Adaptive headlights that don’t blind drivers are finally going to be road legal in the US

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Good news, motorists! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is about to make adaptive headlights road legal in the US. No more being blinded by high-beam headlights from oncoming traffic.

Okay, maybe I should temper my enthusiasm slightly. The NHTSA issued what’s known as a “final rule” on Tuesday; which paves the way for “adaptive driving beam headlights” to join the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

See, currently, the only type of beam headlights that are road legal in the US are low beams and “dumb” high beams. Turning high beams on and off automatically are road legal, but it can’t shape the beam at all. That means that even the best automatic systems dazzle oncoming drivers, even for a split second.

That’s a split second too long. However, adaptive driving beam headlights can help. The tech uses a complex array of LEDs to create the headlight’s beam. This adjusts dynamically in response to driving conditions, like light, the curve of the road, and other vehicles.

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That means the system can illuminate the road surface, without shining light at other drivers. It’s a win-win and has been in use in Europe for some time. The advanced headlights are safer too, with studies showing that vehicles with adaptive headlights make fewer insurance claims.

This final rule by the NHTSA means that automakers can finally start using adaptive beam headlights in US-bound cars. We expect that luxury vehicles will be the first to get the tech, as with any new automotive inventions.

The only thing? The price of safety isn’t cheap. For example, Audi’s adaptive beam lights are a $3,000 option on its e-Tron Sportsback EV. But it will be years before the lower end of the automotive market gets the tech.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.