It would seem that the adaptive head light has long ceased to be a curiosity in the automotive industry. Now even cars of the middle price category have this option and are available in many countries, including Russia. The only exception was the United States of America. It has historically developed that there are their own, long-obsolete requirements for the shape of the beam, the brightness of the lamps and the illumination limit. And modern adaptive headlights in the United States were completely outlawed: the standard adopted back in 1967 directly prohibits the simultaneous operation of low and high beams, and in fact the flexible combination of these modes underlies the adaptability of headlights. Because of this law, even progressive headlights in very expensive cars for the American market have greatly reduced functionality.
Progress in this area began only four years ago. The American Highway Safety Association (NHTSA) is finally convinced that modern technologies do not pose an increased risk of blinding oncoming drivers, but, on the contrary, serve as better illumination and allow you to notice obstacles earlier in the dark. In the autumn of 2018, preparations began for the legalization of adaptive headlights, and only now the obsolete requirement of 1967 has been canceled: on February 1, a new law was signed, which takes 327 pages and will become effective 45 days following publication.
Interestingly, automakers were not quite ready for such a turn. No company operating in the US market has yet announced the imminent appearance of a new option. Although there is no doubt that it is only a matter of time.
