The main problem is light scatter. The eye's lens and cornea are not perfectly clear, so when bright light is shone through them, some gets scattered around the inside of the eye, making images blurred or blank.

Why do car lights blind me at night?

One of the top issues associated with night driving is glare from headlights and traffic lights. Glare is a light source that doesn't help you see better, but instead interferes with your vision. Nighttime glare occurs as a result of both bright and dim lights.

How do you not get blinded by headlights at night?

To avoid or reduce the risk of getting blinded by high beam headlights at night, you should glance toward the right side of your lane or the right road edge. On most roadways, you be able to see the painted lane line or edge line and stay on course until the source of glare is gone.