Safety Benefits with new Automotive  Front Lighting Systems

Dr. Rainer Neumann

Varroc Lighting Systems GmbH, Germany

Contact email address: rneuman8@varroclighting.com

Abstract—Lighting Technology is developing quite rapidly in the last decade. With the introduction of LED light sources for Front Lighting a number of innovations have been presented with a lot of marketing, creating attraction and promising the light as bright as daytime. The paper is summarizing the latest surveys and research results  with regards to real safety benefits for the driver at night time driving and with the potential of further improvements in the future. One of the most promising lighting technology systems with huge potential for safety benefits is the adaptive driving beam (ADB), officially released in the ECE world in 2013 (ECE R123 and 48). Recent research investigations have shown, that ADB is able to improve visibility for the driver significantly. Additional, the comfort factor of this device in switching automatically the light from low beam to high beam and to corresponding type of high beam without glaring oncoming or proceeding road users is an effect, which  consumers are appreciating most. The paper will report on these results, which have been investigated by means of a real night drive test on public roads. Additionally, other technologies will be identified, which are candidates for the future to contribute to safety in automotive night time traffic. Independent of the type of new lighting system, which is proposed, one has to concentrate on the light performance results, which can be achieved.  The attraction of a nicely styled headlamp needs always to be combined with a light performance benefit compared to standard technology in order to keep in line with the priority target of safety and visibility for all road users.

Keywords:  Headlamp Systems, Safety, Adaptive Driving Beam, Light Perfromance