[ukden]

I had an interesting experience last night.

Travelling on a straight road (B6318, Military Road) with no other traffic in sight, a car appears about 1 mile away travelling toward me with full beam headlights on. When it was about 1/2 mile away the headlights appeared to go out to be replaced by two dimly flickering lights of some sort. I was on High Beam Assist full beam. I could not make out what was going on, had the driver switched his headlights off altogether? had he stopped and parked?.

None of the above, the car was still travelling toward me, and I was still on HBA full beam. However, my HBA system does not recognise what appears to be two dimly flickering candles as an oncoming vehicle, and stays on full beam. It was only when the other vehicle got as close as approx 50 yards did my HBA switch to dipped beam.

As the car passed me I realised what was going on, it was fitted with adaptive headlights. The system had been so effective at not shining light directly at my car that it was invisible to my HBA sensor.

I do not know what the other car was, although from the shape of it's DRL/sidelights I am sure it was not a Volvo.

This is the first occasion in 3500 miles since new, that the HBA has failed to dip promptly for an oncoming vehicle.

I was wondering what happens when two cars with adaptive headlights approach each other?