Why are some Central Florida street lights turning purple?

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Some Central Florida drivers are encountering purple lights as they drive after dark. 

"It was fine and then all of a sudden purple lights came out of nowhere," noticed driver Shaniece Poitier who was passing through Volusia County. 

A violet hue is taking over on some areas of Interstate 4. One stretch is near Daytona Beach. Drivers have no idea why. 

"I honestly thought it was just because it’s I-4," said Cielo Salgado. "I thought it was special because it's I-4." 

Officials say the lights are actually not supposed to be purple. 

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) says there’s a defect in the LED lights. It’s caused street lights all over the place to go from standard white to purple.  

It’s not just FDOT dealing with the issue, several utility companies are also repairing and replacing purple lights. Duke Energy says it’s happening in newer LEDs that were installed within the last few years. 

"That particular defect is impacting a few hundred lights in our eastern North Carolina area, Florida, and the Midwest," Duke Energy Spokesperson Ana Gibbs said. "Obviously, we’re looking into this and working with that particular vendor to better understand what happened and try to prevent it from happening again." 

FDOT says in Central Florida, 300 of their lights have turned purple affecting five highway interchanges. They’re working to get it fixed. So that pop of light during your commute may soon be gone.  

"They’re beautiful. I love them," Salgado said. 

"A little bit harder to see so I prefer the white lights," Poitier explained. 

So who’s paying for this? FDOT says their lights are under warranty and will be repaired by the manufacturer. 

Watch FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.