OUR roads are becoming increasingly hostile and stressful because of excessive light being emitted by traffic.

Chiefly to blame for this madness has to be the motor industry for manufacturing vehicles with over-powerful LED headlights in a variety of quirky designs with fashion rather than safety as a priority. To add to the problem, some drivers are failing to adjust their lights correctly, others are routinely switching on fog lamps even in conditions of clear visibility, and a few park and wait outside shops with their lights fully ablaze. In response to this over-abundance, extreme cyclists are now using ultra-bright LED lights in a number of disturbing flash modes, not even moderating their output when cycling close to pedestrians on traffic-free routes.

The daily commute to and from work in the town or city during the dark winter months has become a lightmare. It's bad for road safety and bad for health. It's especially concerning for those who are sensitive to blindingly bright or flashing lights. Initiatives are needed at both national and local level to address this issue. In particular, road users should be made to abide by Rule 114 of the Highway Code which makes it illegal to use lights that dazzle.

R M Atkinson,

16 Argyll Terrace, Edinburgh.

RICHARD Ardern (Letters, February 6) is right to call out the dichotomy between the demands of music venues and the worries about hearing damage. Last week in my gym I asked if the loud background music could be turned down. “I’m afraid that’s impossible”, came the reply, “because someone has asked us to turn the music up.” Why should those who want more noise take priority over those who want less?

Dorothy Lewis,

5 Paisley Avenue, Edinburgh.