NHTSA Complaint #10187015 — 2007 INFINITI FX

COMPLAINED OF DRIVER'S EYE STRAIN CAUSED BY LED BRAKE LAMP SYSTEMS. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH LED BRAKE LAMPS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON EQUIPMENT ON VEHICLES, SUCH AS NISSAN'S MURANO/INFINITI FX45 , AND SOME CADILLAC MODELS. WHILE FOLLOWING THESE VEHICLES AT NIGHT THE BRAKES LIGHTS CAUSED ME EXCESSIVE EYE STRAIN FROM AN APPARENT LIGHT TRAIL"THAT SHOWS UP IN MY FIELD OF VISION WHEN MY EYES SHIFTS. THIS IS A SIMILAR EFFECT AS THE RAINBOW EFFECT THAT IS EXHIBITED BY SOME DLP PROJECTORS AND TVS. THE ROOT CAUSE IS THAT MOST LED SYSTEMS ARE OPERATED IN A PULSING MODE TO CONSERVE POWER. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT 60HZ IS A COMMON FREQUENCY USED, ONE WHERE MOST PEOPLE WILL SEE THE LIGHT AS ALWAYS ON, EVEN THOUGH IT IS FLICKERING ON AND OFF 60 TIMES PER SECOND. THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THE FREQUENCY THEY USE IS ONE THAT I CAN SEE WHEN I SHIFT MY EYES, HENCE THE LIGHT TRAILS THAT APPEAR IN MY VISION FIELD WHEN FOLLOWING THESE VEHICLES AT NIGHT. NOT EVERYBODY'S EYES WILL SEE THE SAME FREQUENCY FLICKER, AND PERSONALLY I FEEL THIS IS A GRAVE OVERSIGHT TO ALLOW THESE LED BRAKE LIGHT SYSTEMS ON THE MARKET WITH SUCH A LOW FREQUENCY THAT IS SEEN BY SOME PEOPLE. I GET HEADACHES WHILE FOLLOWING THESE VEHICLES AND GET EXCESSIVE EYE STRAIN. HAD TO SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY TO INCREASE FOLLOWING DISTANCE FROM THESE VEHICLES OR STOP ALTOGETHER TO GET AWAY FROM THEM. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO FOLLOW VEHICLES WITH THESE LED BRAKE LIGHT SYSTEMS AT NIGHT. I FEEL AN APPROPRIATE ACTION WOULD BE STUDIES TO DETERMINE AN ACCEPTABLE FREQUENCY FOR LEDS THAT DON'T CAUSE LIGHT TRAILS WHEN PEOPLE SHIFT THEIR EYES, FOLLOWED BY REQUIREMENTS THAT THE FREQUENCY EXCEEDS THIS SPECIFICATION. *AK