Have you ever gone driving around at night and, despite having your headlights on, still felt that everything that was supposed to be illuminated was a bit too dark? Well, according to a new study, it might not be just you. It turns out that most "high-tech" headlights are actually quite lacking, making them inadequate at the one thing they're supposed to do.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) took 31 midsized cars from well-known manufacturers such as BMW, Hyundai and Nissan and tested the effectiveness of their headlights. The results were quite illuminating, as only one of the cars scored the top-ranked "good" rating, while a third of those cars received the lowest-ranked "poor" rating.
Specifically, the IIHS study found that only one car scored the top rank, 11 scored an "acceptable" rating, nine scored a "marginal" rating, and 10 scored the aforementioned "poor" rating. The list of these cars includes:
Good:
Totota Prius V
Acceptable:
Audi A3
Honda Accord 4-door
Infiniti Q50
Lexus ES
Lexus IS
Mazda 6
Nissan Maxima
Subaru Outback
(built after Nov. 2015)
Volkswagen CC
Volkswagen Jetta
Volvo S60
Marginal:
Acura TLX
Audi A4
BMW 2 series
BMW 3 series
Chrysler 200
Ford Fusion
Lincoln MKZ
Subaru Legacy
Toyota Camry
Poor:
Buick Verano
Cadillac ATS
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Malibu Limited (fleet model)
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Mercedes-Benz CLA
Nissan Altima
Volkswagen Passat
In order to test the quality of the lights, the IIHS took each car on a track after dark at its vehicle research center and tried to best replicate driving conditions that someone might experience at that time. As such, the headlights aren't adjusted since few vehicle owners do and several manufacturers advise not to. Through the use of a special device, the group measured the light from both low beams and high beams as it was driven on five different approaches: traveling straight, a sharp left curve, a sharp right curve, a gradual left curve and a gradual right curve.
It was noted that low beams were given extra special attention in each scenario since glare from oncoming vehicles is also a factor and any found with an excessive amount can't earn a rating above "marginal."
After the field test was complete, IIHS engineers weighed a headlight's visibility and glare measurements against those of a hypothetical ideal headlight system and used a scheme of demerits to determine the rating. Results for low beams were weighted more heavily than high beams because they are used more often. The readings on the straightaway were weighted more heavily than those on the curves because more crashes occur on straight sections of road.
It is possible for the vehicles equipped with high-beam assist to earn back some points taken off for low beam visbility, but only if the high beams provide additional visibility compared with the low beams, and again, if the glare threshold isn't exceeded.
Overall, the study revealed that many of these cars simply don't come with high-quality lights. Even more revealing is the fact that many of the most under-performing cars, equipped with poor lights (like halogen ones for example), also happened to be most expensive. Even in the case of the Toyota Prius V, which scored the highest marks, the IIHS noted the car had to be upgraded to include LED lights and high-beam assist, representing a $7,000 price increase over the base model.
The results of the test are shocking, to say the least. Yes, the lighting industry has made some advancements in the past few years, but only one out of 31 cars scoring a "good" rating isn't good at all. Safety should be a standard, and not something that comes at the expense of our wallets.
Check out a video from the IIHS below:
