An IR illuminator used during the operation of autonomous vehicles, which provides improvement in the performance of cameras used in the vehicle at night time. An optical design of an outer lens of the IR illuminator is selected so that the outer lens forms a beam pattern for the output light from the IR light source, and also acts as a light guide for light emitted from a secondary visible light source, which is located in the same module as the IR light source, and which may be positioned on the same or a different printed circuit board as the IR light source. The material of outer lens is opalescent including scattering bodies. The optical design of the outer lens allows for improved field of view of the IR illuminator.