TOKYO: Automakers in Japan must equip all new vehicles with automatic headlamps. The mandate is being phased in: it first applies to all newly-introduced passenger vehicle models from April 1, 2020.
Newly-introduced buses with more than 11 seats and trucks heavier than 3.5 tonnes will come under the requirement from April 2021, and finally all trucks and buses from October 2023.
This comes in response to an alarming number of elderly pedestrians and cyclists being hit in traffic at dusk because drivers had not switched on their headlamps.
The new requirements are generally in accordance with UN Regulation 48: the lamps must switched on within two seconds when the ambient light level decreases to less than 1,000 lux—a level comparable to that of 15 minutes before sunset on a clear day.
And they’ll turn off automatically in 5 to 300 seconds when the ambient light exceeds 7,000 lux, a level internationally recognized as sufficient for safe driving.
“Switching on car lights earlier is important, not only in that it allows drivers to see objects outside more clearly, but that it helps pedestrians see approaching cars”, said an official of the ministry’s Road Transport Bureau.
“We believe turning on the headlights earlier will help elderly people who have weakened eyesight see vehicles around them, leading to fewer accidents at dusk.”
Keyword: Automatic lights now mandatory in Japan