Has there ever been a time when you were driving at night and felt blinded by the oncoming headlights of another car? The state of Massachusetts has taken the necessary steps to ensure safety for all citizens on the roads by banning a certain type of car headlights. The weird part is that the state is enforcing this ban not due to the technology of the light being predominantly bad, but due to how the light fits in according to federal standards.
What type of headlights are banned?
According to the rule of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, all vehicle headlights must be bright enough to illuminate at least 115 feet ahead, however, they should not be particularly blinding for oncoming drivers. The rule is reasonable. The type of headlight banned is that of LED headlight bulbs that are used as replacements by many car owners in an attempt to upgrade their vehicles.
As per a 2024 letter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), such LED replacements are not deemed legal under federal law. The reason that these LED replacements are not legal is not due to their overwhelming brightness, but rather their compatibility.
According to the law, specifically Title 49 Subtitle B Chapter V Part 571 Subpart B § 571.108 of the Massachusetts Code of Federal Regulations, all essential components of a headlamp system (lens, reflector, and bulb) should be tested and certified together. For this reason, one is not allowed to swap out a halogen bulb for an LED one only if the entire headlamp assembly was originally designed and tested for that LED bulb.
This means that even if a citizen’s headlights work well and are not too bright, the mere fact that they are using LED bulbs in a halogen headlamp will mean they are violating the law.
The reason this ban is so weird
The mere fact that it wasn’t the brightness of the LED lights that got them banned, but the paperwork technicality, makes this ban seem weird. As per the law, integral beam headlamps (those designed with LED bulbs from the factory) are allowed. It is just the LED replacements that are being used in traditional halogen assemblies that are not legal, even though they are so vastly marketed as being legal.
So, brightness or the fact that they are dangerous did not rule these LED replacement bulbs out, but the reason they are banned is that they haven’t been certified as part of the full headlight system. Citizens seem to find the reason for the ban strange and almost ludicrous.
The irony is that most drivers choose to switch to LED replacements in an attempt to improve road safety by improving visibility. Since these ‘safer’ headlights are not officially tested as part of the whole headlight system, they fall outside of legal boundaries. The fact that they work well, don’t blind others on the road, and improve safety means nothing- they are still banned. We knew that license plates were important, but now we realize so too are headlights.
Rules for drivers in Massachusetts
Avoid landing in hot water in Massachusetts for using LED replacement headlights. It is a known fact that state inspection stations and law enforcement are being tasked to look deeper into these aftermarket LED headlight installations.
Although it may seem like red tape, the law is in place for a reason. Automakers may very well be looking into working with certified LED upgrade kits that will meet the federal requirements, so drivers can upgrade their vehicles’ lighting without breaking the law.
While overly technical, the ban on LED replacement headlights in Massachusetts is rooted in regulatory compliance and is not in any way a direct attack on LED technology. Drivers now must not only check the brightness of their headlights, but also the compliance of these lights. If left lane driving can be banned in another state, this law is not all too strange.
