If you’ve been to the eye doctor lately, you may have heard something about blue light. Blue light is everywhere these days, including in every screen. But most people don’t realize that blue light is unique in how it interacts with our eyes and that the high-powered beams of blue headlights may be causing more crashes.
Blue Light Basics
Light is a spectrum of energy frequencies and each color acts a little differently. Blue and purple light is more energy-dense. While other colors (reds, yellows, greens) bounce off your eye’s lens, blue light is so powerful that it goes directly through your lens and into your retina.
Bright flashes of blue light and long-term exposure to blue light can cause ocular fatigue, which makes you feel physically tired and makes it difficult to keep your eyes open. That’s why most eye doctors now offer glasses that block blue light so you can look at screens longer without fear of tired eyes.
While screens are a common source of blue light, blue headlights are particularly dangerous to the eyes and could potentially cause a crash.
The Problem With Blue Headlights
Blue headlights refer to either xenon gas bulbs or high-intensity discharge headlights. While these bulbs offer more power to their driver, they are so bright that they run the risk of endangering others on the road. That’s because exposure to powerful blue light in a dark environment can momentarily blind approaching drivers, create a stark glare that makes it difficult to see the other vehicle.
This is an even greater risk when headlights aren’t properly angled. Powerful headlights need to be pointed downward. If blue headlights are improperly installed or if the vehicle they’re attached to is high off the ground, the already powerful headlights will seem more like high beams, which can be especially problematic if their headlights seem to line up with all your mirrors.
While the federal government has stated that blue headlights fall within the legal lumen (light power) limits, those limits do not account for ocular fatigue or how blue light penetrates the eye. While blue headlights fall within the legal brightness limit, they seem brighter to the eye and can cause a glare that can have potentially catastrophic consequences.
If you’ve been injured in a car crash, we can help. To discuss your case with an experienced Auburn Hills personal injury attorney from Bashore Green Law Group please call us at (248) 487-1887 or send us an email.
