Lawsuit by the Egyptian Center to Enforce Sanctions Against the Use of Blinding Vehicle Lights: Safeguarding the Lives of Drivers and Pedestrians
Today, the legal team at the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights filed an administrative lawsuit before the Administrative Court, registered under No. 71759 of Judicial Year 79, in their capacity as legal representatives of a taxi driver. The lawsuit was filed against both the Minister of Interior and the Director of the General Traffic Department, in their official capacities, seeking the enforcement of the provisions of the Traffic Law concerning the implementation of comprehensive measures to curb the widespread use of blinding vehicle lights, due to the serious threat they pose to public safety and road users’ lives.
The petition requests a ruling to suspend and annul the administrative authority’s implicit decision to refrain from enforcing the penalty stipulated in Article 72 bis of the Traffic Law—specifically, Violation No. (2) under Item (b)—which prescribes a sanction for the use of high-beam or dazzling lights in vehicles. The suit also calls for a judgment obligating the administrative authority to implement a set of regulatory measures, foremost among them: regulating the use of vehicle front lighting; specifying the technical standards for approved headlamps; prohibiting the importation or use of non-compliant headlamps; and including front light inspection as part of the periodic vehicle licensing procedures.
The Center explained that the plaintiff works as a taxi driver within Greater Cairo and is compelled to work long hours daily—particularly at night—in order to meet the needs of his family. In light of the recent development and expansion of Egypt’s road network, especially in Greater Cairo, drivers have increasingly relied on their vehicle lights, particularly following the government’s decision to reduce public street lighting—except in specific locations such as bridges and city entrances.
However, in the absence of effective oversight of the automotive lighting market, a dangerous trend has emerged: the widespread installation of extremely bright LED or xenon headlights, which cause temporary blindness or visual distortion to other drivers—whether approaching from the opposite direction or via rear-view mirrors—thus posing a grave risk of road accidents.
The petition further noted that these headlamps are often promoted in markets using labels such as “daylight headlamps” or “long-range beams,” making them appealing to some drivers despite their serious harm, particularly in the absence of any effective legal deterrent to their use.
The claim cited a 2022 study conducted in the United Kingdom, which found that 89% of British drivers believe that certain vehicle headlights are excessively dazzling and cause serious visual impairment, while 64% reported having experienced accidents or near misses due to such lights. The study concluded that the human eye is unable to adjust quickly enough to intense lighting during driving, which reduces overall safety on the roads.
The Center emphasized that the legal provision mandating the suspension of a driver’s license for a period ranging from one to three months in cases involving the use of high-beam lights is not effectively enforced by the competent authorities. This lack of enforcement has led to the rampant and unchecked use of such hazardous headlamps, exposing the plaintiff, and countless other road users, to daily risks without any real fear of penalty or accountability.
