LED street lights may cause eyesight damage, say experts
A NEW generation of LED street lights could disrupt people’s sleep and even damage their eyesight, Public Health England (PHE) has warned.
Thousands of street lights have been switched to LEDS as they are cheaper to run and result in lower emissions.
However PHE warned that many people find them “uncomfortable” and said that in the long term they could even “cause damage to the retina of the eye”.
It also raised concerns about the increasing use of LEDS on cars, suggesting that they risked dazzling oncoming drivers – especially the elderly.
The concerns were raised by PHE in the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report. Officials highlighted the fact that councils are increasingly replacing mercury and sodium street lights with LED alternatives.
Although a switch to LED street lights is not national policy, dozens of councils have moved over to them or are planning to, arguing that they reduce energy use by as much as 40 per cent.
Kent county council is installing 118,000 LED street lights, Leicestershire 68,000, Manchester 56,000,
Gloucestershire 55,000 and Surrey 40,000. Around 30 per cent of the roads under Highways England control, which include motorways and A roads, have already been converted.
PHE said: “Local authorities have been replacing mercury and sodium street lights with LEDS. If this is done purely on the basis of energy efficiency and cost, it is possible to end up with installations that may not be fit for purpose. Some have LED sources that can be seen physically projecting below the luminaire, becoming a glare source or light pollution.
“The light spectrum may be enriched in the blue, which may be beneficial for keeping drivers alert, but many people will find the light uncomfortable. High levels of blue light are known to cause damage to the retina.”
Officials also raised concerns about the use of LED lights on new cars, warning that they risk dazzling drivers. The lights are turned on in the daytime in a bid to improve road safety, but can cause problems if they are not dimmed at night.
PHE said: “An extreme example is daylight-running lights on cars. These are clearly visible to other road users and pedestrians. At night, if they do not dim, they can be very dazzling and more so for children and older people.
“This means that older drivers, in particular, will be dazzled by oncoming vehicles with the risk that they may not see hazards until too late. The problem is exacerbated by fog.”
A Local Government Association spokesman said: “Councils have switched to LED street lights to help the environment and manage funding pressures.
“LED street lighting luminaires are carefully designed to make full use of the light that they generate by directing it only to those areas that need to be illuminated.
“Both natural and artificial light has the potential to damage the eye. It’s best to avoid looking at any light source directly for any length of time.”