SCIENTIFIC TRIAL REVEALS NERVOUS NIGHT-TIME DRIVERS ARE 43% MORE LIKELY TO DRIVE IN THE DARK WITH VAUXHALL INTELLI-LUX HD HEADLIGHTS

• Vauxhall has conducted a scientific trial with nervous night-time drivers following research by the brand, which found that one in 10 motorists is scared of driving at night
• In partnership with psychologist and internationally recognised expert in driver behaviour, Dr Neale Kinnear, Vauxhall set out to explore whether vehicle headlight technology can influence comfort, confidence, mental demand, and willingness to drive at night
• Trial participants compared Vauxhall's adaptive Intelli-Lux HD headlights, as found on the Grandland and forthcoming new Astra, to another model with standard LED headlights
• Participants driving the Vauxhall Grandland with the Intelli-Lux HD headlights reported feeling 28% more confident, as well as noting improvements in visibility, workload/effort, and overall vehicle experience
• Trial findings also revealed participants would be 43% more likely to drive at night with the Intelli-Lux HD headlights
• With more than 50,000 individual pixels, the adaptive, glare-free Intelli-Lux HD lights deliver brighter and more even light distribution without dazzling other road users, allowing objects in front of the vehicle to be detected up to 40 metres earlier than with conventional halogen lights
• To see the experiment come to life, check out our video on YouTube here

As Vauxhall research reveals that one in 10 motorists is scared of driving in the dark*, the British brand has conducted a scientific trial to explore whether advanced headlight technology can alleviate some of the stress nervous night-time drivers experience.

Conducted in partnership with psychologist and internationally recognised expert in driver behaviour, Dr Neale Kinnear, the trial set out to explore how drivers who feel less confident driving in the dark experience real-world night-time driving, and whether vehicle headlight technology can influence comfort, confidence, mental demand, and willingness to drive at night.

The trial compared Vauxhall's adaptive Intelli-Lux HD headlights, as found on the Grandland, to another model with standard LED headlights. Without knowing the differences between the vehicles, five participants who reported feeling less confident when driving in the dark completed two night-time drives on the same route. Their experience was captured using questionnaires before driving, after each drive, and at the end of the session, while their heart rate was also recorded.

Compared with the drive using standard LED headlights, the results from the trial showed that the drive using Intelli-Lux HD adaptive lighting was experienced as more comfortable and confidence-building (+28%), with enhanced visibility (+35%) and lower perceived mental effort (-39%). As a result, participants said they would be 43% more likely to drive at night with the Intelli-Lux HD lights. This was accompanied by differences in physiological response, with participants recording a lower average heart rate and more stable heart-rate patterns during the Intelli-Lux HD drive.

Vauxhall conducted the trial following a survey of 2,000 UK motorists, which revealed that 19% of drivers are driving less at night than they were 12 months ago, with over a third (34%) citing worsening visibility due to headlights from other vehicles and a quarter (25%) reporting a lack of confidence.

When forced to drive at night, 25% of all respondents said they drive below the speed limit, and 32% find themselves tensing up and gripping the steering wheel harder than usual when taking to the roads after dark. To avoid driving on poorly lit roads, 61% have driven a longer route, with 31% willing to add more than 10 minutes to their journey for the detour.

An aversion to driving at night has a significant impact on people’s lifestyle, with 22% of those who are driving less in the dark missing out on social events and 14% being unable to visit family (e.g. elderly relatives). To avoid driving at night, 34% have asked a partner, friend, or relative to drive them instead, rising to 41% among women.

Dr Neale Kinnear said: “This exploratory real-world trial focused on drivers who do not feel comfortable driving at night. Participants weren’t told what was being tested, yet a very clear pattern emerged. When drivers completed the same night-time route with Intelli-Lux HD headlights, rather than standard LED headlights, the drive was consistently rated as easier, more comfortable, and less demanding. We also saw an increase in people’s willingness to drive at night with the Intelli-Lux HD headlights.

“Taken together, the findings suggest that lighting technology can meaningfully change how night-time driving feels, and for drivers who find driving after dark uncomfortable or stressful, that has real potential to support confidence and everyday mobility.”

Eurig Druce, Vauxhall Managing Director and Stellantis UK Group Managing Director, said: “The nervousness drivers face when on the roads at night is something we at Vauxhall don't take lightly, and for more than a decade, Vauxhall has led the way in making advanced lighting technologies more accessible. The adaptive, glare-free Intelli-Lux HD headlights, as found on the Grandland and forthcoming New Astra, are our most advanced headlights to date. By putting this to the test under real-world driving conditions, we can clearly see the benefits of the Intelli-Lux HD headlights compared to standard LEDs, helping drivers feel more comfortable and confident when undertaking night-time journeys.”

The trial findings in detail

Five members of the public who experience mild anxiety when driving at night were recruited to take part in the Vauxhall trial. Participants were not informed about the purpose of the trial other than knowing they were taking part in a driving trial on public roads.

Each participant was asked to complete two supervised night-time drives on the same pre-planned route, with each drive lasting approximately 25 minutes. Both drives took place on the same evening to minimise variation in conditions.

One drive was completed in the Vauxhall Grandland fitted with Intelli-Lux HD adaptive headlights. The comparison drive was completed in another model fitted with standard LED headlights.

On average, participants reported feeling 28% more comfortable and confident when driving with Intelli-Lux HD headlights compared with the standard LED headlights, with a clear uplift across both measures. Participants also consistently rated visibility higher (+35%) when driving with Intelli-Lux HD lights, reporting a clearer view of the road ahead, greater ease in understanding the road layout, and what they could see around them being of greater help for driving.

The trial also revealed that participants experienced 39% less mental demand and lower levels of tension when driving with Intelli-Lux HD headlights versus the standard LED headlights.

When asked to consider future behaviour and recommendations, participants reported that the Grandland with Intelli-Lux HD lights would make them more likely to drive at night in future, and be the vehicle they would recommend to a friend who felt nervous driving at night. No participants selected the standard LED vehicle or “neither” for either measure, indicating a consistent preference for Intelli-Lux HD lighting.

Participants were also fitted with a heart rate monitor to measure physiological responses. For participants with reliable data, driving the Grandland with Intelli-Lux HD lights was associated with lower physiological stress compared with standard LEDs. This was indicated by more stable heart-rate patterns, suggestive of reduced mental demand and greater comfort while driving. Across participants, the mean heart rate was also lower on the drive with Intelli-Lux HD headlights. Overall, the physiological data suggest that the Intelli-Lux HD drive was experienced as less stressful at night than the standard LED drive.

Vauxhall headlight technology

Vauxhall has led the way in democratising access to advanced lighting technologies for many years. Its Intelli-Lux LED matrix lights were first shown on the Vauxhall Monza concept in 2013, before being introduced in production form on the Astra in 2015. Since then, they have been continuously developed, and in late 2024, Vauxhall launched its most advanced headlight technology to date, Intelli-Lux HD, on the Vauxhall Grandland. 

The adaptive, glare-free headlights have more than 50,000 pixel elements and cut out preceding and oncoming road users even faster and more precisely than the previous matrix light technologies. The ‘light tunnel’ – i.e. the area left out by the light beam – is narrower than before, while the rest of the road and the surrounding area are better lit.  In short, it’s like driving around with a very clear and bright full-beam light that intelligently morphs the shape of the beam depending on what other vehicles are around, so you don’t impact others. The beam also adjusts according to the speed you’re travelling at, the type of road, and the weather conditions. 

The system delivers even brighter and more even light distribution without dazzling others. Objects in front of the vehicle can be detected around 30 to 40 metres earlier at a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) than with conventional halogen headlights. This allows the driver to react to the potential obstacle between one and two seconds earlier – valuable time to avoid an impending incident.

The Intelli-Lux HD lights will also be available on the recently revealed New Astra and Astra Sports Tourer that will be available in the UK from this summer. 

Top tips for driving safely at night from Dr Neale Kinnear

1. Make sure you can see clearly

Keep windscreens, mirrors, and headlights clean, use dipped or full beam appropriately, and manage glare by focusing towards the left-hand edge of your lane rather than directly at oncoming headlights.

2. Increase your safety margin

At night, it’s harder to judge speed, distance, and hazards. Slow down slightly, leave more space to the vehicle ahead, and look further up the road to identify bends, junctions, pedestrians, cyclists, or animals earlier.

3. Know when to stop

Fatigue and tension affect concentration and decision-making. Take regular breaks and don’t push on if you feel tired, stressed, or uncomfortable.

ENDS

Key findings from scientific trial with Dr Neale Kinnear

Compared with driving a vehicle with standard LED headlights, when driving the Vauxhall Grandland with Intelli-Lux HD adaptive lighting, participants reported:

• Higher levels of comfort and confidence
• Clearer forward and peripheral visibility
• Lower perceived mental effort

These subjective findings were supported by heart rate data, which showed lower average heart rate levels and more stable heart rate patterns during the Intelli-Lux HD drive for most participants.

Key information from Vauxhall’s consumer research with OnePoll

*Survey of 2,000 drivers conducted via OnePoll, January 2026

• One in 10 motorists (9%) said they are scared of driving in the dark
• 19% are driving less at night than they were 12 months ago
  • Over a third (34%) attribute this to worsening visibility due to headlights from other vehicles
  • One quarter (25%) attributes this to a lack of confidence when driving at night
• 25% drive below the speed limit when driving in the dark
• 63% dislike glare or dazzling from oncoming vehicle headlights
• 60% report having difficulty reading street signs when driving at night
• 72% have difficulty seeing pedestrians or animals on the roadside when driving at night
• When driving on poorly lit roads at night:
  • 32% find themselves tensing up or gripping the steering wheel harder than usual
  • 29% concentrate so hard that it is exhausting
  • 22% are scared that they may fail to see a pedestrian or cyclist
• To avoid driving on poorly lit roads, 61% have driven a longer route, with 31% willing to add more than 10 minutes to their journey for the detour
• Among those who are driving less at night than they were 12 months ago:
  • 22% miss out on social events
  • 14% are unable to visit family (e.g. elderly relatives)
  • 41% book earlier appointments to avoid going out after it is dark
  • 34% have asked a partner, friend, or relative to drive them instead, rising to 41% among women
  • 18% have left work or a social event earlier than they wanted to, just to get home before it got dark

ABOUT VAUXHALL MOTORS

Vauxhall Motors started making cars in the UK in 1903. Today, as the oldest and most familiar of Britain’s automotive manufacturers, its philosophy is to build vehicles that are relevant to all and offer design, high levels of equipment and technology, and electrification at an attainable level. Vauxhall is one of few automotive brands to produce electric vehicles in Britain at its manufacturing plant in Ellesmere Port – the UK’s first electric-only manufacturing plant where the Combo Electric van is made. Vauxhall’s Electric Streets of Britain campaign raises the profile of the need for more on-street electric vehicle charging so that everyone can benefit from the switch to electric. Find out more at www.electricstreets.co.uk 

Vauxhall is part of Stellantis NV, a global leader created for the new era of sustainable mobility as a result of the merger between Groupe PSA and FCA Group in January 2021. Vauxhall is a leader in electrification – as of 2021, it was one of the first manufacturers to offer fully electric versions of all its vans. Since the end of 2024, Vauxhall has offered a fully electric version of every model in its car and van line-up. Info: www.vauxhall.co.uk