Headlights' colourful future

25th September 2006

	More than 40 per cent of accidents happen in twilight, even though only a quarter of journeys are made then

Multi-coloured headlamps could make it easier to see in the dark. That's the illuminating advice from scientists at the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL), after an international study on twilight driving. And it means new headlamps could use bulbs of different colours to boost visibility towards the edges of the cone of light.

"When light levels are high, the human eye responds best to green," said Teresa Goodman, the principal research scientist at NPL. "But in twilight or foggy conditions, sensitivity moves towards blue light."

The findings raise the possibility of having blue and white LEDs in a headlamp unit, with computer-designed lenses ensuring they shine in the right direction. Blue will make hazards clearer at the edge of the beam, but white will still shine straight ahead. And red tail-lights ringed by blue LEDs could also be seen sooner at night.

"Manufacturers are certainly think­ing about what is happening regarding the results of our research, " said Goodman. "And lamp changes could be seen in four or five years."

More than 40 per cent of accidents happen in twilight, even though only a quarter of journeys are made then.