The glaring problem with the LED headlights dominating Australian roads
Australian road safety experts are raising concerns about the glare caused by modern LED headlights on new vehicles. While LED lights improve visibility for the driver, there is a lack of regulatory testing regarding their impact on oncoming traffic safety.
Why it matters
It highlights a potential public safety issue resulting from automotive technological advancements that have outpaced current safety assessment standards.
LED headlights can put out between three and five times more light than the older, sealed-beam types. ( ABC News: Gavin McGrath )
Link copied Share Share article The lights on new cars are whiter and brighter, but they are a dazzling hazard for oncoming traffic.
LED headlights, which often deliver three to five times more light than old-fashioned halogen globes, have reduced single car crashes at night by nearly 20 per cent, according to data from the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
But their impact on other road users, who are faced with a wall of oncoming white lights, has not been tested by Australia's official car safety assessor.
Road safety expert and crash investigator David Beck says the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) provided a comprehensive safety analysis of new vehicles, measuring everything from crash performance and pedestrian protection to accident-avoidance and audio alerts.
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