Concerns over car LED Headlights
LED Headlight Dangers
Even when dipped, road users are complaining that the latest LED (Liquid-Emitting Diode) headlights on other vehicles are dangerous due to being dazzled.
Are these vehicle LED lights too bright? Well, according to associations such as the RAC, they are. In one research study, they reveal that 65 per cent of motorists have been dazzled by the latest LED headlights.
Not only are LED lights a huge distraction on the roads and may even in some instances cause near accidents, it is also coming to light that LED’S are also very harmful to our health.
Experts are warning that LED lights can cause 'irreversible' damage to your eyes. Not only are vehicle headlights to blame but also the back-lit devices like your smartphone can cause disturbance in the biological rhythms and sleep patterns.
According to new research, blue LED light can cause damage to the eye's retina and can disturb a person's natural sleep rhythms.
The French Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) has also expressed their concerns about LED lights in a statement following the new findings.
"Exposure to an intense and powerful (LED) light is 'photo-toxic' and can lead to irreversible loss of retinal cells and diminished sharpness of vision,"
The French Environmental, Health and Safety agency even published a 400-page report distinguishing between acute exposure of high-intensity LED light and "chronic exposure" to lower intensity light.
Chronic exposure:
- Acceleration of the ageing of retinal tissue
- Contributes to a decline in visual acuity
- Age-related macular degeneration
LED is now used with a whole host of electrical applications and in many new electrical products. Not only are LEDs used in car headlights but they are also used in home lighting and now LED street lighting.
Dangers of LED lights
LED has become very popular in lighting in recent years as it uses only a fifth of the electricity needed compared to the traditional incandescent light bulb of comparable brightness.
They are used in a whole host of electrical products, including lighting in the home and street lighting.
Back-lit LED devices are everywhere but have you considered the dangers of the light being emitted from devices, such as LED mobile phones? According to the French government agency, the type of light coming from these can disturb your bodies' natural biological rhythms and sleep patterns, particularly when they are used at night in a dark room and light is glaring back at you.
Some LED lights can induce:
- Headaches
- Visual fatigue
- Higher risk of accidents
ANSES also went on to say that car makers should "limit the luminous intensity of vehicle headlights," as many of them are considered far too bright. The same French agency has also cast doubt on the efficiency of some of the "anti-blue light" filters and sunglasses that are available on the market.
Author
Justin Kavanagh
Justin Kavanagh is a recognised leader
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