Cornering Lights
Cornering lights are lamps that add illumination to the road beside the forward corner of a vehicle on the side toward which it is turning.
How they work
A cornering lamp typically switches on automatically when the driver uses the direction indicator or turns the steering wheel at low speed. Its short, wide illumination helps reveal road edges, kerbs, pedestrians, and obstacles near junctions, driveways, and tight turns.
Under UN Regulation No. 48 installation rules, a cornering lamp can operate only while the main or dipped beam is on. The lamp on one side may respond to the same-side indicator or steering angle, and both lamps may illuminate while reversing. The cited regulation does not permit cornering-lamp operation above 40 km/h. UNECE: UN Regulation No. 48 — installation of lighting and light-signalling devices
Important distinction
A cornering lamp adds local light beside the vehicle; it does not steer the main low-beam pattern. Curve-adaptive headlights redirect or reshape the headlamp beam to follow a bend and can provide useful illumination farther along the road. Adaptive Headlights
For the wider distinction between cornering lamps, curve-adaptive lighting, adaptive driving beams, and matrix systems, see Headlights, daytime running lights and adaptive beams.