Adaptive Headlights May Help Avoid New Haven Auto Accidents

They are a technology that have been around for a number of years in cars all over the world, but here in the United States adaptive headlight technology has not been allowed to be included on new vehicles, that is until now.  When the new bipartisan infrastructure bill was signed into law a provision in the law instructed the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop a plan within two years that would roll out this tech in new cars.  Adaptive headlight technology has the promise that it could reduce New Haven auto accidents in the long-term.

So what makes this technology so promising?

Consider for a moment that you are driving at night and your headlights are at full strength but you’re coming up on a corner, as a respectful driver you would shut your high beams off in case another car was coming around the bend so you did not blind them, but that might detract from your ability to see the road in front of you.  If your car was equipped with adaptive headlight technology your headlights could sense whether or not a car was coming around the bend and adjust accordingly.  That in and of itself would be a welcome thing for drivers to not have to worry about at night, but the technology wouldn’t stop there.  With this new tech your car would be smart enough to dim SOME of your headlights that were aimed in the other lane towards an on-coming vehicle while increasing the brightness of the lights aimed at your lane so you could actually see the road ahead of you more clearly.  This is the promise of adaptive headlight technology.

Here’s another scenario that adding this new tech to your car would improve.  Let’s say you’re out for a drive and the temperature falls just below freezing and there is a possibility of ice being on the roads your adaptive headlights would actually be able to beam a pattern on the road in front of you to warn you that ice may be ahead and that you should slow down and proceed with caution.  This can be particularly beneficial when the roads appear to the naked eye that they are dry and safe to drive on when black ice is a very real possibility.

While this type of technology may be a couple years off here in the United States it has shown promise when in use in other parts of the world.  In the United States a plan will be in place to have this technology in newly manufactured vehicles by 2024 and it could be saving lives as soon as the cars roll off the assembly line.

Driving with technology assistance is becoming the norm in many new cars and adaptive headlights will be another tool in your tool belt to avoid New Haven auto accidents but they are not a replacement for staying alert and being focused on the road ahead at all times.  There is no substitute for focus when you’re driving.

If you’ve been involved in an accident that led to an injury you may want to speak to an attorney who can review your case and work with you to protect your long-term interests.  Don’t hesitate to contact our office to speak with one of our attorneys today.