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In the last years we do recognize an increasing number of driver assistance systems, which aims to help the driver to drive safely through the corresponding traffic conditions. In parallel, automotive lighting uses a part of these new information systems to direct the light towards the appropriate directions and make night time driving safer. The newly developed glare free high beam system is one example to use the information of oncoming vehicles and proceeding vehicles and other road users to avoid glaring and to enlarge the visibility for the driver at the same time. The target is the creation of an optimized visibility, which will be delivered automatically. The paper reports on the findings of a test procedure, where the subjects had to rate the new lighting system and also the degree of comfort, which is delivered with such automatic visibility controlled light distributions.

As we are proceeding to stage 2 of our ECE automotive lighting regulations [1] the target is to define simplified and technology neutral regulations that also can be used with newly developed technologies. With this simplification we do have the opportunity to look into the chance to harmonize SAE and ECE variants. For the upcoming new technologies we have to define those functionalities, which can contribute to a benefit in safety and which have to be defined jointly for both regions (ECE and SAE). This has to be justified by research studies, where the results will be reported. The opportunity to come up with new, proven technologies in the automotive market with a global valid regulation should be taken into account.

Since 2012, adaptive driving beam (ADB) was homologated first in the ECE world (ECE 123). The idea behind is a camera based lighting system, which enables the driver to achieve at night nearly high beam visibility without glaring oncoming or proceeding vehicles and road users. Once the presence of other vehicles is detected the headlamps change the light pattern and block the light where the oncoming or proceeding vehicles are located. Light sources are typically High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs, but today also first LED applications are visible. For SAE, the definition of the parameters and the requested regulation changes to allow such systems are in progress. The paper reports about an extensive study executed in Germany at TU Darmstadt to investigate not only the improvement in visibility for the driver with such systems, but also evaluate the disability and discomfort glare for other road users.