In recent years, there has been a growing number of incidents where pilots getting "laser attacked". Especially on approach to an airport the pilots report of green lasers used to dazzle them from the ground.  This causes pilots unable to see clearly for several minutes and there are fears of long term eye damage. It is just fortunate that there has not been any report of a plane crash that was caused by laser dazzling.

Lasers though have their users, many in fact. In the military, they are used as range finders, designators and of course as aiming devices. Lasers dazzlers are also used in military checkpoints in Iraq where they are found to be effective at making drivers stop their vehicles when the dazzlers are directed at them. Laser dazzlers are used to cause to temporary blindness and does not violate the 1995 United Nations Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons as the protocol is a ban laser dazzlers that can cause permanent blindness.

(Photo Credit: Air Force Research Laboratory)

Such incidents are not limited to plane pilots. There are also incidents of  soldiers blinded and hospitalised by laser "friendly" fire that were caused by the misuse of the Green Laser Dazzlers in Iraq and one soldier has been said to have lost vision in one eye. Green lasers are more dangerous than red lasers where in some cases some of the commercially available green lasers emit ten times more infrared than red lasers. The human eye may not detect the IR and does may not look away reflexively and will get damage especially when the IR light is generated at wavelength of 808nm.

(Photo: Green Laser Escalation of Force (GLEF). Credit: U.S. Army)

Thus, in airsoft games, there are house rules not to aim laser devices to the head area of the opposing player to avoid such injuries. We'd rather recommend using just their weaponlights and actually do not encourage using laser for aiming nowadays since there are illuminated reticles in sights and iron sights can also have luminous paint for better target acquisition in low light conditions.

Looks like a solution to this problem will be made available soon commercially. PerriQuest Defense Research Enterprises announce that they are now taking pre-orders for their PerriQuest Laser Defense Eyewear. Primarily designed for pilots, police and transportation workers, these protective eyewear are stylish enough and easy to use. According to the press release from the company, the eyewear has the following attributes:

• Blocks all three laser colors. Current technologies block green, red, or blue – not all three;
• Does not compromise the wearer's ability to perceive and distinguish color. Other products distort all perceived color in order to block laser light;
• Provides full coverage. Glasses available today often provide protection only from direct attacks or attacks from "twelve o'clock."
• PerriQuest's technology protects the wearer from attacks at wide angles;
• Comfortable and wearable. Many technologies on the market today are intended for laboratory use and are not comfortable, hindering compliance;
• Deployable. PerriQuest's solution is ready for immediate use.

Going over the details at the PerriQuest's website, it is just a let down on its impact protection as it does not indicate if it meets the ANSI Z87.1 – 2010 or MIL-PRF-31013 which are standards for ballistic eyewear. For those who do tactical activities soldiers, police, practical shooters, and airsoft players, they will still have to wait until Perriquest can release a ballistic eyewear version.

But if you are pilot or someone whose job is to be driving on the road and aware of that such laser hazards are a big threat to eyes, life, and livelihood, then you might want to pre-order a pair. They have two model: PerriQuest Night which is designed for maximum visual acquity and night vision; and PerriQuest Day which has more sun protection and UV-blocking during daytime use. For long haul airline pilots, they may need to get both pairs as they travel in different time zones where they will encounter night time and day time conditions.

Now, PerriQuest may need to work fast for the ballistic version so it can be used by the military and airsoft players. For us airsoft players, we should be aware that the risk for our eyes are not only the airsoft BBs, but also the laser devices that may just aimed at our eyes by careless airsoft players. This type of eyewear protection, provided that it also has ballistic protection, is just what we need on the field  to be doubly sure that our eyes are protected.