In an aspect, a method of wireless communication performed by a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) device onboard a vehicle includes receiving one or more V2X safety messages indicating a potential safety condition related to illumination of an object; determining, in response to the one or more V2X safety messages, that the object is within or approaching a target area in which illumination of the object by headlights of the vehicle can be adjusted; and controlling an illumination intensity and/or an illumination pattern of the headlights of the vehicle in response to determining that the object is within the target area.