Volvo, Lexus, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz spend countless resources to stay distinguishable amongst the competition, but they all have something strange in common: the companies' latest advances in headlight technology are all banned in the United States.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 is a dense and cumbersome piece of federal legislation that would require the stamina of a LeMans race driver to read from beginning to end. But somewhere in the 27,000 words that define Standard 108 is an article or two preventing American cars from staying on-pace with European counterparts.
Standard 108 deals specifically with a vehicle's lighting, and it's keeping U.S. drivers in the dark by preventing some incredibly novel and convenient technology from making to this side of the Atlantic.
The latest advances in automobile headlight technology make use of cameras and sensors to detect oncoming cars or pedestrians and shade the light in a way that prevents anyone in the light's field from being distracted or dazzled by oncoming light while also keeping lit any portion of the field that is not in anyone's way.
Volvo's Active High Beam Control unveiled at the 83rd International Geneva Motor Show last week is just one example of the advances in lighting technology that are readily available in Europe but unseen stateside. The Active High Beam Control is available in the Volvo S60 sedan, V60 wagon and XC60 crossover, but only in the European models.
The technology still needs U.S. government approval before it can be made available in America.
German automakers Audi and BMW have similar technology they've long been ready to roll out in America, but, according to an article in USA Today, are still waiting for the green light from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
"We're in dialogue with NHTSA about how it works and the advantages it offers," said Brad Stertz, an Audi spokesman, according to USA Today. "It's a case where the technology moves quickly and the regulation tends to move slowly."
American auto consumers are being kept in the dark, unable to see the latest in automotive lighting technology. USA Today reported several luxury car makers that are being kept from bringing their latest in illuminative technology to U.S. automobiles:
BMW, in addition to having adaptive high beam technology, has the Light Spot system which uses night-vision technology to illuminate pedestrians, not available in the states. Lexus planned to bring an adaptive beam system to the U.S. model of the 2013 LS 460 sedan, but did not receive NHTSA approval. E Class sedans from Mercedes-Benz will have headlight-dimming technology when the new models roll out in Europe this spring, but American models will not see the technology.
The NHTSA indicated it was "encouraged by the advancements" in lighting technology and has planned to study the new technologies and possibly consider changing the federal rules about automotive lighting, according to USA Today.
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