Bright Headlights: What You Can Do To Minimize Their Impact On You While Driving

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's not your imagination. Headlights on vehicles are brighter than they used to be.

Recent recalls are not going to solve all issues surrounding LED headlights -- which can be twice as bright as their predecessors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 45% of respondents complaining about headlight brightness are in the 35-54 age range.

Dr. Rob Bittner with the UPMC Eye Center says what you want to avoid is 'light scatter.'

"If it scatters these bright lights, it can just really kind of make things more challenging for us. When it comes to driving, it can kind of just cause this glare," Dr. Bittner said.

The first thing you can do to help is to avoid driving around with a dirty windshield.

"Rather than the light coming directly through the windshield, it may kind of scatter," Dr. Bittner said.

Another thing you can do to help is to blink more often.

"If we blink more often, that tends to help," Dr. Bittner added.

Looking away at the right side of the driving lane instead of looking at the oncoming light can also be beneficial.

People with certain eye colors, such as blue eyes, can be more susceptible to light sensitivities than those with darker colored eyes, like brown.

If you wear glasses, anti-reflective lenses or tinted nighttime driving lenses could be helpful for you.

"It's best to come in and see an eye doctor and we can try various different tints depending on the situation, and I certainly think that could be an option," Dr. Bittner said.

If you try all of these things and are still having problems, Dr. Bittner says you may want to get an eye exam because you may have something else more serious going on.