New research finds a link between good headlight ratings and lower crash rates

(The following statements are from Matthew Brumbelow, a senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, who conducted the study. The full report is at https://www.iihs.org/topics/bibliography/ref/2239.) “Driving at night is three-times as risky as driving during the day. And, this is the first study to document how much headlights that provide better illumination can help reduce crashes. We found that nighttime single-vehicle crash-rates, per mile driven, are about 20-percent lower for vehicles with headlights that earn a ‘good’ rating in the ‘I-I-H-S’ headlight-evaluations, compared with those that have ‘poor’-rated headlights; for vehicles with ‘acceptable’ or ‘marginal’ headlights, the crash-rates are, respectively, 15-percent and 10-percent lower. We also found that the reductions are greater for specific types of single-vehicle crashes: Compared with ‘poor’ headlights, ‘good’-rated ones reduce crashes that involve injuries to the driver by 30-percent—and crashes that involve pedestrians by around 25-percent.” “Federal headlight-regulations haven’t changed in decades—and currently allow for headlights with a wide range of performance. Until 2015, when we launched our headlight-ratings program, neither drivers nor researchers had any real way to compare how well different headlights illuminated the roadway. We always encourage consumers to do their homework, check headlight-ratings, and, if possible, test-drive a vehicle at night.” “Our headlight-ratings and safety-awards have been a huge motivator for automakers to improve their headlights; since our program began, the proportion of headlights that have earned a ‘good’ rating has increased, from four-percent to 29-percent. Better headlights illuminate the road better—but also keep glare away from oncoming drivers. And now, with this new study, we have confirmation that these improvements are truly saving lives.” “The low-beam illumination of headlights that we’ve evaluated ranges from 125 feet to 460 feet. And, for the driver of a vehicle going 50 miles-per-hour, that means a difference of two seconds versus six seconds—to recognize a potential hazard, and then respond by braking or steering.”