Ban Blinding Headlights and Save Lives!
Ban Blinding Headlights and Save Lives!
The Issue
There has been an historic spike in traffic fatalities in recent years. 2023 saw over 44,000 people die on U.S. roadways, continuing an unprecedented string of years with 40K+ traffic deaths. The time period from 2010-2023 saw an astounding 77% increase in pedestrian deaths reaching nearly 8,000 in 2023. The year 2023 also saw traffic deaths eclipse murders for the first time in the city of Los Angeles. These are alarming statistics, representing thousands of new deaths after decades of decline at a time when cars are as technically advanced and "safe" as they have ever been.
While there are sure to be multiple factors involved in this crisis, we feel one major cause is being overlooked by officials: It is clear to anyone who drives, walks or bikes the roads that the switch to LED headlights has become a source of dangerous, blinding glare.
In addition, LED daytime running lamps, as well as overly-bright LED tail-lights, brake-lights and turn signals, are a source of fatal distraction, creating what is known as inattentional blindness or the “Las Vegas Effect”, a visual field so polluted by distracting glare that the brain has a hard time keeping focused on the important subjects like pedestrians in a crosswalk.
Previous petitions on this issue have garnered thousands of signatures along with comments that these headlights have caused accidents, made elderly drivers give up driving at night, and even induced migraines.
The American Medical Association issued guidelines way back in 2016 on “blue-rich light”, the very sort of harsh, bluish-white light used by LED headlights and daytime running lamps. The AMA stated that blue-rich light causes pain and damage to the human eye and suppresses melatonin at five times the rate of other wavelengths. They have urged people to move lighting toward the more natural and warm red-end of the spectrum.
We are asking Congress, the Department of Transportation, NHTSA , and the FDA to take this matter seriously and properly regulate LEDs as spatially non-homogeneous, directed energy radiation.
We appeal to your personal experience. If you are tired of being blinded on the road please sign our petition!
For more information please visit www.softlights.org
79,665
The Issue
There has been an historic spike in traffic fatalities in recent years. 2023 saw over 44,000 people die on U.S. roadways, continuing an unprecedented string of years with 40K+ traffic deaths. The time period from 2010-2023 saw an astounding 77% increase in pedestrian deaths reaching nearly 8,000 in 2023. The year 2023 also saw traffic deaths eclipse murders for the first time in the city of Los Angeles. These are alarming statistics, representing thousands of new deaths after decades of decline at a time when cars are as technically advanced and "safe" as they have ever been.
While there are sure to be multiple factors involved in this crisis, we feel one major cause is being overlooked by officials: It is clear to anyone who drives, walks or bikes the roads that the switch to LED headlights has become a source of dangerous, blinding glare.
In addition, LED daytime running lamps, as well as overly-bright LED tail-lights, brake-lights and turn signals, are a source of fatal distraction, creating what is known as inattentional blindness or the “Las Vegas Effect”, a visual field so polluted by distracting glare that the brain has a hard time keeping focused on the important subjects like pedestrians in a crosswalk.
Previous petitions on this issue have garnered thousands of signatures along with comments that these headlights have caused accidents, made elderly drivers give up driving at night, and even induced migraines.
The American Medical Association issued guidelines way back in 2016 on “blue-rich light”, the very sort of harsh, bluish-white light used by LED headlights and daytime running lamps. The AMA stated that blue-rich light causes pain and damage to the human eye and suppresses melatonin at five times the rate of other wavelengths. They have urged people to move lighting toward the more natural and warm red-end of the spectrum.
We are asking Congress, the Department of Transportation, NHTSA , and the FDA to take this matter seriously and properly regulate LEDs as spatially non-homogeneous, directed energy radiation.
We appeal to your personal experience. If you are tired of being blinded on the road please sign our petition!
For more information please visit www.softlights.org
79,665
Supporter Voices
Petition created on November 16, 2016