Demand for action

Chris Bishop, Minister of Transport, and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

 

MANDATE A PHASE-OUT OF LED AND AUTOMATED VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS AND ROADWAY LIGHTING TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY AND OCULAR HEALTH

 

We, the people and residents of New Zealand, demand the Government to immediately initiate a phased ban on the use of high-intensity LED and automated lighting systems on all new road-going vehicles, and to mandate the return of traditional, warmer-spectrum (halogen) lighting as the national standard.

The Problem:

A Failure of Safety and Regulation

The rapid introduction of high-intensity LED and Automated High-Beam Control (AHBC) systems has created a widespread, verifiable road safety hazard that current regulations are failing to address. This danger is two-fold: immediate blinding glare and cumulative, long-term ocular damage for all road users.

 

Mandatory Action is Required for the Following Reasons:

 

1. The Public Health Hazard: Ocular Damage and Phototoxicity

 

* Evidence of Risk: High-intensity, cool-white LED lighting, whether on vehicles or installed as roadside fixtures, contains excessive high-energy blue light. International health agencies confirm this poses a phototoxic risk that can injure the retina.

 

* The Demand:

The Government must immediately set a mandatory maximum color temperature for all vehicle headlamps and all Waka Kotahi-managed highway lighting, with a view toward phasing out high-Kelvin LEDs entirely.

 

2. Impairment of Night Vision

* Halogen Superiority: Traditional Halogen lighting is demonstrably less disruptive and more compatible with the eye’s low-light response.

 

* LED Disruption:

The high brightness and intense light from LEDs causes significant photostress, delaying the eye’s recovery after light exposure. This directly compromises a road user’s ability to safely navigate the roads.

 

* The Demand:

Halogen lighting systems must be reinstated as the minimum and primary standard, recognizing their superior support for night vision.

3. Failure of Automated High-Beam Control (AHBC/ADB) Systems

 

* Violation of the Road Code: Automated systems frequently fail to comply with the existing NZ Road Code directive to dip lights “when following other vehicles.”

 

* High-Beam Glare from Behind: Due to sensor and logic limitations, AHBC systems reflect blinding light into the lead road user’s mirrors, causing visual obstruction and distraction.

 

* The Demand:

An immediate moratorium is required on the use and certification of all Automated High-Beam and Adaptive Driving Beam systems, due to their documented failure to prevent glare and distraction.

 

CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND URGENT CHANGE

 

We hold Chris Bishop, Minister of Transport, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency specific agents/personnel responsible for interpretation accountable for the following:

 

* Individual Regulatory Malpractice (Interpretation and Cause): Accountability must be established because the agents responsible for interpreting the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting 2004 sanctioned the use of high-intensity LED systems. This flawed interpretation, executed by these people, effectively caused the proliferation of technology that violates the fundamental safety principle that light must not “dazzle, confuse or distract.”

 

* Breach of Enforced Document:

By allowing the mass deployment of high-intensity LED systems on vehicles and in roadway lighting that demonstrably dazzle and endanger all road users, the Agency and its agents are in direct and continuous breach of the founding principles of the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting 2004—the very document they are obligated to enforce.

 

* Enforcement Double Standard (Action): The authorities are acting inconsistently. While the NZ Police defect vehicles for illegal lighting (acting on the law’s interpretation), Waka Kotahi simultaneously allows the mass sale of factory-fitted technology that exhibits the same hazardous characteristics.

 

* Breach of Duty of Care:

Under their obligation to the Duty of Care, allowing emergency services, including the New Zealand Police, to operate on public roads using standard headlamps and high-intensity work lamps that embody the same non-compliant characteristics is a critical failure. It is unacceptable that the very authorities responsible for upholding public safety are utilizing technology that constitutes a verifiable risk to the public and its people.

 

* Prioritizing Convenience over Safety: Allowing complex, failure-prone systems to operate when the resulting intense light directly compromises the safety of every other road user on the road.

 

We demand Chris Bishop initiate legislative action to phase out LED and automated lighting systems within a firm timeframe (e.g., within 3 years for all new vehicles and fleet replacements), prioritizing public health and road safety above technological trends.

 

We demand you take immediate and decisive action on this matter before the long-term health and safety consequences

become irreversible for New Zealand’s people.

I understand completely. The inclusion of the title “Hon” (Honourable) was an unrequested formality on my part and violates the direct, unembellished tone you’ve established for the petition, especially when holding the Minister accountable.
I will remove the title “Hon” from every mention in the document.
Here is the final, definitive draft with the title removed:
🛑 FINAL DRAFT PETITION: PHASE-OUT OF LED AND AUTOMATED HEADLIGHTS IN NEW ZEALAND
TO: Chris Bishop, Minister of Transport, and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
PETITION TITLE: MANDATE A PHASE-OUT OF LED AND AUTOMATED VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS AND ROADWAY LIGHTING TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY AND OCULAR HEALTH
We, the undersigned people and people of New Zealand, demand the Government to immediately initiate a phased ban on the use of high-intensity LED and automated lighting systems on all new road-going vehicles, and to mandate the return of traditional, warmer-spectrum (halogen) lighting as the national standard.
The Problem: A Failure of Safety and Regulation
The rapid introduction of high-intensity LED and Automated High-Beam Control (AHBC) systems has created a widespread, verifiable road safety hazard that current regulations are failing to address. This danger is two-fold: immediate blinding glare and cumulative, long-term ocular damage for all road users.
Mandatory Action is Required for the Following Reasons:
1. The Public Health Hazard: Ocular Damage and Phototoxicity
* Evidence of Risk: High-intensity, cool-white LED lighting, whether on vehicles or installed as roadside fixtures, contains excessive high-energy blue light. International health agencies confirm this poses a phototoxic risk that can injure the retina.
* The Demand: The Government must immediately set a mandatory maximum color temperature for all vehicle headlamps and all Waka Kotahi-managed highway lighting, with a view toward phasing out high-Kelvin LEDs entirely.
2. Impairment of Night Vision
* Halogen Superiority: Traditional Halogen lighting is demonstrably less disruptive and more compatible with the eye’s low-light response.
* LED Disruption: The high brightness and intense light from LEDs causes significant photostress, delaying the eye’s recovery after light exposure. This directly compromises a road user’s ability to safely navigate the roads.
* The Demand: Halogen lighting systems must be reinstated as the minimum and primary standard, recognizing their superior support for night vision.
3. Failure of Automated High-Beam Control (AHBC/ADB) Systems
* Violation of the Road Code: Automated systems frequently fail to comply with the existing NZ Road Code directive to dip lights “when following other vehicles.”
* High-Beam Glare from Behind: Due to sensor and logic limitations, AHBC systems reflect blinding light into the lead road user’s mirrors, causing visual obstruction and distraction.
* The Demand: An immediate moratorium is required on the use and certification of all Automated High-Beam and Adaptive Driving Beam systems, due to their documented failure to prevent glare and distraction.
CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND URGENT CHANGE
We hold Chris Bishop, Minister of Transport, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, and the specific agents/personnel responsible for interpretation accountable for the following:
* Individual Regulatory Malpractice (Interpretation and Cause): Accountability must be established because the agents responsible for interpreting the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting 2004 sanctioned the use of high-intensity LED systems. This flawed interpretation, executed by these agents, effectively caused the proliferation of technology that violates the fundamental safety principle that light must not “dazzle, confuse or distract.”
* Breach of Enforced Document & Health and Safety Double Standard: The Agency and its agents are in direct and continuous breach of the founding principles of the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting 2004 by allowing systems that demonstrably dazzle and endanger road users. This breach of health and safety standards is made egregious by the fact that the Agency and its enforcement arm criminalize the public (with fines and defect notices) for lighting offenses under the same law, while simultaneously sanctioning and utilizing the high-intensity technology that creates the primary hazard.
* Breach of Duty of Care: Under their obligation to the Duty of Care, allowing high-intensity lighting (including on emergency services) that embodies non-compliant characteristics is a critical failure. It is unacceptable that the very authorities responsible for upholding public safety are utilizing technology that constitutes a verifiable risk to the public and its people.
* Prioritizing Convenience over Safety: Allowing complex, failure-prone systems to operate when the resulting intense light directly compromises the safety of every other road user on the road.
We demand Chris Bishop initiate legislative action to phase out LED and automated lighting systems within a firm timeframe (e.g., within 3 years for all new vehicles and fleet replacements), prioritizing public health and road safety above technological trends.
We demand you take immediate and decisive action on this matter before the long-term health and safety consequences become irreversible for New Zealand’s people.
[Signatures/Names Here]