New regulations combat driving in the dark, permit new headlight technology

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Driving in the dark in Canada could soon be a thing of the past thanks to new regulations unveiled in Ottawa Wednesday.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau released updated vehicle-lighting regulations that will, among other things, require all new cars sold in Canada by 2021 to feature automatic illumination of all relevant lights, including tail lights, in low-light conditions.

The move addresses a significant oversight in lighting regulations that have, since 1990, required cars to feature daytime running lights. The problem, Garneau said, is that some cars will light up the dash and daytime running lights automatically, but not the tail lights, presenting a hazard to vehicles approaching from the rear.

All jurisdictions in Canada require lights be turned on in low-light conditions, Garneau noted. In Manitoba, drivers must activate their lights between a half hour before sunset and a half hour after dawn.

“It’s a basic safety step that costs little in terms of money and to the environment,” Ian Jack, spokesman for the Canadian Automobile Association, said. “It’s not the hugest benefit — only five to seven per cent of collisions were due to lighting issues — but it’s not like you’re adding 10 pounds or $500 to the cost of the car.”

Winnipeg Police Service traffic division Staff Sgt. Sean Pollock hailed the move.

“This will likely enhance the safety of new vehicles once this feature is mandated, similar to daytime running lights,” he said.

The regulations also now permit the use of LED matrix lighting technology — due soon on the 2019 Porsche Cayenne and on some Mercedes-Benz and BMW models — that provides greater flexibility in forward lighting than current high- and low-beam technology in regulations dating back to the 1950s.

The regulations are now based on achieving outcomes, such as certain levels of brightness at certain angles depending on the position of oncoming traffic, rather than dictating the use of a certain technology.

The LED technology uses a matrix of LEDs to provide full illumination to steer lights into corners (as opposed to mechanical systems available today) and create dark spots to shield oncoming vehicles from glare.

Porsche Cars of Canada spokesman Patrick Saint-Pierre said the new technology will be available on the new Cayenne sport-utility vehicle outside Canada later this year, but most features were expected to be defeated in models sold here. A decision on when and on what models the features would be offered has not been made.

One feature in the Cayenne combines the use of night-vision technology with the LED matrix headlights to detect and then illuminate a person walking on or near the road at night.

“We’re excited by the prospect of potentially being able to offer increased functionality once Transport Canada provides further details on these regulations,” Saint-Pierre said.

Mercedes-Benz Canada spokeswoman JoAnne Caza said the change is good news for drivers seeking the latest technology in headlights.

“We’re quietly encouraged. It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “Still too early to determine how this will all be rolled out.”

As with Porsche, Mercedes has had to defeat most of the benefits of LED matrix lighting on models sold here.

kelly.taylor@freepress.mb.ca