New car headlights -- Visual issues with oncoming cars

AI Thread Summary
In recent years, the prevalence of bright and colorful headlights, including LEDs and other custom lights, has increased significantly, raising concerns about their potential impact on eye health. While direct exposure to sunlight and lasers is known to cause eye damage, the discussion suggests that typical vehicle headlights, even if bright, are unlikely to pose similar risks. However, there is mention of "blue light hazard," which has been researched in relation to LED lighting. For pedestrians, it is advised to look away from bright lights when possible, though some situations may not allow for immediate avoidance. The conversation also touches on the evolution of vehicle lighting technology, with a notable shift from halogen to LED systems, which contribute to the brightness observed today.
kenny1999
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In recent years, I found that many cars, I don't know if their headlamps are original or customized, the light is very bright or sharp, sometimes causing me to see temporary shadow in the eye like camera flash or even a little bit faint. In addition to yellow and white light there are also many different colors like violet, green etc...

Why I said "recent years" because maybe in 90s or even ten years ago, I didn't often see these very bright headlights in my city.

Could those light cause any problem to the eye if unavoidably looking at it for a few seconds?

I know that looking at sunlight or laser directly could cause eye damage within a few seconds, but otherwise than these two sources, could there be any other kind of light that could be as dangerous as sunlight and laser?

by the way, I remember that laser usually appears as a form of circular beam of lights in the dark for a good distance, so it is easy to detect laser and go away from it, but could laser appear as other form like other common lights? In that case, is the form of laser damaging?
 
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kenny1999 said:
Could those light cause any problem to the eye if unavoidably looking at it for a few seconds?
No.

kenny1999 said:
could there be any other kind of light that could be as dangerous as sunlight and laser?
You mean in the world? Yes.*

In the headlights? No.* eg: Lots of UV sterilizing devices, tanning beds and UV-hardened epoxies out there that are best used with goggles.

kenny1999 said:
by the way, I remember that laser usually appears as a form of circular beam of lights in the dark for a good distance, so it is easy to detect laser and go away from it, but could laser appear as other form like other common lights? In that case, is the form of laser damaging?
In raves and other dance venues, they shoot low power lasers at disco balls, which reflect the light all over the place. While this reflected light has laser light as its source, it is too weak and dispersed to be harmful.Also: Kenny? As in, my nephew Kenny?
 
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DaveC426913 said:
Also: Kenny? As in, my nephew Kenny?
Letterkenny.
 
kenny1999 said:
Could those light cause any problem to the eye if unavoidably looking at it for a few seconds?
Only if that causes you to wander into the oncoming traffic or run off the road to the right (both would be bad, obviously, and my face may be the next one you see when you wake up after doing that...).

Please use the trick/technique that you were taught when you were a young student driver -- when approaching bright oncoming traffic headlights, focus your vision down to your right and sight the "fog line" edge of the road, or the stripes and "Botts dots" that separate your lane from the next same-travelling lane to your right.

You did learn that in your driver training, right? :wink:
 
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kenny1999 said:
In addition to yellow and white light there are also many different colors like violet, green etc...
I notice that too.
Police car lights seem much brighter too.
 
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..., and youcan be developing cataracts.
 
berkeman said:
Only if that causes you to wander into the oncoming traffic or run off the road to the right (both would be bad, obviously, and my face may be the next one you see when you wake up after doing that...).

Please use the trick/technique that you were taught when you were a young student driver -- when approaching bright oncoming traffic headlights, focus your vision down to your right and sight the "fog line" edge of the road, or the stripes and "Botts dots" that separate your lane from the next same-travelling lane to your right.

You did learn that in your driver training, right? :wink:
There was no any mention at all about oncoming headlights and I seldom drive by the way
 
kenny1999 said:
There was no any mention at all about oncoming headlights and I seldom drive by the way
Oh, well if you are a pedestrian, why don't you just look away?
kenny1999 said:
Could those light cause any problem to the eye if unavoidably looking at it for a few seconds?
 
berkeman said:
Oh, well if you are a pedestrian, why don't you just look away?
some situations for safety you can't look away immediately but only after a few seconds
 
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