Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2023 winners
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Bioplastics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
October 29, 2018 02:00 AM

NHTSA rule change could highlight headlights

Larry P. Vellequette
Automotive News
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Audi AG
    The 2019 Audi A8 has adaptive headlights, although the software to turn them on won't be activated until NHTSA updates safety rules regarding the lights.

    With apologies to Bruce Springsteen and Manfred Mann the days of being "Blinded by the Light" may be numbered.

    After years of pleading from global automakers, led by Toyota, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced in October that it is considering a dramatic change to the long-standing rules that govern automobile headlights. If approved, the change — currently in a comment period before official review — would allow automakers to install and enable adaptive driving beam headlights on new cars sold in the U.S., which would allow put more value into the lights, made with polycarbonate, acrylic and other plastics.

    Put simply, adaptive driving beam headlights make it possible to drive with high beams on without having to worry about blinding other motorists. The high-tech headlights continuously modify and redirect the light coming from each headlight, moving it away from the gaze of oncoming motorists and pedestrians — and the rearview mirrors of vehicles ahead — while better illuminating areas where no vehicles are present.

    "In our opinion, it would make a really big difference" to allow adaptive driving beam headlights, said Matthew Brumbelow, a senior research engineer with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "The main balancing act with headlights in general is achieving good visibility for your vehicle without glaring everyone else on the road. Typically, that's done with low and high beams, and for the most part, that's been left to people to decide which is appropriate."

    The problem, Brumbelow says, is that most people underuse their high beams. In a study of high-beam use, IIHS found that 80 percent of drivers fail to turn on their high-beam lights when they should.

    A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that most drivers fail to use their high beams when they should.

    Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says adaptive headlights would be an improvement on U.S. roads.

    Rollout stymied

    While the technology is in use in other markets, including Europe, its rollout in the U.S. has been stymied in part by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, an equipment standard dating to 1967. The rule regulates not only how headlights put out light, but also where they must be located on a vehicle. NHTSA has amended the standard before, including a change about 40 years ago to allow for brighter high-beam lights, as well as other changes to reduce glare from oncoming vehicles.

    In 2013, with highly controllable LED lighting and front-facing cameras and sensors opening up opportunities for automakers, Toyota asked NHTSA to take another look at its lighting equipment standard to see if it permitted adaptive driving beam headlights that the Japanese automaker wanted to install on its vehicles.

    It didn't, but it probably should, the agency ultimately found. Over the intervening years, NHTSA commissioned studies of the technology and its benefits, solicited comments from automakers and others, and sought ways to implement adaptive driving beam headlights and test their effectiveness.

    Automakers haven't sat idly by. They've begun putting the building blocks in place to turn on adaptive driving beam headlights as soon as regulations allow. Audi, for example, equipped its redesigned 2019 A8 sedan with adaptive driving beam headlights that use a series of LEDs to shape the light emanating from each headlamp, although the feature won't be enabled — via a software update — until NHTSA decides on its proposed rule, an Audi spokesman told Automotive News.

    Technologies vary

    Though not yet legal to deploy, automakers have used different technologies to make their adaptive driving beams work. Audi uses what's called a matrix lighting system in the A8, made up of a number of LEDs that are switched on and off to create different patterns as the need arises. Other automakers employ a mechanical shade over portions of the bulb to direct light. Regardless of the means, every automaker with adaptive driving beam technology relies on sensors to detect other vehicles and pedestrians.

    As with other technology advances, Brumbelow said, the costs of adaptive driving beam lighting will likely limit its application to luxury vehicles initially.

    "A lot of vehicles already have most of the necessary technology in them," he said. "It uses the same camera, for example, as is used for adaptive cruise control. The main costs will be going to a multiple LED headlight. Eventually, it will be an option that you should be able to get on more [mass-market] vehicles."

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Numbers That Matter Live — sign up for the next live
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Plastics treaty talks bring industry leaders to Paris
    2
    Resin Prices
    3
    Recycling plant for laminated packaging launches in Mexico
    4
    Target, Walmart cut from bag drop-off site directory following report
    5
    Plastics industry social media accounts worth following
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2023 winners
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Bioplastics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified