US approves new headlights that won't blind oncoming drivers

DETROIT — Anyone who has ever been temporarily blinded by high-beam headlights from an oncoming car will be happy to hear this.

U.S. regulators are about to allow new high-tech headlights that can automatically tailor beams so they focus on dark areas of the road and don’t create glare for oncoming drivers.

"This final rule will improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists by making them more visible at night, and will help prevent crashes by better illuminating animals and objects in and along the road," the agency said in a news release on Tuesday.

The adaptive headlights are common in Europe. They have LED lamps that can focus beams on darkness such as the driver’s lane and areas along the roadside.

They also lower the intensity of the light beams if there’s oncoming traffic. Camera sensors and computers help determine where the light should go.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a rule allowing the lights will go into effect shortly.

The number of U.S. traffic deaths surged in the first nine months of 2021 to 31,720, the government reported Tuesday, keeping up a record pace of increased dangerous driving during the coronavirus pandemic.

The tally of 31,720 deaths was the highest nine-month figure since 2006.