Are lighting regulations necessarily adverse to new technologies? Discuss…!
Theoretically, lighting regulation assures a uniform, minimally adequate level of safety performance from all regulated devices, and can help prevent reputable companies from being undermined and pilloried by irresponsible producers of low-cost, low-quality, low-performance equipment. Regulations also effectively establish a baseline level of upfront R&D investment before a supplier can introduce new technology in the market. But regulations also tend to slow down innovative introduction of new technologies and limit stylists’ creativity. Sometimes the rules hinder the spread of technologies like Xenon headlamps, which in most of the world can’t be installed without mandatory — and expensive — levelling and lens washing systems. Field experience demonstrates, on the other hand, that regulations are sometimes too permissive to effectively control the issues they were written for. An example can be found in plastic headlamp lenses; see our news item on that subject next week.
Following our interesting interview of GTB Chairman Geoffey Draper, we present this week our exclusive interview with Rainer Neumann, Director of Global Lighting Business Development at Visteon Deutschland. And watch for our upcoming interview with WP29 Chairman Bernard Gauvin,
Driving Vision News asks all readers to take a few moments to react after reading our three interviews about technology and regulation. Which regulations are working well? Which ones do you wish worked better? What changes would you make, if you could? Won’t you please let us know your view?
Send your comments to [email protected]. We’re listening!