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On February 15, 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule that allowed automakers to install adaptive driving beam headlights on new vehicles. The final rule is believed to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists by making them more visible at night and help prevent crashes by better illuminating animals and other objects in and along roadways.

"NHTSA prioritizes the safety of everyone on our nation’s roads, whether they are inside or outside a vehicle. New technologies can help advance that mission,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s Deputy Administrator. “NHTSA is issuing this final rule to help improve safety and protect vulnerable road users.”

What is the adaptive beam headlight system?

According to the NHTSA, adaptive driving beam headlight systems (ADB) use automatic headlight beam switching technology to shine less light on occupied areas of the road and more light on unoccupied areas. The system should be useful for distance illumination of pedestrians, animals, and objects without reducing the visibility of drivers in other vehicles.

Comments on the adaptive beam headlight system ruling.

Automotive News reported that the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a group representing Toyota and most of the other automakers in the United States, had urged the NHTSA in October to expedite this final rule to allow the ADB technology in vehicles manufactured in the U.S.

The alliance "has supported NHTSA's efforts on the adaptive driving beam (ADB) rule-making and has actively participated in the rule-making process through public comment," John Bozzella, CEO of the alliance, said in a statement. “Research shows the safety benefits of this technology, which can help provide enhanced down-road visibility without increasing glare to oncoming vehicles.”

Florida pedestrian and bicyclist accidents occur when visibility is lowest.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) analyzed accidents in 2020 and found they most frequently occurred at dawn, dusk, and nighttime when the visibility was lower due to less light. Of 304 fatalities in 2021, 169 were pedestrians and 45 were bicyclists. In 2020, both numbers were lower, with 140.

Physical conditions that make it harder to see at night.

Although there is less traffic at night in Florida, driving may be incredibly dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. Depth perception, peripheral vision, and color recognition often diminish after sunset, according to the FLHSMV.

WebMD reports that many people, especially older people, have reduced vision in low light. They may need twice as much light at age 50 to see as well as they did when they were 30. As one ages, other diseases, according to WebMD can also make it harder to see at night, such as:

• Nyctalopia Another name for this condition is night blindness. If you have this condition, you’re not fully blind at night, but you may have a harder time seeing when there is less light. Nyctalopia is sometimes a sign of a different medical condition.
• Myopia is also known as nearsightedness. It means you have trouble seeing things that are far away. It might also be harder to see in low-light conditions. A variation of myopia is referred to as night myopia. This type of nearsightedness occurs only at night.
• Glaucoma reduces peripheral vision and can make it harder to see at night. Glaucoma occurs when fluid builds up in the eye and damages the optic nerve.
• Cataracts cause the lens of your eye to be cloudy, making it harder to see. This condition affects your vision both during the day and night.
• Deficiency of Vitamin A Lack of this important nutrient can cause blindness. According to WebMD, foods that are high in vitamin A include pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and eggs.

“Adaptive driving beam headlights may be able to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities pedestrians and bicycles suffer when out at night. If you or a loved one is injured in a pedestrian or bicyclist accident because of the negligence of a driver whether it is at night or during the day, please contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. after seeking medical attention. We represent people involved in numerous types of personal injury and wrongful death accidents throughout the state of Florida. All of our clients have unique personal injury cases. Our firm provides personal contact and communication along with aggressive representation. Please contact Attorney Randall Spivey, Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839 or contact us online at SpiveyLaw.