Two weeks ago, just after the GRE 90th session meetings, Wolfgang Huhn wrote an editorial summarising two informal documents from FIA about glare (GRE 90-20 and GRE 90-40). We received a lot of comments in response. Everybody has opinions about traffic glare, as it seems, and there are just as many pertinent questions.
- Is glare dangerous?
- Is it worse than before with blue LEDs, smaller lamp sizes, and higher luminance?
- Should there be a maximum luminance value?
- Is it a problem only (or especially) for older people? (see DVN Report on the world’s ageing driver population)
- Will the new UN R48 requirement for automatic leveling reduce bad aim and thereby reduce glare?
- Can cameras better detect other vehicles to improve automatic high beam function?
- Do we need headlamp cleaning system to reduce glare, especially with ADB?
- Do we need automatic dynamic leveling as proposed by Germany in GRE?
- In an RAC (British auto club) survey, 91 per cent of respondents complained about headlight glare. Now the UK Government will commission an independent study on traffic glare. What direction will it take?
- What’s the global scope of the problem? Same in Europe as in China with similar regulations, and North America with almost entirely different ones?
We cannot ignore it; glare is a problem—even if just because so many people are now talking about it, and some of them are in a position to influence what’s done about it, for better or worse. Glare is now on the table, and we have decided to publish experts’ opinions, using the DVNewsletter as an open forum. This week we publish thoughts on the subject from former GTB President and renowned vehicle lighting expert Geoff Draper; watch for more views from more thinkers on the subject in forthcoming weeks.
Sincerely yours,
