The alarming rise of blinding bike lights: Why this new danger is putting everyone at risk in the dark

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• From Simple Safety to Startling Visibility
• The Missing Light Law: Stuck in the Dynamo Age
• Aiming to Stand Out—Sometimes a Bit Too Much
• Shining a New Path: Calls for Modern Rules and Awareness

Once an unremarkable tool for safe travels, the humble bike light has taken a blinding turn for the worse. With winter darkness settling in, Dutch roads are glowing—sometimes to the dismay (and temporary blindness) of anyone sharing them. Let’s shine a light on why today’s ultra-bright bike lights are dazzling more than just the tarmac, and what’s being done to stop the glare from turning into a real danger zone.

From Simple Safety to Startling Visibility

What started as a straightforward safety requirement—be visible in the dark—has now evolved into a new traffic problem in the Netherlands: excessively bright or poorly adjusted bike lights. According to a survey among thousands of ANWB members, nearly two-thirds of road users regularly struggle with being blinded by oncoming cyclists. And it’s not just car drivers complaining: fellow cyclists themselves admit that sometimes, their vision completely disappears due to high-powered beams.

Where you might normally distinguish the edge of a cycle path or roadside in the dark, intense beams often leave nothing but a glowing white patch, obliterating every detail. Some cyclists even confessed that they briefly close their eyes or look away to avoid being blinded—pretty much the polar opposite of what anyone would define as “safe cycling.”

The Missing Light Law: Stuck in the Dynamo Age

If you think there must be some rulebook to keep the brightness in check, think again. The Netherlands is still using ancient regulations from the age of dynamos, when a dim bulb was considered sufficient. Modern LED lights, however, are more Force-of-Nature than firefly, strong enough to illuminate—or completely blind—entire cycling paths. But in the Netherlands, there’s currently no up-to-date legislation regarding beam strength or direction.

Meanwhile, countries like Germany and France have moved ahead, enforcing standards for beam shape and alignment. Across the border, Dutch cyclists are still personally deciding how much brightness is too much—an honour code, if you will, that’s clearly not universally respected.

Aiming to Stand Out—Sometimes a Bit Too Much

People generally mean well: everyone wants to be seen in the dark. But as the survey suggests, good intentions can slide into overkill. Some cyclists ride around with beams as powerful as those on a scooter or motorbike, while others set out without any light at all.

The Ministry of Infrastructure estimates that a quarter of cyclists are on the road without adequate lighting. Add inadequate reflectors and badly set-up lights to the mix, and it’s a recipe for near miss after near miss—others only spot these stealthy cyclists at the last second. This creates a paradoxical scene on Dutch roads:

• One cyclist blinds,
• The next disappears into the darkness.

So, the highway becomes a stage for competing spotlights, each either dazzling or vanishing from sight, rarely hitting the golden middle ground. Not quite the light show anyone had in mind, right?

Shining a New Path: Calls for Modern Rules and Awareness

The ANWB is now advocating for modern, clear rules to govern bike lighting—mirroring regulations already in place in neighboring countries. Among their goals:

• Better control over light intensity,
• Precise regulation of beam direction,
• A ban on flashing lights to prevent confusion and accidents.

On top of that, another round of the “Aan” campaign is set to launch at the end of October, aiming to make cyclists more aware of both their own visibility and how not to turn others’ journeys into a squint-and-pray adventure. After all, a well-adjusted light is safer for you—and everyone else sharing your route.

As the long, dark months approach and the annual clash of lamp beams and exasperated glares returns, one thing is clear: whether you ride a bike or drive a car, visibility matters. But seeing—and being seen—should never come at the cost of each other’s safety. So, check your beam, respect your fellow night travelers, and let’s leave the spotlight moments to the stage—not the street.