Photobiological safety of automotive lighting

Bin Zhao, YingZhu, Zui Wen

Autolighting laboratory, Institute of Automotive Testing

ChinaAutomotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC)

Tianjin,P. R. China

zhaobin@catarc.ac.cn

Abstract—With more and more application ofLED and the starting use of laser pumped phosphor in automotive lighting,people pay more and more attention to the photobiological safety of automotivelighting. Thispaper discusses thepotential photobiological safety of some kinds of automotive lightingtechnologies such as high-luminancewhiteLED, laser headlamps and NIR night vision system. Blue light hazard is the mainhazard of  high-luminancewhite LED,  it would make hazard not only to human eyes butalso to the normal function of the body's biological clock. Laser pumpedphosphor brings high luminous intensity for automotive lighting and at the sametime maybe more serious photobiological safety risk to people. NIR emittingcomponent on vehicle for night vision system also has risk for people becauseit is invisible. After review of the development of standards for photobiologicalsafety, this paper states some measures to avoid photobiological hazard andimprove the photobiological safety of automotive lighting.

Keywords-High-luminancewhite LED; Photobiological hazard;  Photobiological safety; Bluelight hazard; Laserrpumped phosphor; Night vision system;Biologicalclock; Automotive lighting.