Dazzlingly dangerous

2011-04-20 17:43:59

20 April 2011 Last updated at 13:11 Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Campaign launched over 'dazzling' HID car headlamps By Sangita Myska BBC News HID headlamps are at least 50% brighter than traditional halogen ones

A row is developing among car enthusiasts and road users about the potential risks of super-bright headlights.

The headlamps - called HIDs and commonly referred to as bi-xenon - are much brighter than traditional headlights and are sold as a safety feature. But some road-users claim they are often dazzled by the lights, making pedestrians and cyclists difficult to see.

The man behind a campaign trying to get the lights better regulated is Ken Perham.

Mr Perham has been a night-time London cabbie for 38 years. During that time he says he's seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes driving.

It has made him passionate about road safety, and it's what has led the 60-year-old to launch an online campaign, called Lightmare.

The campaign is demanding better regulation and safety testing of what he claims is a new menace on the roads - High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

It's just vehicle after vehicle after vehicle, with lights that look like they're on full beam ”

End Quote Ken Perham Lightmare

"Without a doubt, the lights are intimidating you so badly that you have to change the way you drive and that isn't right," he said.

"It's just vehicle after vehicle after vehicle, with lights that look like they're on full beam when they are actually on dip, they're that good."

The law states vehicle lights must not be used in a way that dazzle other road users. Not surprising when one considers that dazzling headlights accounted for 365 road traffic accidents in 2009, three of them ending in the loss of life.

HID headlamps are at least 50% brighter than traditional halogen headlights and tend to be found on higher-end cars.

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