Study Finds Better Headlights Can Help Prevent Car Accidents

Approximately half of the fatal collisions that occur in the United States each year occur during evening hours. Low visibility makes collisions more likely in all driving environments because it can obscure hazards like pedestrians, bicyclists, and potholes and debris in the road. Although all vehicles are equipped with headlights to reduce their drivers’ chances of being involved in collisions due to low visibility, recent studies have found that many vehicles on the market today do not have headlights that reach far enough to show their drivers all the hazards in the immediate distance.

Having poor quality headlights is not an excuse for negligent driving. When a driver creates a preventable accident because of his or her failure to take care to protect others from harm, he or she may be liable for any damages that victims suffer.

Many Vehicles Have Insufficient Headlights

In 2016, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) began evaluating vehicles’ headlights for safety and effectiveness. It has found that across vehicle categories, many have headlights that do not meet its “acceptable” rating, and fewer yet meet its “good” rating. It also found that quality headlights are not correlated with cars’ prices – many of the vehicles found to have “marginal” or “poor” headlight quality were from luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Choosing the Safest Vehicle to Reduce your Chance of Being Involved in an Accident

When evaluating headlights, brighter is not always better. Headlights that are too bright can blind drivers in oncoming traffic, putting them at risk of making mistakes and causing collisions behind the wheel.

LED headlights are the safest headlights, so consider purchasing a vehicle equipped with these. A good way to learn more about the quality of a particular vehicle’s headlights is to refer to the recent Insurance Institute of Highway Safety study comparing multiple vehicles’ headlights. It measured high beams and low beams in a series of scenarios, including five different angles to determine the scope of their illumination straight ahead and to the sides. This was done by using a device to measure the beams while driving the vehicles on a track. The team also measured each vehicle’s headlight glare.

The Draper Law Office Team Can Help you Seek the Compensation you Deserve After a Car Accident

If you have been injured in a car accident, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages through a personal injury or PIP claim, depending on the extent of your damages. To learn more about pursuing legal action after a car accident, contact Draper Law Office to set up your free, no-obligation legal consultation with a member of our firm. Give us a call at 866-767-4711 today to get started.