Home / Technology / NHTSA Rejects Tesla's Plea on Bright Lights
NHTSA Rejects Tesla's Plea on Bright Lights
23 Jul
Summary
- Tesla EVs may have illegal headlights, facing a recall.
- NHTSA denied Tesla's petition to avoid fixing bright lights.
- US bill aims to set maximum brightness limits for headlights.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has denied Tesla's petition to deem its low-beam headlights, which exceed brightness limits, as street-legal. This decision affects nearly 20,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from 2017 to 2023, requiring Tesla to provide a free fix. Tesla had argued that the brightness was inconsequential to safety as it fell outside the vision of oncoming drivers.
However, the NHTSA disagreed, citing public comments that the headlights could still produce unsafe glare. The agency referenced a similar 2022 ruling involving GM Terrain vehicles. Separately, a bill introduced in the US House of Representatives, the LIGHT Safety Act, aims to establish maximum allowable brightness limits for low-beam headlamps.
Extra-bright headlights are illegal, with potential consequences including fines and license suspension. The increasing popularity of SUVs and advancements in LED technology have heightened concerns about headlight glare. Some modern vehicles feature adaptive lighting, but many older models lack this capability. The NHTSA is also reviewing studies on LED-headlamp glare for potential further action.
