand drive (LHD) car is used in a territory where traffic drives on the left side of the road, adjustments to the headlights are a necessary correction
Using headlights designed for the opposite side of the road (e.g., using right-hand drive headlights in a left-hand traffic country) can cause significant glare for oncoming drivers, making it difficult for them to see. Headlights for LHD vehicles are designed with a low beam that is higher on the right side of the beam pattern. This allows the driver to see the road edge and signs more clearly while minimizing glare for oncoming traffic on the left.
* Source: RAC 2025 headlight glare study • Created with Datawrapper
This is the reason why, its all because of Asymmetrical Beam Patterns. Let me explain… Headlights are not symmetrical. They are designed to illuminate the side of the road (the "curb side") more than the side where oncoming traffic is, preventing glare for other drivers.
LHD headlights are designed for countries where traffic drives on the right side of the road. This means the low beam pattern will be higher on the right side to illuminate the roadside, while the left side will have a lower cutoff to avoid blinding oncoming traffic approaching from the left.
When a LHD car is used in a territory with left-hand traffic (that would be us in the US Virgin Islands), the original LHD headlight beam pattern becomes problematic. The higher portion of the beam, which was designed to illuminate the right-hand roadside, will now be aimed directly into the eyes of oncoming traffic coming from the right, causing glare and potentially impairing their vision.
There is obviously a need for adjustment to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers and ensure proper visibility for the driver, the headlights of a LHD car used in left-hand traffic must be adjusted. In the past this typically involved using beam masks or converter kits to alter the beam pattern so that it dips to the left side of the road, the curb side in left-hand traffic. The good news is Modern headlights, especially those with projector lenses, often have mechanisms to adjust the beam pattern for use on either side of the road.
Wouldn’t it be a safer drive on our poorly lit and pot holed dark roads if we didn’t have the added effect of blindness from oncoming traffic? Its an easy fix for the car and truck dealerships and rental car companies to adjust the headlight pre-sale. It would be even more effective if it was a requirement to pass inspection at the DMV.
Simply put.. driving an LHD car in left-hand traffic requires modification to the headlights to prevent blinding oncoming traffic and to ensure the headlights properly illuminate the left side of the road.
