Mark Baker is a man on a mission: make the roads safer by making them darker at night. 

Earlier this year, Baker the president of the Soft Lights Foundation (SFL),  petitioned the Connecticut Department of Health (DPH) to change the regulations concerning flashing lighting emitting diode (LED) lights and loud sirens on Emergency Medical Service (EMS) vehicles.

The DPH rejected Baker’s request. The letter DPH sent to Baker stated it “approved protocols to limit the use of lights and sirens to only those transports where their use is ‘justified by the need for immediate medical intervention that is beyond the capabilities of the ambulance crew using available supplies and equipment.’”

This was just the latest chapter in a series of disappointment for Baker. 

Baker has advocated for soft light on roads and quiet sirens for years. He said that for millions of people with neurological disorders, LED lights pose serious health risks. 

“In general, those of us with sensitivities are sensitive to light,” Baker said. “These LED lights, to us, are catastrophic.” 

SFL started its own “LED Incident Reports” tracker in April. It publishes anonymous complaints from people across the country.  

Two reports ostensibly from Connecticut residents claim that LED lights on headlights injured a 25-year-old with astigmatism’s eyes and gave them anxiety, and almost caused another person to crash their car while driving. 

The Epilepsy Foundation reports that flashing lights, especially bright ones that are colored, can trigger seizures, and recommends photosensitive people exercise caution on streets. 

A 2009 study from the Nova Southern University’s College of Optometry found that more than half of autistic children have a severe sensitivity to LED lights. 

Baker has his own experience to share as well. 

“When LED lights came out, I was a middle school math teacher. These lights became impossible (for me to deal with), so impossible that I had a mental breakdown and ended up in the hospital,” he said. “And it was in the hospital that they diagnosed me with mild autism, so that was the explanation.”

Since that breakdown, he gets panic attacks when he sees LED lights and hears sirens. His reactions are so bad that he moved from Oregon to a quiet area outside of Sacramento, California, to escape the light.  

He doesn’t think it makes sense to subject people to these stressors when, in his mind, the benefits are minimal and the risks are great.  

Over the past three years, only 5% of patient transports by EMS in Connecticut used lights and sirens, according to the response letter sent by the DPH to Baker. 

One study found that flashing lights and sirens on EMS vehicles hastened response time by 1.7 to 3.6 minutes, and transport time by 0.7 to 3.8 minutes. The study found that this causes clinical differences in “only” 5% of cases. 

Another study reported that using sirens and flashing lights actually increases the likelihood of an ambulance crashing by 16%.

“They’re going too fast and people can’t see or hear, and it’s just too much noise and people can’t see or hear,” Baker said. “It’s just too much noise and chaos.”

Research has found that streetlights and headlights do make roads safer. They make roads safer for pedestrians and decrease the risks of car crashes. 

There are also some undeniable benefits of LED lights. They are more energy efficient and have a longer life span than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. They also operate well in extreme heat and cold, and are generally more durable. 

As for the DPH, changing lights and sirens isn’t in the cards. In its letter to Baker, the DPH explained, “The regulation of sirens and flashing lights per petitioner’s request would result in undue financial and administrative burdens for the Department.”

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