Discussion
Figure 1 shows peaceful protestors being assaulted by high energy LED lights mounted onto the helmets of police officers. The high energy light permanently damages the eyes of the protestors and increases their emotions of anger towards the police.
Figure 1 – Headlamps on bicycle police officers
Figure 2 shows a 5000 Kelvin bicycle headlight. The glare is blinding to oncoming pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, the high energy blue wavelength light can cause severe emotional anxiety in sensitive receptors.
Figure 2 – Bicycle headlight
Figure 3 shows a bright, high color temperature flashlight. This level of light makes the flashlight a weapon, not an illumination device.
Figure 3 – LED Flashlight
Bicyclists, Skateboarders, Scooters and Pedestrians
People on the move are using LED lights with a strobe to try and get themselves noticed. What these people aren’t thinking about is how the rest of us are affected by their flashing lights.
This person clearly wants to be noticed, but doesn’t seem to realize how dangerous and emotionally disturbing this is for everyone around him.
Sensitive Receptors
A sensitive receptor may be affected emotionally in a way that a neuro-typical may not. We know that the high energy blue wavelength light is dangerous and can cause permanent eye damage. The mind of a sensitive receptor may issue an emotional warning more strongly to protect the eye from damage.
As an example, let us say that a sensitive receptor is walking along a path and a bicyclist comes toward her with a 5000K LED bicycle light. The sensitive receptor may feel emotional terror, fear, anxiety, agitation and/or anger due to the high energy blue wavelength light. How will this person then react and what are her options? What if there is more than one bicyclist? What if every bicyclist has this same type of light? This will feel like torture to the sensitive receptor who may, not surprisingly, act unpredictably and in ways that the sensitive receptor would not act if she were not being tortured.
Proposed Regulations
Statutory regulations must be developed to restrict light emitted from personal lights such as flashlights, bicycle headlights, bicycle taillights, golf carts, All Terrain Vehicles, hiker headlights and wearable lighting products.
We propose that personal lighting products have maximum limits of 2700 Kelvin for color temperature, 800 lumens for overall brightness and 135 candelas for peak brightness.
Mobile lights such as flashlights and bicycle headlights, vehicle headlights and all other outdoor lights shall be restricted to a maximum color temperature of 2700K. Figure 4 shows an example of flashlight with a color temperature of approximately 2700K that protects human eyes.
Figure 4 – 2700K Flashlight
Enforcement of the color temperature maximum is a challenge for mobile lights because of the transient nature of the violation. Therefore, we must approach this issue from several different angles. We propose the following actions:
- Prohibit the sale of bicycle headlights, flashlights, hiker headlights, wearable lights, golf car lights, ATV lights, etc. that exceed 2700K in color temperature or have a Spectral G-index of less than 1.56.
- Prohibit the sale of strobing LED lights for these same items.
- Prohibit the use of light devices that exceed 2700 Kelvin color temperature or have a Spectral G-index of less than 1.56 or that emit strobing light or that exceed 50 nits.
- Develop a ticketing system that allows a code compliance, park ranger or police officer to confiscate the device and issue a fine of $500 for use of a high color temperature light or strobing light. The fine will be paid immediately via a wireless electronic collection system. If the fine cannot be paid immediately, the fine will be mailed to the address given by the violator. Unpaid fines will follow the same steps as unpaid traffic tickets.