The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that LED lighting will provide up to 95% of commercial lighting needs by 2050 in the United States. For people with light sensitivities, exposure to LED lights can lead to headaches and impacted vision.
The Soft Lights Foundation aims to raise awareness on the effects of unregulated LED lights. Mark Baker is the founder and president of the Soft Lights Foundation. He’s received thousands of emails from people across the world who are impacted by unregulated LED lights.
“We found a total failure at the federal level to regulate LED lights. We’re trying to get Congress involved and anybody that will listen,” he explained.
One of these emails came from 38-year-old Jamie Troese from Pennsylvania. She experiences non-epileptic seizures when exposed to LEDs.
Her experience began in 2005 when she noticed an uptick in the use of LEDs in public spaces. “We started seeing them used more for general and decorative lighting. I would cringe when I saw them, but I would just turn away and avoid them when possible” she said.
When employees returned to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic, Troese’s 40-minute commute to work became more painful because of bright LED lights coming from vehicles.
“I started to get insane pain and noticed my teeth and nose going numb. That would be followed by blinding migraine pain. So, I get to the office, and then I'm sitting under LED lights, which are also causing reactions," she said.
In the summer of 2023, Troese was working in her yard her neighbor’s vehicle pulled out of the garage with their LED beams on. She experienced her first full-blown seizure.
“The work we were doing was actually next to a bee’s nest. I slumped over my shovel. I convulsed, and I was actually unable to get up off the ground for almost 30 minutes,” she said.
In order to protect herself while driving, Troese covered her car windows with cardboard to minimize exposure to LEDs. Police soon pulled her over, which presented another issue.
“The police officer had insanely bright LED lights shining out of his car in addition to the rapidly strobing light. And this was the first time that I actually really thought about that. I cannot call emergency services for help because all of them have LED lights,” she said.
Troese sought out a medical team willing to perform additional tests on her while she was hooked up to an electroencephalogram, or EEG machine. She borrowed a headlight casing from her mechanic with an LED bulb. The doctors turned on the light and Jamie started seizing.
“My heart rate jumped to 160. I convulsed. I had the blinking reflex, my muscles spasmed. I was unable to respond to stimuli, so I couldn't answer questions that they asked,” she said.
According to the Soft Lights Foundation, Troese may be the first person in the United States to be subjected to an experiment to determine if LED lights cause non-epileptic seizures in a controlled laboratory study under expert medical supervision.
The doctors concluded that she was suffering from non epileptic seizures, and they said that LEDs were her only trigger. Though Troese was once a healthy, able-bodied person, now she can’t even step outside of her house without fear of seizing.
“I am completely segregated now from society. I have my blinds closed all the time. I do not leave the house unless I must go to work. If I go to work, someone has to drive me,” she said.
Sometimes Troese’s daughter, age six, helps her mom while she’s having a seizure. Troese has since joined a support group for people suffering similar issues.
”We've been able to band together to try to hold the government accountable to produce those regulations and to protect the American people," Troese said.
Baker from the Soft Lights Foundation is trying to get federal regulation for LED lights. The movement is gaining traction across the country.
Baker said that it is the responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to regulate LED headlights. There is currently no limit to how bright these LEDs can be.
In a statement to TPR, the FDA said that the "FDA has not published performance standards for LED headlights. Automakers do not have to petition or receive approval from FDA solely for the purpose of manufacturing vehicles with LED headlights. Anyone in the general public may use the fillable form found at Report a Problem | FDA to submit a report on any radiation incident or potentially hazardous event involving electronic products that emit radiation."
On April 2, a petition to ban blinding headlights included more than 60,000 signatures. As a result, Baker sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg asking that he direct the NHTSA to take action.
“Don't tell us it's misalignment, because that's not the problem. Problem is, there's no limit on the intensity. If it’s causing people to be stuck in their homes, this is a catastrophic problem,” he said.
In a statement to TPR, the NHTSA said that the "NHTSA has a safety standard for lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. The purpose of this standard is to reduce crashes and injuries by providing adequate illumination of the roadway and by enhancing the visibility of motor vehicles on public roads. Although headlighting technology has changed over the years to include new headlamp light sources, NHTSA’s lighting standard continues to limit the amount of glare directed toward oncoming and preceding traffic."
The statement added: "In February 2022, NHTSA published a final rule to allow adaptive driving beam headlights on new vehicles. The final rule permitted and created performance requirements for ADB headlamps to ensure they do not glare other drivers. The petitions for reconsideration of the adaptive driving beam final rule are currently under review."
Mark encouraged people to reach out to the Soft Lights Foundation and also to contact their members of Congress with their concerns.
With limited research, and as LED light usage continues to grow, it was unclear if cases like Troese’s will become more common. “I'm a hardworking American who is just trying to go about my life, as any other normal American would do,” she said.
Every aspect of Troese's life has been impacted, and she hopes to one day be able to step outside of her house and take in the day without the fear that it endangers her life.
