Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment

الملخص

On February 12, 2003 NHTSA published a request for comments in the Federal Register (68 FR 7101) regarding Adaptive Frontal-lighting Systems (AFS). The agency noted the automotive industry was introducing Adaptive Frontal-lighting Systems that could actively change the intensity and direction of headlamp illumination in response to changes in vehicle speed or roadway geometry, such as providing more light to the left in a left-hand curve. The agency expressed concern that such headlighting systems may cause additional glare to oncoming drivers, change the easily recognizable and consistent appearance of oncoming vehicles, and have failure modes that may cause glare for long periods of time. The agency stated it was also interested in learning whether these adaptive systems can provide any demonstrated reduction in crash risk during nighttime driving. For reasons discussed in this document, the agency is withdrawing this rulemaking.