Adaptive Headlight ADAS Calibration
Driving in the dark can be dangerous without proper headlighting. According to the National Safety Council, even though humans only do 25% of their driving at night, 50% of all fatal accidents happen at night. Adaptive headlights are an Advanced Drivers Assistance System (ADAS) safety feature that automatically changes headlight position and improves visibility based on your vehicle’s movements.
Adaptive headlights need to be calibrated with your ADAS cameras to work as designed. This article will explain how exactly these headlights work and when you should have them calibrated with your ADAS.
How Do Adaptive Headlights Work?
Adaptive headlights are an Advanced Drivers Assistance System (ADAS) safety feature that changes headlight position and better illuminates the road based on vehicle speed and steering wheel movements. Unlike traditional headlights, adaptive headlights can pivot from side to side for better visibility on even the darkest, curved roads. Your ADAS tells your headlights when and how they need to change position, based on feedback from the road. The bulbs within these headlights may differ between manufacturers and include LED halogen or incandescent bulbs.
Benefits of Adaptive Headlights
One of the immediate benefits of adaptive headlights is that they turn when your car turns. Driving on cornering and curved roads with adaptive headlights allows drivers to see more of the road as they turn. This drastically increases the driver’s width of visibility. In fact, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) reports that adaptive headlights reduced property damage liability claims by 10% in 2012. The technology has only advanced since then, making these headlights one the ‘must have’ ADAS safety features to look for when buying a new car.
When To Have Adaptive Headlights Recalibrated With ADAS
Adaptive headlight systems use several cameras and sensors, including steering angle sensors, axle position sensors, and light sensors. If your vehicle is equipped with adaptive headlights, ADAS calibration will be needed following a headlight replacement. Calibrating your new headlights with your ADAS is necessary to make sure your system is working properly.
ADAS Calibration with Insight Vehicle Calibration
The technicians at Insight Vehicle Calibration are experts in the state-of-the-art recalibration of vehicles that just had replacement adaptive headlights installed. ADAS recalibration is important for driver safety and should be seriously considered following adaptive headlight replacement, or other services that impact ADAS. Our primary objective is to ensure the proper functionality of a vehicle’s ADAS configurations so that you can drive with confidence in these features. We have the technology and experience to perform ADAS calibration on any vehicle make and model. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
Thomas Keillor
Other Names For Adaptive Headlights
We use ‘adaptive headlights’ to describe headlights that adapt or change conditions based on driver behavior. However, not every vehicle manufacturer refers to this ADAS feature by the same name. Here are some of the different terms used by automakers to describe these headlight systems:
- Adaptive LED Headlights
- Adaptive Front Lighting System
- Rotating Headlights
- Directional Headlights
- Cornering Headlights
- Articulating Headlights
- Curve Adaptive Headlights
BMW, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, and other high-end vehicles often have adaptive headlighting features. These features may include automatic high beams that switch between low and high beams, as well as adaptive driving beam headlights that change the shape, brightness, and direction of your headlight light to shield oncoming drivers from your headlights. The extra versatility that comes with having headlights that move with your vehicle’s movements makes driving on dark, winding roads much safer.