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Feds get ready to rewrite car headlight rules
Ars Technica • • business
Key Points:
- The U.S. is set to modernize its headlight regulations, governed by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), to allow newer lighting technologies and improve driver safety by 2026.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is initiating a negotiated rulemaking process to update outdated standards, reduce regulatory barriers, and incorporate innovations like adaptive beam matrix LEDs.
- Historically, U.S. headlight rules only permitted basic high- and low-beams, causing delays in adopting advanced technologies common in Europe and Japan, such as addressable LEDs and laser lighting.
- Unlike Europe’s type approval system, the U.S. relies on manufacturer self-certification, which influenced NHTSA’s cautious approach to glare testing and delayed harmonization with global standards.
- The updated FMVSS 108 aims to align U.S. regulations with international norms, improve testing methods, and ensure new lighting technologies do not cause glare or safety issues for other drivers.
