Driving at night across the US has become an exercise in optimism for many drivers. Be it the glare of a tall pickup truck on a dark highway or your own white-knuckled reflection in the side mirror of an SUV, people complain the lights people use now are too bright. Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a new federal regulation on vehicle lighting. It is rewriting FMVSS No. 108 using negotiated rulemaking, a method the agency has not employed for lighting in more than a quarter century.

In this guide, we go over five work areas NHTSA is exploring, and the committee that is doing the work. We explore driver issues and research on glare, where adaptive driving beams (ADB) would be, and the demand from Congress and federal authorities to act now. We look at the draft rules, the ones for automatic low beams and the phased schedule for coming into compliance with aftermarket lights, from 2027-30. Whether you’re an everyday night driver or have driven at night only a few times in your life, here’s what the change means for you.

1. NHTSA Moves to Overhaul FMVSS 108 Through Negotiated Rulemaking

Driving by the headlights through America at night has become a ritual of endurance for drivers-and the biggest blur in the human eye’s ability to adjust to artificial illumination. Whether it’s a high rider on the side of the road or the glow of an SUV’s reflection in the mirror, drivers complain road lighting is too bright. To combat the glare, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced plans to revise federal regulations on vehicle lighting. Specifically, the agency will amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, which regulates U.S. vehicle lighting and other safety gear. In doing so, NHTSA is employing negotiated rulemaking, which makes the process of tightening the regulations more inclusive of the interests of regulators, automakers, safety advocates and engineers. In fact, the agency says this is its first negotiated rulemaking for lighting in more than a quarter-century.

Rulemaking at a Glance:

• Targets FMVSS No. 108
• Uses negotiated rulemaking process
• First lighting use in 25 years
• Brings together diverse stakeholders
• Responds to nighttime glare complaints

The last negotiated committee met in the mid-1990s regarding headlamp aiming, producing a final rule in 1997. Since that update, federal brightness limits have remained mostly unchanged while the vehicle fleet evolved. Automakers switched out the halogen bulbs for LEDs. Meanwhile, consumers bought into the taller SUVs and pickups, which sport lights higher up off the pavement. In other words: The rules were written for a very different sort of headlight, on a very different sort of vehicle. And both of those things have made it harder for other drivers to see. Changing the regulations is supposed to fix that gap between what’s regulated and what isn’t. NHTSA is trying to get there through a collaborative process.

2. Five Work Areas and an 18-Member Committee

The agency said it will consider five topics. The first is headlight glare, which entails studying how new headlighting technology affects glare for other drivers and making appropriate modifications. The second is technology, which means modernizing lighting technology by updating standards for LEDs, dusk sensors, automatic high beams, and replaceable sources. The third is performance, which involves studying how headlamp aim and height affect drivers’ sightlines. The fourth is test procedures and materials, which concerns facilitating test procedures for plastic optics and replaceable lenses. The fifth is international regulations, which mean standardizing US vehicle lighting regulations and safety standards with those of other countries. All told, the five categories cover technology, testing, and international regulations to determine how headlights should be made and rated in the United States, and what should be done to improve those standards.

Five Focus Areas:

• Addressing headlight glare
• Modernizing lighting technology
• Improving headlamp performance
• Updating testing and materials
• Aligning global standards

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison highlighted the collaborative approach behind updating outdated rules. “Today’s standards do not allow automakers to deploy the latest safety-improving lighting technologies, so we are bringing key experts and stakeholders together to modernize our standards and address potential causes of glare,” he said. He added that this approach will allow the agency to update outdated regulations, foster innovation, and keep everyone on the roads safer. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy will appoint up to 18 committee members from lighting manufacturers, equipment associations, safety organizations, research institutions, and engineering groups. Public comments on the committee’s scope or member nominations can be submitted through regulations.gov under Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1981 until November 9, 2026.

3. Aligning With Global Standards and Unlocking Adaptive Driving Beams

US safety regulations that are aligned with international standards could be a huge boon for motorists. New headlight hardware sold in global markets has been held back in the US by American-specific testing rules for decades. By breaking these rules, automakers could finally launch advanced adaptive driving beams in the US, where they use sensors and LED matrix arrays to block shadows around oncoming vehicles and keep the road lit. Toyota asked for the technology’s approval from the NHTSA in 2013, shortly after it was introduced in Europe in 2012. But American-specific rules meant the system was held to more stringent glare standards than traditional headlights a frustrating delay that resulted in a huge time lag in availability for US drivers.

Global Alignment Highlights:

• Unique U.S. testing rules
• Adaptive beams carve oncoming shadows
• Toyota petitioned NHTSA in 2013
• NHTSA approved adaptive beams 2022
• Harmonization clears the bottleneck

Because European adaptive headlights failed unique U.S. test scenarios, automakers besides Rivian and Tesla avoided engineering U.S.-specific units. Automakers subsequently petitioned NHTSA to reconsider parts of the rule. The new negotiated rulemaking aims to harmonize regulations, clearing the bottleneck for global adaptive headlight technology in America. Automakers said they would “welcome clear, harmonized standards that enhance safety while not constraining innovation.” Global standards that the U.S. approves could lead to easier manufacturing of autos and easier installation of proven safety devices. This could mean headlights that continuously beam the roadway without blinding oncoming drivers, and design uniformity so automakers can use one version no matter the destination.

4. Drivers Say Glare Is a Growing Problem

Regulators are responding to this cultural climate of unhappy drivers. A survey conducted by AAA from February 5 to 8 of 1,092 U.S. adults found six out of 10 drivers consider headlight glare a problem after dark, and 73 percent said it has gotten worse in the past 10 years. Drivers who have experienced the problem attribute 92 percent of glare to the oncoming headlights. Results show trends in who experienced the most glare: drivers who need correctional glasses (70 percent) versus those that don’t (56 percent) and women (70 percent) versus men (57 percent). Pickup drivers were least likely to complain about headlight glare at 41 percent compared to 66 percent of other drivers. Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering and research, called headlight glare “a major source of frustration” for millions.

Driver Survey Findings:

• Six in ten report glare
• 73% say it worsened
• 92% blame oncoming headlights
• Glasses wearers report 70%
• Pickup drivers complain least

Driver dissatisfaction is evident globally as well. A 2025 U.K. Department for Transport study found 96 percent of respondents thought at least some headlights were too bright. Meanwhile, as recently as August, India’s road ministry was reported to be weighing a 6,500 Kelvin ceiling on headlamp color temperature. Consumer complaints are long-standing at NHTSA. NBC News reported that the agency has been taking complaints of glare since 2001 and researching the issue since 2005. NHTSA’s approval of adaptive driving beam headlights last year was explicitly based on the agency’s analysis of consumer complaints. And a 2024 AAA Foundation study found 64 percent of drivers reported that headlights are too bright, and 40 percent were temporarily blinded by oncoming or preceding vehicles; these concerns span more than just one nation.

5. What Crash Data Says About Glare and Visibility

Noticing glare Crash data reveal a far more nuanced story. An October report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which examined police-reported crashes in 11 states, found that glare was reported as the cause in 0.1 to 0.2 percent of all nighttime crashes. Out of nearly 24 million crashes studied, only 147,686 were attributed to glare. Of those, most were daylight crashes caused by the low sun, but the remaining crashes involved nighttime glare from older cars, on undivided low-speed roads, with vehicles drifting into other lanes. According to David Harkey, president of IIHS, “Glare makes people uncomfortable, but it is associated with far fewer crashes than insufficient visibility. The difference is important because reducing glare can alleviate discomfort but doesn’t address the need for sufficient light to see the road, pedestrians and objects ahead of us.”

IIHS Crash Findings:

• Glare cited in 0.1–0.2%
• Fewer than 150,000 of 24 million
• Most glare crashes occur daylight
• Good headlights cut pedestrian crashes 23%
• Good-rated models now half

IIHS research shows vehicles with good-rated headlights have 19 percent fewer nighttime single-vehicle crashes and 23 percent fewer nighttime pedestrian crashes than those with poor-rated lights. Good-rated models rose from one in 2016 to about half of 2025 models tested, while excessive glare in testing dropped from 21 percent in 2017 to 3 percent in 2025. Researchers note a vehicle’s headlights assist only one driver while adding glare for oncoming motorists. Furthermore, crash data measures collisions but misses drivers who quietly give up nighttime driving. Online communities like Reddit’s r/your headlights gather tens of thousands of members, while an r/Maryland thread drew over 500 upvotes regarding blinding headlights. So the data and the public mood point in somewhat different directions.

6. How Drivers Cope and What Causes the Glare

Drivers compensate for glare by adjusting rearview mirrors, shading side mirrors, or by donning yellow glasses. They are minor inconveniences every day, and they demonstrate the many ways people have responded to the problem rather than to the solution. Forum participants identify misaimed factory headlamps and undocumented, illegal LED replacements into halogen housings. Both can direct enough light to dazzle oncoming drivers, even when the headlamp is perfectly within specifications. The Regulatory Review points out FMVSS 108 imposes no lux limits for legacy lights, and only ten states have headlamp alignment requirements, leaving a vacuüm wherein mismatched and inaccurately installed lamps may roam unmonitored. Making sense of these issues can help explain NHTSA’s focus on both headlamp aim and height, as well as headlamp technology.

Common Glare Workarounds:

• Tilt the rearview mirror
• Shade the side mirrors
• Wear yellow-tinted glasses
• Avoid illegal LED swaps
• Check headlamp alignment

The same set of issues feeds the sense that the problem is hard to control. A bulb swapped into the wrong housing, a lamp that left the factory slightly misaimed, or a taller vehicle with lights set higher can each add to the glare other drivers experience. With no lux glare limits for conventional lights and alignment checks required in only ten states, there is little in the current system to catch these cases. This is part of why the negotiated rulemaking looks at the full picture rather than a single cause. Owners can still help themselves in the meantime by keeping headlamps properly aligned and avoiding unapproved aftermarket bulbs, two habits that NHTSA’s phased plan also points toward.

7. Enforcement and Congress Turn Up the Pressure

Federal agencies are stepping up the enforcement of the existing rules. Last month, NHTSA rejected a Tesla petition that would have prevented the automaker from recalling nearly 20,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that have excessive low-beam headlamp brightness. The agency has already dismissed a General Motors petition for 820,000 vehicles, and recently issued recalls for the all-electric Cybertruck, and for the Ford Explorer and Ram 1500. Regulators now seem determined to force carmakers to operate within the bounds of the current regulations. Meanwhile, there’s a legislative push as well. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez filed H.R. 7772, the LIGHT Safety Act, last month, which would “establish a maximum allowable brightness standard for low beam headlamps on motor vehicles,” and require NHTSA to write a final rule updating FMVSS 108 within a year.

Pressure on Automakers:

• NHTSA denied Tesla petition
• Nearly 20,000 vehicles affected
• GM petition rejected in 2022
• LIGHT Safety Act introduced
• One-year rule deadline proposed

This statutory deadline strategy mirrors the 2021 infrastructure law, which forced NHTSA to finalize its 2022 adaptive headlight rule. Congress intends to keep federal regulators on a firm due date to establish clear low-beam output limits. That approach reflects a belief that setting a hard deadline is the best way to get results after years of complaints. If the bill moves forward, the negotiated rulemaking would be working against a clock, with the goal of producing a final rule that revises the standard within a year. For automakers, this means the era of loosely defined low-beam brightness could be coming to an end, while recent recalls and denied petitions already show how seriously brightness limits are being enforced.

8. Draft Rules: Beam Limits, Colour Caps and Reflective Tape

NHTSA is also finalizing draft rules proposing technical changes. The drafts require all new passenger cars and motorcycles to have automatic low-beam activation in low-light conditions or speeds. The draft would lower the high-beam light output from 75,000 candela to 50,000 candela to minimize temporary blindness. And the draft rules would require automatic high-beam control on all new vehicles beginning in 2029. These proposals address multiple aspects of the blinding light challenge by ensuring lights turn on at appropriate times, limiting high-beam light output and making high-beam use smarter based on other traffic. The draft would also serve to curb the drivers’ complaints of temporary blindness from overly bright lights, which AAA Foundation’s 2024 study found affected 40 percent of drivers surveyed.

Draft Rule Highlights:

• Automatic low beams after 2027
• High beams cut to 50,000 candelas
• Adaptive high beams by 2029
• Colour temperature capped at 5,000K
• Reflective tape on heavy trucks

Colour temperature would be capped at 5,000 Kelvin for new vehicles starting in 2028, banning bluish-white lights marketed as cool white that scatter in rain and fog. Additionally, heavy trucks, buses, and trailers over 10,000 pounds would require red and white reflective tape by 2028. The colour cap targets a look many buyers find attractive but which can reduce clarity in poor weather. The reflective tape requirement focuses on making large vehicles easier to see at night. Together with the beam limits, these proposals show that the draft rules are about more than brightness alone. They also address light colour, vehicle visibility, and the way lighting systems behave automatically on the road.

9. Experts and Automakers Weigh In, With Cost Concerns

Transportation safety experts strongly support updated parameters. “The current standards were written when halogen bulbs were the norm,” said Dr. Laura Chen, a transportation safety researcher at the University of Michigan. “LEDs and lasers are much more intense, and the regulations haven’t kept up. A colour-temperature cap and intensity reduction are overdue.” Automakers also Favor harmonized rules. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation stated it would “welcome clear, harmonized standards that improve safety without stifling innovation.” Aligning U.S. rules with global standards simplifies manufacturing and enables automakers to deploy proven safety hardware efficiently. This rare overlap between researchers and industry suggests that the broad direction of the reform has support. The harder questions are likely to involve details such as limits, deadlines, and testing methods.

Stakeholder Perspectives:

• Experts call updates overdue
• Standards written for halogen bulbs
• Automakers favor harmonized rules
• Adaptive systems raise repair costs
• Insurance premiums may climb

However, modern adaptive lighting increases ownership expenses. Headlight assemblies packed with sensors and actuators turn minor bumper taps into four-figure repairs. Higher replacement parts costs flow directly into insurance claims and ultimately elevate driver premiums across the nation. This is the trade-off behind smarter lighting, since the same technology that reduces glare also makes each assembly more complex and expensive to replace. Drivers who benefit from safer nights may notice the cost at the repair shop or on their insurance bills. Policymakers and manufacturers will need to weigh that expense against the safety gains as the rules take shape. The debate shows that modernizing headlights involves practical economics as well as engineering.

10. The Phased Timeline and What It Means for Drivers

Implementation will occur in phases: automatic low beams in 2027, colour caps and reflective tape in 2028, adaptive high beams in 2029, and aftermarket compliance by 2030. Existing vehicles will not require retroactive modifications, though owners can maintain safety through proper alignment checks and avoiding unapproved aftermarket bulbs. This staged approach gives automakers time to redesign vehicles and gives drivers time to adjust to new technology. It also means the effects will arrive gradually, with each year bringing a new requirement for new vehicles. Because older cars stay as they are, the glare people experience today will not disappear overnight. The change will build as newer vehicles with the updated lighting make up a larger share of the cars on the road.

Rollout Timeline:

• 2027: automatic low beams
• 2028: colour caps, reflective tape
• 2029: adaptive high beams
• 2030: aftermarket compliance
• No retroactive modifications required

Evaluating the overall impact, safety experts emphasize that modernizing standards protects all road users. Dr. Laura Chen highlighted the benefits, stating, “This is a win for everyone who drives at night,” and adding, “It’s not about banning bright lights it’s about making them smart and safe.” NHTSA’s negotiated rulemaking offers a promising path forward for vehicle safety and driver comfort. Bringing together technical experts, safety advocates, and manufacturers will help resolve decades of consumer frustration over blinding glare. As global lighting harmonizations take effect, advanced headlamp arrays will light up dark highways with surgical accuracy without overwhelming oncoming traffic. Nighttime driving will soon regain its calm and clarity, leaving blinding road glare far behind in the rearview mirror.