IIHS Headlight Test Signals Need for Improvement

According to a recently released automobile headlight test, administered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), your vehicle may not be up to speed. Upon evaluation of 31 vehicles based on headlight factors such as visibility and glare measurements, only the Toyota Prius earned a ‘good’ rating. The remainder of the vehicles graded ranged from ‘acceptable’ to ‘poor’, demonstrating a drastic need for improvement. With about half of all traffic deaths occurring outside of daylight, advancements in headlight technology could greatly reduce the amount of fatalities.

Why is there such a large gap in headlight safety?

One of the main reasons stems from current government headlight standards that allow for a huge variation in the amount of illumination headlights provide. With the invention of HID and LED powered headlights, the regulations do not favor one over the other. As a result, these headlights are given a “pass” provided they produce an “acceptable” form of illumination.

While the IIHS tested only 31 vehicles, 82 headlight ratings were given due to the various headlight and vehicle combinations available to consumers. The Toyota Prius V, which was the only ‘good’ rated vehicle, included LED lights and high beam assist. With standard issue halogen headlights and no high beam assist, the rating was ‘poor.’ It is clear that much more needs to be done to ensure universal headlight safety for all vehicles.

If you own a midsize vehicle and would like to see how your car rated, visit http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/first-ever-iihs-headlight-ratings-show-most-need-improvement. For more information on how to best protect you and your loved ones on the open road, call Hunter Insurance at 769.9500.

*Information for this blog provided by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety