Last week we attended lighting-related sessions at the SAE WCX in Detroit.
It was good to be there and see the beginnings of what we hope could be a resurgent focus on the topic at SAE's primary main big technical event of the year. Some of the lighting world's finest minds gave talks, including Michael Hamm, Rainer Neumann, and John Bullough. Attendance wasn't large, but it was nevertheless widely representational.
With the degree and pace of lighting technology advancement these days, just about any forum where it's being seriously and productively discussed deserves to be encouraged as a force for good. In this week's Driving Vision News you'll find our coverage of lighting papers and lectures presented at the SAE event.

You'll also find an exclusive interview with Jennifer Stockburger, in charge of the headlight testing program at Consumer Reports magazine. The CR headlight tests carry a great deal of weight with car buyers and car makers alike, and it's quite completely different to the IIHS test. Stockburger explains the origins and rationale for the way they do it, and offers interesting insight into lighting trends and technologies.

And AAA, the U.S. American Automobile Association, have published a new report comparing the performance of ADB systems to that of American-spec headlighting systems. It probably won't shock anyone reading this to learn they found the ADB systems are superior in terms of ability to provide light usable by drivers to avoid collisions.
Historically, America hasn't had anything like the cultural level of fascination and focus on car lights that has a long tradition in Europe. That might mean a lot of catch-up to do, but more and more Americans are talking about lighting, and that can only be a good thing.

Carry on,

Daniel Stern, DVN Chief Editor