Matrix Headlights Seen as Critical Component of U.S. Infrastructure Bill

Our friends over at Car & Driver did some digging into the Democrats' $1 Trillion spending bill and found some enlightening news. Most of the automotive safety verbiage focuses on driver awareness (and even alcohol sensors), we clearly see a future shine as brightly as foreign roads.

Adaptive headlights have taken the world by storm, but our archaic laws (and lawmakers) have scoffed at such apparent wizardry. The systems offered by BMW and Audi comprise of lasers aimed at an array of micro-mirrors. To generate the ultimate hi-beams, the mirrors can instantly react to focus at any distance.

German enthusiasts on Reddit took note that several current U.S. models have the hardware, but our wise federal government forces the automakers to leave the programs turned off. Word on the street is that enabling the feature on your BMW only takes a reflash to EU specs.

The beauty of matrix headlights is their ability to shape the beam pattern of the road ahead. By moving the focus away from oncoming traffic, the headlights help drivers by highlighting pedestrians or critters that would normally ruin your evening.

Traffic ahead of you will stay out of the beam thanks to the same technology found in DLP TVs and projectors. DLP is a microchip covered in mirrors the size of a red blood cell. Laser light is brighter than any other production car headlight, so the mirrors work in conjunction with a phosphor array to create the perfect beam. No longer will your cut-off be fixed to the horizon.

Automatic high-beams were a classy option on Bel-Airs and Cadillacs of the 60s, and for some reason they are still not found industry wide. My 2015 CTS will occasionally do it on a new moon, but it’s far from perfect. For comparison, here is how Audi sees the future:

One Trillion Dollars, that’s how much money the government doesn’t have. While they are printing up the legal tender, a new headlight performance assesment will be introduced. A great way to do it would be to build criteria like those used by the Institute for Highway Safety.

Their findings from 2020 hint that many Americans don’t even use high beams when they should. This could be the result of impairment, but also the fact that the average American is rarely self-aware to begin with (as a Florida Man, I have stories to tell).

It seems that even with these advanced systems offered around the world, automakers can save money by making their premiums bundled into pricey trim levels. For cheap cars, night driving is merely an afterthought. If the government hasn’t updated our laws in 60 years, incandescent bulbs are fine for us plebians.

Last year was the first time headlights were a determining factor in their Top Safety Pick+ awards. In order to be rated as acceptable, the same headlight system must be sold on all trim levels, and not optional.

For model-year 2020, only 6 of the 156 models earned Good ratings, while 30 models were available with Poor headlights. To earn a Good rating, the right side of the road needs to be lit at 325 feet ahead, while Poor is anything short of 220 feet. Tuning your safety is a critical part of Tuning Month, so click here before 2022!

Hopefully, this will address the problem of glare. They took our freedom to enjoy pop-up headlights while allowing cheap plastic housing to reign supreme. Here in the Sunshine state, pervasive UV rays cook our skin and ruin polycarbonate headlight housings. As the lenses slowly go opaque, they scatter light in very dangerous directions. The big guys have the ability to make parts that last, so it's time they were held accountable.

Of course, these new federal laws will probably not affect the aftermarket because Law Enforcement officers have more important tasks at hand. In the meantime, tell us your best and worst headlight experiences. Let’s see who prefers HID to LED , and how many of us are still running old-school Edison lamps? The future looks bright to us!