The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is preparing to rewrite Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, the regulation governing car headlights in the United States. The move follows years of evaluation, including a 2013 petition from Toyota and a 2022 final rule that permitted adaptive beam matrix LED headlights—technology already common in Europe. Unlike the EU’s homologation system, where vehicles are pre-approved, the US relies on self-certification by manufacturers, with penalties for non-compliance.
NHTSA previously rejected Europe’s glare tests as too subjective for this model. The agency aims to harmonize US standards globally, modernize rules for LEDs and sensors, improve lens testing, and reduce glare. Audi’s US-spec SUVs currently use limited versions of the technology available in Europe.
The updated rule is expected to address aiming, glare, and emerging lighting tech.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing