Hi - my first post here...I am suffering from the symptoms described many times on this forum I.e. eye-centred headaches and nausea brought on by using certain screens. For me it was a Samsung Galaxy S7 which set me off, I’ve switched to an iPhone 6s now which is a bit better.

My question is this - is anyone else out there getting the symptoms with in-car infotainment screens? I have just bought a new BMW 5 series and am getting eye-strain headaches when driving it, even for short periods. It has two main screens, one for sat nav, phone, radio etc and a digital dashboard (speedometer etc.). I can switch off the infotainment screen (which helps a little) but can’t switch off the dashboard, obviously. I can’t control the brightness on either as they adjust automatically during the day. Anyone else getting something like this?

I had a new Volvo as a loaner recently and that was worse!

    Vip Tesla Model S's (at least of 2-3 years ago) used severe PWM on all the lights. I assume to conserve battery power as it's an electric vehicle.

    Vip Galaxy S7 was one of the worst devices for me.

    Vip I get persisting eye strain immediately from flickering LEDs inside modern cars. Driving such a car myself would pose a risk even though any doctor would save me from insurance trouble after an accident simply because the condition is unknown and not discoverable by regular oculists or neurological checkups.
    I can sit in such cars as back-seat passenger when I cover any LED-backlit screens the back seats have to offer. They can not always be turned off. Even then I get irritated eyes when the cockpit's LEDs are in range of sight for some minutes. So far I believe car manufacturers will be the last people on earth to hear anything about flicker-related problems and will happily continue to deploy the most aggravating LEDs and displays the market has to offer. Even their front lights and tail lights flicker at disturbingly low frequencies which even unaffected people complain about.

    • AGI replied to this.

      I am sufferer too and recently had a chance to drive two different cars with in car screens - in between the steering wheel and at center console. I get instant symptoms. Not as bad as my experience with iphone 8, but I lose concentration and wouldn't call it a normal driving experience. Since even ford fiesta has a screen nowadays, I stress that "classics" will be the only way for us to drive around. Or we could modify our cars to have eink screens somehow.

      I tried a fairly modern Mazda recently and I was certainly suspicious of both the navigation display, the in dash instrument display (one of which is a screen) and the small HUD display. I had that nagging feeling of screens getting to me after my test drive.

      Interestingly my wife has a similar car from a couple or so years earlier and I think I'm OK in that one. I have my suspicions that being that bit older it might have CCFL backlighting.

      I've always had a problem with the "power saving" lights in modern cars. My current vehicle is a Ford Fusion Hybrid (2014). All the lights are "eco" LED's, including the screens. I put a yellow filter over all the screens, which helped but I still got pretty severe "tired eye" . In the end, I have over 2 years gotten pretty used to the screens and they no longer bother me unless I'm already very tired... which shows that this CAN be accomodated for, just not easily.

      My girlfriend drives a Subaru Crosstrek. She used to have a 2015, which was fine for me. The new one is a 2018 and the central screen WAS pretty unpleasant but I've slowly gotten used to that as well.

      I am photosensitive, so I am legally barred from driving. As far as safety planners are concerned, that solves the problem. Of course I'm also effectively barred from taking the bus, and using many crosswalks, and I get hit by cars because of all the dangerous safety signals.

      I expect a similar policy response here.

      • AGI replied to this.
        a year later

        has anyone tried the new class a with 2 10" displays?

        Ananiujitha If it is not too invasive, could you please describe your condition? What do you mean with photosensitive? I mean, I would call myself too photosensitive, but I have not been diagnosed as such. Many doctors tell me my eyes are very delicate / sensitive...but that is very qualitative. No test was ever carried out.
        Would you like to drive a car but you are not allowed or do not you drive because you do not feel confident? Thanks.

        KM Even their front lights and tail lights flicker at disturbingly low frequencies which even unaffected people complain about.

        I have not yet observed disturbs from the flicker, but they look super-bright to me, like upper lights. Very dangerous.

        • KM replied to this.

          AGI The flashes are even brighter than they appear because what we perceive is just the PWM average.

          • AGI replied to this.
          • AGI likes this.

            KM Ah, I had not thought about it. Wow, that is scary.
            I recently cursed so many people coming in the opposite direction, thinking they were using the upper beam, but after reading a thread here a few months ago, I figured out it was LEDs and not the upper beam. Basically all new cars mount them. It is very disturbing. To me they should be banned in the current configuration.

              AGI To me they should be banned in the current configuration.

              Go to www.lightmare.org and sign the petition.

                ensete Go to www.lightmare.org and sign the petition.

                I think there is no petition currently. Googling, I found some from 2017 and 2018.
                If I am wrong, could you please send me the link, even in form of private message? Thanks.
                I made a donation, surely it won't contribute much, but this way I should be informed of what happens on the topic via newsletters and so on.

                Vip My question is this - is anyone else out there getting the symptoms with in-car infotainment screens?

                Yes, same for me in our Seat Alhambra.

                Vip Yes, every car with screens and or LED backlight. I have to cover everything or turn off backlight to be able to drive it. During new year celebration I was the only one not drunk and had to drive 2015 toyota yaris, I was behind the wheel for 1 h and I got headache, blury eyes, etc. It lasted for 3 days.

                I also drove 2017 Range Rover discovery sport and covered most of the screens and buttons. Still got eye strain and blurryness.

                I am planning to buy a new car and I am looking into cars which still have buttons for essential functions. For example new Audis is a no-go as even climate control is incorporated in touchscreen. But many others still have buttons for climate, volume, etc. (which is enough for me, as I already cannot use most of the things around me).

                Just an idea on covering lights of buttons but still be able to use them. Not sure if it is possible, but I want to draw all the icons of the car and print them on "night glow paper". Then cut all those :"icons" and stick them on every button possible to cover the lights. They would glow for couple of hours time, which should be enough to drive home after work and not have to turn on internal lighting, which is also flickering LED.

                Another life saver are cars with ability to turn off internal lighting and still being able to have headlights on. I recently sat in 2011 BMW 5 series saloon, which had lights turned on and the dashboard lights were turned off. It was possible to turn it on and off. Unfortunately the new 5 series does not have this (not sure which continent or country), but I am sure that good electrician can solve this in one way or another. I don't really care if I had to damage the interior of the car to attach "a workaround button" or something just to be able to have modern car.

                Does anyone else have workarounds or better ideas for cars?

                I have two cars a doge caliber 2008 and a Nissan Rogue 2013. Both use halogen lights and have no screens. That's my work around.

                  jasonpicard I do have 2008 SCION too with halogen outside and bulbs inside, but it is aging now and I do not think it will last loads of year.

                  By the way, does xenon give you eye strain/headaches?

                    randomboolean yeah they do. I don't let it dictate my life though. Generally bright lights mess with me but if I do everything else right I have no issues. I haven't had any crazy problems since before 2016. I'm so educated on what affects me these days. I can usually deal with minor problems like this without being knocked out for days. Last problem I have ever had was when they changed our screens at work but changed the DVI adapters but I solved it.

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