The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule this month, allowing automakers to install adaptive driving beam headlights on new vehicles.
According to a release, this answers a requirement in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law more than a year and a half in advance.
NHTSA’s final rule will improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by making them more visible at night. This will also help prevent crashes by illuminating animals and objects in and along the road.
“NHTSA prioritizes the safety of everyone on our nation’s roads, whether they are inside or outside a vehicle. New technologies can help advance that mission,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s deputy administrator. “NHTSA is issuing this final rule to help improve safety and protect vulnerable road users.”
Adaptive driving beam headlight systems (ADB) use automatic headlight beam switching technology to shine less light on occupied areas of the road and more light on unoccupied areas. This adaptive beam is helpful for distance illumination of pedestrians, animals, and objects without reducing the visibility of drivers in other vehicles.
The final rule amends Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, “Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.”
The amendments adopted on February 15 allow vehicle makers to offer this technology and establish performance requirements for these systems to ensure that they operate safely.
Please click here to learn more about the rulemaking process.