NHTSA to modernize ‘outdated’ vehicle lighting standards

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to modernize its outdated vehicle lighting standards, saying doing so will make America’s roads safer for all drivers, according to a press release.

NHTSA says an update to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 is “long overdue,” and that it will accelerate the rulemaking process by consulting with industry stakeholders, safety advocates, and technical experts.

The release states the discussions will cover key safety and engineering challenges, including:

• • “Addressing headlight glare: Examining the role that modern headlighting technology has on glare for other road users and making appropriate changes.
  • “Modernizing lighting technology: Improving rules for LEDs, dusk sensors, automatic high beams, and replaceable light sources.
  • “Improving performance: Evaluating how headlamp height and aim affect driver visibility.
  • “Updating testing and materials: Streamlining test procedures for plastic optics and replaceable lenses.
  • “Aligning global standards: Harmonizing U.S. vehicle lighting regulations with international safety standards.”

The release notes that this is the first time in more than 25 years that NHTSA is using negotiated rulemaking to update its vehicle lighting standards.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy plans to appoint up to 18 stakeholders across vehicle lighting manufacturers, motor vehicle equipment associations, safety organizations, research institutions, and engineering associations.

According to NHTSA’s rulemaking notice, it proposes the following representation:

• • “Four representatives from vehicle lighting manufacturers or lighting retailers;
  • “Two representatives from national motor vehicle manufacturers;
  • “Four representatives from national motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment manufacturing associations;
  • “Two representatives from national motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment safety organizations;
  • “Three representatives from educational institutions or research institutions, or testing organizations within the United States; and
  • “Three representatives from national professional engineering associations or standard-setting associations.”

The notice states that the committee will be “tasked with developing a detailed term sheet consisting of consensus recommendations to inform the agency’s rulemaking proposal.”

“NHTSA has long recognized the complexity of FMVSS No. 108 and the need to modernize the standard to facilitate new vehicle designs and emerging technologies,” the notice states.

It notes that NHTSA initiated rulemaking action RIN 2127-AL95 in the Spring 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The notice states that the ongoing effort led to a rulemaking petition from Osram Sylvania regarding LED replacement light sources.

“Given the technical challenges of updating these legacy requirements, NHTSA recognizes that the expertise of outside stakeholders is essential in any highly technical discussion of revising FMVSS No. 108,” the notice states.

“The effort will cover various topics of modernization, such as glare caused by headlighting systems, replaceable light sources, dusk sensors, plastic optical materials, semiautomatic beam switching, minimum lamp size requirements, lower beam photometry, upper beam photometry, on-vehicle headlamps performance that considers aim and mounting height, auxiliary lamp requirements, three-wheel motorcycle installation requirements, obsolete physical test requirements for associated equipment, physical test procedures for lamps that use replaceable lenses, and harmonization to international standards.”

NHTSA says an abstract published in the Unified Agenda for RIN 2127-AL95 includes some of the topics.

“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 in the release. “This collaborative approach will allow us to update outdated regulations, foster innovation, and keep everyone on our roads safer.”

NHTSA has asked for public comments on the rulemaking scope and committee membership. It also requests formal membership nominations. The deadline for comments and membership applications is Nov. 9. Both can be submitted here under Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1981.

In 2022, NHTSA issued a final rule allowing OEMs to install adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlights on new vehicles to increase visibility and reduce headlight glare.

NHTSA ruled that ADBs would improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by making them more visible at night and would help prevent crashes by better illuminating animals and objects in and along the road, according to the final rule. However, NHTSA states in the rule that “glare dosage,” or the amount of glare, “has not established, and does not know of, a quantified relationship between glare dosage and crash risk.”

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