Welcome to Lightmare ...
| Our organisation has been formed to fight the growing road safety issue of blinding lights which
diminish a driver's ability to perceive hazards. The Authorities are allowing this "Lightmare" to escalate, they are putting the most vulnerable and less conspicuous road users at risk - pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Rather than saving lives, these lights are killing people - why are the authorities doing nothing? why have they permitted this? - read on. |
 HID-Xenon headlight + Blinding LED Daytime Running Lights |
Our aim is to persuade the world regulators
(NHTSA and UNECE) to limit eye damaging light intensity:-
# High Intensity Discharge Xenon headlights (HID-Xenon) - can cause temporary blindness
# Misuse of brake and fog lights - contravention of highway codes
# Over-bright Daytime Running Lights (DRL) - the EU have set maximum brightness to 1,200cd
to compete with the sun - the Japanese proposed a more acceptable 200cd = bright sidelights
# High Intensity Discharge Xenon headlights (HID-Xenon) - can cause temporary blindness
# Misuse of brake and fog lights - contravention of highway codes
# Over-bright Daytime Running Lights (DRL) - the EU have set maximum brightness to 1,200cd
to compete with the sun - the Japanese proposed a more acceptable 200cd = bright sidelights
News
# July16 - USA Senator Hartmann demands NHTSA action on blinding headlights
# June16 - Lightmare ask VW to eliminate blinding light
# June16 - American Medical Association say LED light above 3000K is dangerous -
# June16 - Lightmare call for the DfT to act under its duty of care
"Unshielded LED lighting causes significant discomfort and disability glare decrease visual acuity, decreasing safety and creating a road hazard" "All LED lighting should be properly shielded to minimize glare and detrimental human and environmental effects" See Expert Opinion and CNN "Doctors issue warning"
# Feb16 - DfT response re Informal UNECE Working Group
Disappointingly, despite our exhortations, the composition of the informal UNECE Working group is a similar combination of self interested lamp manufacturers, automakers and Gov't officials who determined the blinding standards in the first place. There are no ophthalmologists!
# Jan 2016 - Lightmare response to DfT re Informal UNECE Working Group
Lightmare call for glare free vehicle lights plus a standard to determine safe light levels for the human eye.
# Dec 2015 - USA Blinding Headlights: - Traffic deaths up 8% nationally
# Nov 2015 - Department for Transport response to Blinding Lights
The UK DfT have announced that an international UNECE Working Group has been formed stating:
"We anticipate a series of meetings, where an Informal Working Group of experts will develop solutions for the concerns you have raised with respect to glare and vehicle lighting".
# Oct 2015 - Blinding Lights blamed for soaring crash rate - a gimmick too far?
The latest road accident statistics make sorry reading, since blinding lights were introduced instead of falling UK and EU accidents have increased - a problem bigger than the VW crisis!
# Oct 2015 - Lightmare call for Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin to act now
Manufacturers and Government appear not to care about the dangers of blinding lights.
In this website we explain why a driver's vision is affected by blinding lights.
We document the growing body of
Expert ophthalmological opinion,
Legal opinion and Media coverage
See the thousands of comments on our original UK petition to March 2015
(Excel file with 4683 comments)
Supporting Organisations:-
Lightmare are worldwide a voluntary
group of experienced motorists including scientists, engineers,
mathematicians, lawyers and ophthalmologists supported by the leading
pedestrian, cycling and motorcycling organisations who are committed to
improving road safety by reducing glare and other distractions in the
driving environment.
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