Can laser pointers blind people?

Possible more potentially damaging -- although not to the eye -- is that a regular pointer laser can overwhelm the eye with light, typically called flash blindness. If a person is walking a rocky path, operating machinery, a vehicle or aircraft, this temporary loss of vision could cause injury or disaster. read more

” It’s very unlikely, but I would not exclude it completely. When laser hits your eye, you automatically close it to protect it. Below approximately 50mW of laser power, this reflex is fast enough that the energy absorbed by the eye won’t cause permanent damage. Provided that the light is visible. read more

It goes without saying this is unacceptable and is illegal. It is this kind of behavior that causes the public to support a ban on laser pointers. Why lasers can cause eye damage. A laser’s light is concentrated into a narrow beam. If aimed at a person’s eye from close up, most or all of the light goes through the pupil. read more

For most laser pointers, there is not enough energy to instantly damage the eye, and your reflexes will cause you to blink before you have damage. But if you don't blink, or if the laser is more powerful, you will get damage. read more