Blinded by the car headlights

If you have been driving at night over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed an alarming trend: Car headlights have become too bright. As a commuter, driving in the dark is practically unavoidable. In the winter, the sun does not rise until after 8 a.m. when I am typically already on the road, and it sets at about 5:20 p.m., well before I drive home. With little to no street lights on my drive, the only light source is often the moon and car headlights. 

And yet, more often than not, I end up blinded by headlights or painfully squinting to try and see the road. The lights meant to increase our visibility as we drive and create safer driving conditions have lost their true purpose. Now, instead of illuminating the road, headlights blind drivers on the opposite side. 

Car headlights are becoming brighter because of the shift in the type and size of the lights used. In 2010, car manufacturers started using LED lights because of their rise in popularity and perceived modernity. You can recognize LED headlights from their bright white-blue glow, compared to the softer, yellow lights used previously. 

LED lights are highly effective for producing light and illuminating surfaces. However, these lights also have significant blue light emissions. Due to its high frequency, blue light can penetrate the retina, and overexposure to it has been linked to eye strain and potential retinal damage. Typical overexposure to blue light occurs through any device you use regularly. While occasionally staring at headlights may not cause immediate damage, exposure from multiple sources adds up over time and can contribute to permanent retinal damage.

The issue with headlights is not only the type of light used, but also the size of the light. Headlights have gotten smaller over the years, making lights appear to have a brighter intensity. When light is emitted from a smaller source, it is more concentrated, and thus, more intense. That is why when you are driving and see a headlight, it might not appear bright until you see it at a certain angle. Sometimes, this happens when a car is behind you, and as they approach, you might be blinded in your mirrors. This is extremely dangerous because being blinded on the road can result in accidents. 

Several different groups are attempting to address this problem. The Soft Lights Foundation is pushing for a ban on these headlights, circulating a petition with more than 68,000 signatures. Thousands of people agree that these headlights have become a dangerous problem for drivers. 

However, there is no denying that brighter headlights do have benefits. Since the LED lights are more powerful than the previously used soft, yellow lights, they increase visibility on dark, night time roads. Lights themselves are not the only issue. The lights’ placement and size have contributed to the problems we are experiencing because of their glare. 

A more feasible solution to the issue would be to adopt safer protocols that are seen worldwide. Several European vehicles use advanced headlight technology that continually adjust their high beams to improve visibility without causing glares. These adaptive systems also have the technology to shade lights and alter the beam pattern when another vehicle is detected to prevent blinding other drivers from glares. Advanced headlights should be the new standard for American vehicles. They are proven to create safer driving conditions in Europe, and they have the potential to solve issues associated with our headlights now. 

Another solution we should consider is increasing the number of street lights across the United States. If you’ve walked around Ann Arbor at night, especially around residential areas and away from the hum of the city, you might’ve noticed the lack of street lights. While on campus this isn’t an issue many students encounter due to the lights around University buildings, it is an issue off campus. Even my neighborhood, 20 minutes away from campus, has no street lights. 

Some might worry that increasing streetlights will result in increased energy use and light pollution from street lights. There are eco-friendly options, like solar-powered street lights, that can benefit communities without paying a high price for their operation. 

Ann Arbor recently undertook the LED Streetlight Conversion Project that aims to transition DTE street lights from High Pressure Sodium to LED lights. These lights are more environmentally and economically friendly for the city, as they reduce emissions and costs. Grand Rapids has a similar project where they are upgrading and installing LED street lights with smart lighting nodes. Doing so will result in reduced service and labor maintenance costs because the lights can be dimmed and run on less power, increasing their lifespans and decreasing energy consumption. 

Increasing the number of street lights in areas with high vehicle traffic limits the necessity of high-intensity lights and the high beams drivers sometimes use. That is not the only benefit associated with an increase in street lights. A study done by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2007 found that improved street lighting was linked to a 21% decrease in crime. 

There need to be regulations on the headlights of cars because they pose a serious risk to drivers when left unchecked. The solution to this issue requires a direct approach, but it can also be found in how we light up our communities. While our nation continues to build more and more roads, it should not be the personal responsibility of each driver to illuminate them. Though some of our cities in Michigan rank highly in the “worst drivers in America” category, I can assure you it’s definitely not our fault. It’s those pesky, blinding headlights. 

Lara Tinawi is an Opinion Columnist writing about campus culture and her everyday musings in her column “Daily Dose.” She can be reached at ltinawi@umich.edu.

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