Innovations in the Tesla’s lighting system – how do LED lights revolutionize the road safety
Tesla is a leader of innovations in the car industry. This extends to the lighting systems and greatly affects road safety.
Technology used in the Tesla’s lighting system
Tesla’s lighting system uses modern technology that allows the lights to be controlled manually from the touchscreen or operated automatically, based on the actions of the driver.
Exterior lights
All exterior Tesla lights – headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, and license plate lights – are set to Auto, which means they are operated automatically by the car’s software. They turn on when low lighting conditions are detected and each time when the wipers are active. The driver may also manually choose one of the three pre-programmed light settings:
- off, when the exterior lights are turned off (however the daytime running lights may remain on, based on regulations in various market regions),
- on, when the low beam headlights, side marker lights, parking lights, tail lights, and license plate lights are on,
- parking, when parking lights, side marker lights, tail lights and license plate lights are on.
Auto is a default option for exterior lights and it comes back for each drive, even if the driver previously changed the lights to different settings.
Dome lights
Similar to exterior lights, also dome Tesla lights can be controlled manually or automatically. If set to a default Auto mode, they turn on each time the Tesla car is unlocked, the doors are being opened upon exiting, or the vehicle is set on Park. Manual controlling of dome lights is done by pressing its lens.
How do lights in Tesla affect safety?
Tesla cars are equipped with additional modes and adjustments that greatly affect the safety of the vehicle users. The most important features that impact the security are headlight adjustments and head beam headlights.
Headlight adjustment
Headlight adjustment option allows the driver to make sure the headlights are in the most suitable position and do not blind other road users – fellow drivers, bikers, cyclists, and pedestrians. In case of need, Tesla lights’ angle may be adjusted manually, by selecting suitable settings on the touchscreen. However, the manufacturer does not recommend the headlight adjustment if the driver is not familiar with the process.
High beam headlights
High beam lights in a Tesla car turn on automatically when Autosteer is engaged. They switch to low beam when there is a light detected in front of the vehicle, to prevent blinding of the other users of incoming traffic and ensure road safety. The status of the headlights is always visible on the touchscreen:
- a green headlight icon with beams of light angling down indicated the low beam lights are on,
- a blue headlight icon with beams of horizontal light indicates high beam headlights are on and Auto High Beam is disabled or currently unavailable,
- a blue headlight icon with an A with horizontal beams of light indicates Auto High Beam is enabled and high beam headlights are on,
- a gray headlight icon with an A with horizontal beams of light indicates Auto High Beam is enabled but high beam headlights are not on because light is detected in front of the vehicle.
The advantages of using LED lights in Tesla cars
LED lights are brighter than standard halogen headlights and often cast a wider pattern. They revolutionized road security by offering instantaneous illumination, enhancing driver alertness and safety. Moreover, they use less energy, last longer, and cast a much whiter light. The LED lights used in Tesla cars allow the drivers to see better at night. They also use camera sensors to alter the lighting automatically and not blind other road users.
