HID lights

[chris miller]

Feds plan lighting rules
By Harry Stoffer
Automotive News / August 12, 2002
WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators have a plan for dealing with mounting complaints about high-intensity discharge headlights and other vehicle lighting issues.  Regulators intend to propose rules during the first half of 2003 and to adopt them in the second half of the year, said Rae Tyson, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Two weeks ago, Tyson said he did not know of a timetable for rulemaking. After Automotive News reported the comments last week, Tyson said he learned of "a rough schedule" for addressing the lighting issues.

The proposed rules will deal with the maximum permissible height of auxiliary lamps. They also will address the light emitted by xenon-gas-filled, high-intensity discharge headlamps, or HIDs, which are used mostly by imported luxury brands, and by HID look-alikes, Tyson said. NHTSA previously announced that it also plans to make a decision this year on limiting the brightness of daytime running lights.

NHTSA is paying more attention to lighting issues in part because the number of older drivers, who often are more sensitive to glare, is growing rapidly.

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