OK, a couple of disclaimers: 1. I am not a doctor or any type of medical professional. 2. The information below is the result of about 15-20 minutes of on-line research. 3. Do your own research or ask a truly knowledgeable person to check my information.
Epileptics are the population that is really at risk. There is a milder form of seizure in non-epileptics that basically makes people dizzy, but isn't considered dangerous. >From what I can tell, rapidly flashing lights - at the rate of several times per second - can trigger seizures in about 5-10% of epileptics, who constitute about 1% of the population. I.E. about 5-10 people out of 1000 might have problems with rapidly flashing lights. An epileptic responded to this very question that the time looking at the light is important, and most people sensitive to seizures due to lights know not to look directly at the lights, or to look away. I don't know how fast front lights flash, but they might not even be in the range that are likely to trigger problems in susceptible persons. The flash rate has to be really fast. Bicyclists have a right to protect themselves too, so you have to weigh your own safety against that of the very small possibility that you will happen to trigger a seizure in some facing you on the path or street. Robbie Webber Transportation Policy Analyst State Smart Transportation Initiative www.ssti.us 608-263-9984 (o) [email protected] On Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 6:20 PM, KMSH <[email protected]> wrote: > I was biking home two nights ago at dusk along the lakefront path near > campus and saw a runner ahead jogging toward me. As he got close he said > "that light can trigger seizures" in a serious non-joking way, and then > kept on running. > > I have heard that flashing lights in videos can trigger seizures, and I > agree that my front light blinks annoyingly fast (it's Bontrager Ion > 2<http://store.trekbikes.com/product/bontrager+ion+2+headlight.do>, > from Trek), but is this really a big deal? I find that I am more visible > with a blinking light (as opposed to keeping it on steady), and it saves > batteries too. > > -Kristy > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >
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