Dear Supporters,

CNN published an article about LED headlights on February 14, 2024.  (https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/15/cars/headlights-tech-adaptable-high-beams-cars/index.html).  The article contains two extraordinary statements: "Many industry sources didn’t want to speak on the record about these regulatory issues” and “NHTSA declined to comment on the regulations beyond what’s written in the final regulation itself”. These two quotes show that both NHTSA and the auto industry know exactly what is wrong with LED headlights, but choose to hide the truth from Congress and the public.

In October, 2023, NHTSA published a study titled Assessment of Headlamp Aim for New Vehicles. (https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/72347).  The tables show that new vehicle headlights are sometimes out of alignment as compared to the automaker's stringent specifications.  However, the overall impact on glare is negligible.  The fact that this is a new report from NHTSA shows that NHTSA is internally aware of the glare issue from LEDs, but unwilling to acknowledge the glare issue to the public.

This report makes clear that the IIHS and Mount Sinai position statements that the problem with LED headlights is misalignment, are false.  Since this NHTSA study is so new, it is apparent that NHTSA and the auto industry are searching for a scapegoat for why LED headlights are so debilitating, rather than simply acknowledging the simple facts.

LED headlights are blinding because the automakers never received approval to sell vehicles with LED headlights and because NHTSA has not updated FMVSS-108 to set an overall maximum limit on intensity and a limit on blue wavelength light.

Sincerely,

Mark Baker
President
Soft Lights Foundation
www.softlights.org
mbaker@softlights.org