Which lighting rules are being reviewed
- Standard
- Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108
- Focus
- Headlight glare, visibility and lighting technology
- Committee
- Up to 18 stakeholders
- Comment deadline
- Nov. 9, 2026
NHTSA today announced plans to revise Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, with headlight glare and driver visibility among its priorities (opens in a new tab). The agency will examine how newer headlighting technology contributes to glare experienced by other people using the road and consider changes to address it.
The review will assess how headlamp mounting height and adjustment affect what drivers can see. NHTSA also plans to revise requirements covering automatic high beams and dusk sensors, along with LEDs and replaceable light sources, bringing several lighting technologies into the rulemaking effort.
Other planned work includes simplifying testing for replaceable lenses and plastic optics, plus bringing U.S. lighting requirements into closer alignment with international safety standards. NHTSA will use negotiated rulemaking for this update, an approach it has not used for vehicle lighting standards in more than 25 years.
How to comment
NHTSA is seeking public input on the subjects the rulemaking should cover and the balance of representation on its committee. It is also accepting formal membership nominations, with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy set to appoint up to 18 stakeholders drawn from lighting manufacturing, safety, engineering and other relevant fields.
Comments and applications for committee membership must reach the agency by Nov. 9, 2026. To participate, submit them through the federal regulations portal using Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1981, which identifies this vehicle lighting rulemaking.
Guides from this desk
Preferred source
See more TunedDrive on Google
Select TunedDrive in Google’s source preferences. It takes a few seconds and costs nothing. Our car news, reviews and fixes become more likely to appear in your Top Stories, and AI Overviews can mark them as preferred.