Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Vehicle Equipment Standards topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neuroscientist urges ban on flickering aftermarket LED headlamps, citing seizure and distraction risks
Summary
Dr. Seth Hocken Frankston told the Joint Committee on Transportation that H.3642 would prohibit aftermarket headlamps that flicker due to substandard electronics, arguing flicker can trigger seizures in sensitive individuals and distract drivers.
Dr. Seth Hocken Frankston, a neuroscientist who works on vision and cognition, testified in support of H.3642, which would prohibit headlamps that flicker or lack circuitry necessary to produce a steady beam.
"Many of these [aftermarket LED] use substandard electronics that cause physical flicker, often around 50 to 60 times per second," Dr. Frankston said. He described effects on people with photosensitive epilepsy ("which affects 1 in 4,000 people") and those prone to migraines: "Flickering lights even at frequencies that we can't perceive could trigger seizures. Likewise, people who are prone to migraines or other light sensitive conditions, can be significantly impacted by low frequency flicker, often resulting in a rapid headache, nausea, discomfort." He added that flickering headlamps also involuntarily distract other drivers and increase crash risks.
Dr. Frankston recommended H.3642 as a narrow, enforceable fix that can be implemented through existing vehicle inspection processes. "This is a common sense low cost solution that protects public safety," he told the committee.
No formal committee action was recorded; Dr. Frankston asked lawmakers to support H.3642 and to coordinate enforcement through vehicle inspection standards.
