Drivers today face the wrath of light-emitting diode (LED) headlights when driving. Whether from oncoming cars or headlights shining directly into their mirrors from one behind them, many believe that LED lights are a safety hazard and entirely too bright to have on cars. These lights have become a serious issue in the recent decades after they became a popular replacement for the halogen light.
In the 1960s, halogen lights were widely used in the United States and Europe after they were created by Italian headlamps and automakers (The Retrofit Source). Halogen lights are a type of incandescent light and contain a tungsten filament with the new addition of a halogen gas. The two work together and continuously undergo the halogen cycle, making the bulb brighter and last much longer than previously used lights. They have been used in households and vehicles ever since, but are quickly becoming replaced by LED lights today.
LED lights rose in popularity because they are much more energy efficient and last longer than halogen bulbs. In 2006, Japanese luxury car brand Lexus used LED low beam headlights on their LS600h L, though German car manufacturers Audi were the first to put LED daylights on their Audi 8 car in 2004. Almost all newer cars use LED headlights instead of halogen lights.
LEDs can emit 3,000 lumens while halogen headlights only emit about 1,500 lumens. While LED headlights provide the user more visibility at night, there are serious dangers to those facing them. LED headlights have a much more concentrated beam than other lights, so looking at them can cause vision to be obstructed due to the glare they make. High levels of blue-light cause the light in the eyes to scatter, resulting in glare. Many car accidents occur due to dazzling, the official term for being half-blinded by things like too bright headlights.
10 different European mobility clubs conducted a study in 2024 with interviewees on how the glare of LED headlights affects the rest of traffic. A driver who was interviewed stated, “In fact, I think that numerous one-sided accidents at night on the country road are due to those light cannons of the oncoming traffic, which simply make it impossible to see the road in front of you. In rain, it is then even more dangerous!”
Some question whether or not LED lights should be banned. The Soft Lights Foundation, an organization that works towards reducing the use of LED lights, created a petition: Ban Blinding Headlights and Save Lives! They believe that these lights are not only harmful to humans, but the environment as well. Their petition has gotten over 67,000 signatures from drivers who can attest to obscured vision for a number of seconds because of bright headlights. While LED headlights are completely legal and increase visibility for the user, they can be dangerous to other drivers and pedestrians on the road.
References
ledoutfitters. “From Lamps to Lasers: The History behind Headlights.” Ledoutfitters.com, LED Outfitters, 19 May 2017
How Stuff Works. “How Does a Halogen Light Bulb Work?” HowStuffWorks, Apr. 2000, home.howstuffworks.com/question151.htm.
TRS. “The History of Automotive Headlights | Retrofit Source.” Blog.theretrofitsource.com, 2021, blog.theretrofitsource.com/the-history-of-automotive-headlights-retrofit-source.
Marcled. “LED vs Halogen Bulbs – the Differences – Marcled Blog.” Marcled Blog, 8 Aug. 2022
European Commision. “Are LED Lights Safe for Human Health?” Health.ec.europa.eu, health.ec.europa.eu/scientific-committees/easy-read-summaries-scientific-opinions/are-led-lights-safe-human-health-2_en.
Soft Lights Foundation. “LED Vehicle Headlights – Soft Lights Foundation.” Softlights.org, 2023, www.softlights.org/why-are-led-headlights-non-compliant/.
Federation Internationale De L’Automobile. “European Survey Glare On Road Traffic.” 2 May. 2024
Architect Magazine. “LEDs: Understanding Optical Performance.” Architectmagazine.com, 2023, www.architectmagazine.com/technology/lighting/leds-understanding-optical-performance_o.
