Car Features That Help You Drive in the Dark

Modern vehicles often feature high-tech solutions that can help make nighttime driving easier.

Elliot Rieth | 

Oct 17, 2025 | 3 min read

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The end of daylight saving time means darker commutes for many of us. But according to the National Safety Council, a nonprofit safety advocate, approximately 50% of all car accidents occur at night due to factors like poor visibility and increased fatigue that can make nighttime driving more dangerous.

So how do you keep yourself safe on the road after the sun sets (earlier and earlier)? One way could be to take advantage of certain safety-focused driver-assistance tech offered by many modern vehicles, from advanced headlights to night vision cameras.

Adaptive Headlights

While standard headlights and even advanced LED headlights are there to help with visibility, many car manufacturers are now including adaptive headlights in their vehicles. Adaptive headlights are a safety feature that allow your car's headlights to:

• Adjust horizontally to match the angle of your turn
• Adjust vertically based on your vehicle's load and your driving terrain
• Shift between high and low beams automatically

This technology elevates the utility of standard headlights, improving visibility for you while reducing glare for others. By automatically adjusting the angle and brightness of LED beams, adaptive headlights help protect others from being unintentionally blinded.

Carmakers ranging from Mazda to BMW offer adaptive-headlight technology, in vehicles including the BMW 7 Series and the Mazda CX-30.

Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems

Although most manufacturers typically have their own name for the technology, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) provide an added layer of safety for day or night. You may have heard of Honda Sensing or Toyota Safety Sense or Subaru EyeSight. They're all packages of driver-assistance technologies and are meant to provide increased protection on the road. Not every safety suite offers exactly the same features, but some commonly included ones are:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Lane-departure warning
• Blind-spot warning
• Lane-centering and lane-keeping assist
• Automatic high-beams

ADAS features in consumer vehicles are generally organized in tiers, from Level 0 to Level 5, with each level introducing more automation complexity. It's worth knowing, though, that there are no vehicles currently on the market that rank above a Level 2 of automation.

These features can be especially useful at night. Lane-centering assists, for example, can help prevent drifting while automatic emergency braking can react to hazards on the road before the driver even sees them.

Not every vehicle features ADAS technology, but these systems are becoming increasingly common. In fact, Level 2 ADAS systems were featured in 40% of total vehicle sales globally in 2024, according to intelligence firm S&P Global. It is important to note, however, that these features do have their limitations and are not a substitute for safe driving habits.

Night Vision Cameras

Headlights can only illuminate the road to a certain degree. Night vision systems, though, extend visibility using infrared or thermal imaging to detect what your eyes and headlights can't. Most of the vehicles with night vision are from upscale automakers, such as the Audi Q8 and Cadillac Escalade.

Passive night vision systems use thermal cameras to identify heat from animals or pedestrians. While useful, they don't detect inanimate objects that don't have a heat signature.

Active night vision systems use infrared lights to project a clearer view of the road ahead. They offer better visibility than passive technology but have limitations in inclement weather, as infrared can struggle to distinguish snow from road, and has a shorter range.

Elliot Rieth

Born and raised in Michigan — the center of the American automotive industry — Elliot's fate of becoming a writer in the automotive space was seemingly predetermined. In addition to covering cars and personal finance for Capital One, he's worked directly with dealers and OEMs to create digital content meant to educate consumers. He's also passionate about music and has written for outlets like In Review Online. When he isn't writing about the latest financial, automotive, and insurance trends, he can be found enjoying a new book or record alongside his two greyhounds.