One hundred years of development have turned the motor car into a Commodity for today's mobile society. Growing awareness for safety and increased regulation of traffic have led to significant reductions in accident fatalities. The proportion of night-lime to day-time accidents however, has not altered. Around 90 percent of all accidents occur at low speeds with lack of visibility or obsured vision. Accident risks double on night drives and rise further in adverse weather conditions. A recent study on night driving in Europe revealed that Women often feel uncomfortable due to ìnsufficient visibility and that many men realise they would not be able to avoid an unexpected obstacle.

Vision provides 90 percent of all driving information. Vehicle lighting plays a major role in active safety. The introduction of halogen light sources, the arrival projector headlamps and the recent move towards high-intensity discharge lighting increase the available light output and thus permitted the light distribution to be tailored to the prevailing driving and road conditions. Fast light sources, such as LED or NEON, in brake lights have taken rneîers off the braking distance of following vehicles. Quality lighting can prevent accidents.

Good lighting can also increase visual comfort. For example, today’s free-form surface headlights can control the beam to illuminate road markings and verges for additional visual guidance. All European headlights with HID are equipped with headlamp cleaning and therefore able to show less glare than halogen headlights. ln conjunction with dynamic headlamp levelling they produce a steady and reliable of vision. The AFS-initiative sets out to increase visual performance for varying road or Weather situation by taking into account the Comfort requirements of driver and traffic.

Vehicle lighting provides for vision and visibility. A current trial evaluates the significance of marked contours on trucks and heavy-goods vehicles with respect to accidents. ln the vehicle interior there is a noticeable move away from point light sources in dashboard or cockpit area. The driver is distracted less, when displays are switches marked by their contour and feeling for space created by unobtrusive, ambient light.