What feature uses a camera or sensor to automatically dim high beams when oncoming traffic is detected?

Automatic high beams use a camera or sensor to dim or switch off the high beams when oncoming traffic is detected.

The system monitors the road ahead for headlights, taillights and sometimes other illuminated vehicles. When glare could affect another driver, it lowers the beam or changes the lighting pattern; when the road is clear, it restores high-beam illumination. This lets the driver see farther without repeatedly operating the headlamp switch.

The technology has several names, including automatic high-beam assist, adaptive high beam and adaptive driving beam. They are related but not always identical. A basic system toggles between high and low beam, while a more advanced adaptive system can continuously alter beam reach or shade selected areas around other vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz introduced Adaptive Highbeam Assist on the E-Class in 2009. Its camera-based system could adjust the headlamp range from roughly 65 to 300 metres and react in about 40 milliseconds. This should not be confused with daytime running lights, fog lights or cornering lights: those features improve visibility in particular conditions but do not automatically manage high-beam glare.