When considering improving vehicle safety, one significant area of focus is reducing the glare that is projected in vehicle lighting. Over the years, a common occurrence for drivers is to experience discomfort from approaching vehicles due to their headlights, and in reverse have an upcoming vehicle flash them in dark conditions to signal that their lights are too bright.

Glare occurs when excessive or poorly directed light from vehicle headlights creates discomfort or reduced visibility for drivers and other road users. It poses significant safety concerns as it can impair the vision of oncoming drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, leading to potential accidents. To mitigate this issue, automakers are striving to design lighting systems that will render this problem a thing of the past and provide lighting with optimal illumination without causing undue glare. 

Automotive IQ interviewed Vlad Baicu, Integration Engineer – Lighting at Bentley Motors to discuss innovations in reducing the glare from vehicle lighting, and the challenges that OEMs are facing in doing so. In this interview Vlad covered the following discussion points:

• The measures to reduce oncoming headlamp glare

• The impact of increased pixels and advanced camera technology on traffic sign recognition and addressing headlamp glare issues

• The influence of LED colour temperature on headlamp glare and effective management techniques

• Challenges in developing a glare-free light beam without compromising visibility range

• Improving headlight dimming to minimise flickering disturbances for road users

• New testing methods to evaluate the impact of oncoming headlamp glare

• Best practices and innovative approaches in the lighting industry for a humancentric approach to reduce glare and improve safety.