US agency to rewrite rules to address vehicle headlight glare

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) – The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday that it will rewrite its vehicle lighting standards to address concerns about headlight glare and allow for the latest safety-improving lighting technologies.

NHTSA said it plans to improve rules for LEDs, dusk sensors, automatic high beams and replaceable light sources. The agency will also evaluate headlamp height and aim and how they impact driver visibility and address headlight glare and make appropriate changes.

Complaints about glare from headlights have increased and some lawmakers have urged the government to set a maximum headlight brightness standard. A growing number of taller trucks and SUVs on roads has also led to more complaints about glare.

LEDs, which now account for most headlights in new cars, are much brighter than traditional halogen headlights.

“Today’s standards do not allow automakers to deploy the latest safety-improving lighting technologies, so we are bringing key experts and stakeholders together to modernize our standards and address potential causes of glare,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison.

The issue still accounts for a small number of nighttime crashes, according to a study last year from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The study noted that headlight glare contributes to far fewer crashes than insufficient visibility. From 2015 to 2023, headlight glare was cited as a factor in only one or two out of every 1,000 nighttime crashes across 11 US states, the study shows.

Federal headlight standards for minimum and maximum brightness have not changed since 1997, IIHS noted. The study found that drivers older than 70 appear to be most affected by headlight glare.

In 2022, NHTSA said it would allow automakers to install adaptive driving beam headlights on new vehicles. The devices adjust the headlight beam pattern to dim portions directed at other vehicles.

NHTSA will use a negotiated rulemaking process to update its vehicle lighting standards. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will appoint up to 18 people from vehicle lighting manufacturers, motor vehicle equipment associations, safety organizations, research institutions, and engineering associations to take part.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Mark Porter and Aurora Ellis)