A petition has been tabled in the House of Commons to regulate the phenomenon of blinding LED headlights.
The petition was initiated by Luc Gagné, a resident of Gatineau, Quebec. He is being supported by Member of Parliament Xavier Barsalou-Duval, representing the riding of Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères.
The preamble of the petition notably indicates that “Many Canadians are experiencing increased glare from modern vehicle headlights, especially those with light-emitting diodes (LED).”
The document further states that “glare can occur even when headlights comply with current standards, given the actual conditions of Canadian roads such as slopes, curves and irregularities," and that “federal standards rely primarily on technical measurements of light intensity under ideal conditions, without fully considering how brightness is actually perceived by the human eye.”
The petition takes the aging population into account, stipulating that "seniors are particularly vulnerable to glare due to the effects of aging on vision."
Demanding updates to federal regulations
By tabling the petition in the House of Commons, Luc Gagné hopes to “the federal regulations governing motor vehicle headlights” and “criteria into these regulations that consider human perception of brightness."
The petition further calls for stricter regulation of “the colour spectrum, power and dispersion of light beams, particularly those using LED technology, as well “concrete measures to reduce glare and improve road safety for the entire population, especially seniors.”
Over 9,000 signatures already
The petition remains open for signatures until June 18. At the time of writing, it had already gathered over 9,200 signatures.