Car Lighting Systems and Human Eye Health
Modern vehicle lighting — from halogen and HID to white LEDs and adaptive matrix systems — has transformed night driving. Improved scene illumination and new driver-assist features promise better visibility and safety, but they also introduce new optical spectra, higher luminances, and different glare behaviours. This article reviews how car lighting systems interact with the human visual system, summarizes the evidence on short- and long-term eye- and health-related effects (including glare, photobiological risk, and circadian disruption), and offers practical recommendations for designers, regulators, fleet managers, and drivers. Suggested illustrations are included and references from books and international agencies appear at the end. Why car lighting matters for vision and health Lighting is the primary medium through which drivers gather visual information. At night or in poor weather, headlamps, signal lights, and auxiliary illumination determine how much of the road scene the...
