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Light Roads Ahead

Smart headlamps could reduce fatalities

As the sun sets, traffic accidents and fatalities spike on American roadways. The government estimates that 2.8 million police-reported crashes including 23,000 fatalities occur annually in the United States at night or under poor visibility conditions. After 45 years of age, everyone's vision begins to deteriorate and nighttime driving becomes more difficult. Two statistics underline the hazards of nighttime driving: 90 percent of a driver's reaction depends upon vision, and driver error is behind 90 percent of highway fatalities.

Safety Aim

With the current emphasis on active safety measures to correct driver error, headlight manufacturers are developing intelligent lighting technologies that give drivers a brighter, longer, wider view of the road ahead while, at the same time, limiting the glare for oncoming drivers. Headlights first made their appearance as acetylene gas lamps in 1885 and finally turned electric in 1905.

In the '90s, halogen and xenon lights made the road brighter for nighttime drivers. Glare complaints from oncoming drivers spiked with the new headlights, but government studies found no scientific basis for those complaints. Halogen headlights, now on 92 percent of the vehicles on the road, give a wider light and illumine greater distances. Xenon lights, which are found on only five percent of vehicles on American roads, offer 70 percent more light than halogen, and deliver much wider light beams.

Utilizing sensors that read the speed of the vehicle, steering, GPS information and weather, headlight manufacturers are developing automatic systems that can deliver the best nighttime vision for any given road scenario. These intelligent lighting technologies—Adaptive Front Lighting Systems—include side lights that are activated as needed as well as front headlights that are smarter than their predecessors. Each headlight can be individually aimed so that light can be trained on the driver's lane and not into the oncoming lane.

In low speed situations, like residential driving, the system lowers the headlamp aim and increases the horizontal spread of the light to illuminate sidewalks, intersections, pedestrians and curbs. This feature is automatically activated at vehicle speeds below 37 mph. The lighting system reveals pedestrians or bicyclists far earlier than standard lighting systems.

On the highway, sensors react to the speedometer and, as speed increases, raise the headlamp beam to illuminate a longer view of the road ahead and narrow the beam so it does not intrude into the path of oncoming traffic. Sensors automatically activate this feature at speeds above 50 mph. These systems can also move the headlamp beam to follow a curve relying on sensors in the steering wheel and aiming the light in the direction that the vehicle is traveling. This feature also keeps the light in the driver's lane and prevents blinding oncoming motorists.

In a left-hand turn, the left headlight will pivot up to 15 degrees (the right-hand headlight remains pointed straight ahead) and in a right-hand turn, the right headlight will pivot up to five degrees (the left-hand headlight remains pointed straight ahead). In bad weather such as fog or snow, the system lowers the headlamp aim to improve side lighting and narrows the forward beam to a sharp-pencil beam decreasing the glare. This feature can be activated with a manual control as well as through vehicle sensors.

These intelligent lighting systems are available under various brand names in the 2005 Acura RL, Audi A4, BMW X3, Infiniti M, Land Rover Discovery, Lexus LS 430 and RX 330, MINI Cooper, Porsche Cayenne and Volvo S40 and V50. In Europe, adaptive headlights may be mandated for all models in 2007 as part of the region's pedestrian protection regulations. If you are going to rely on standard headlights for the time being, the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council offers these tips for nighttime driving.

Night Driving Tips

Use your lights courteously: When on the road, turn your headlights on one hour before sunset to make it easier for other drivers to see you in twilight, and keep your headlights on at least one hour after sunrise. In fog, use only your low beam headlights; high beams reduce your own ability to see and may temporarily blind other drivers. If your vehicle is equipped with fog lamps, use them with your low beams only when there is fog or inclement weather.

Avoid glare: Instead of looking at oncoming headlights, look toward the right side of the road and watch the white line marking the outside edge of the traffic lane. When headlights from vehicles following you reflect in your rearview mirror, use the "day-night" feature on the mirror (if equipped) or adjust your mirror to cut out as much of the light as possible.

Adjust your vehicle's interior lighting: If streetlights cause a lot of glare, dim your dashboard lights and use your sun visor. Avoid using any other light inside your vehicle.

Keep all windows and headlights clean: Dirty windows can increase glare, making it more difficult to see, while dirty headlights can reduce efficiency by as much as 90 percent. Be sure to clean the inside and outside of your windshield as well as your headlights.

Increase your following distance: Increasing your distance by four to five seconds can make it easier to spot potential problems on and along the roadway and give you more time to respond. In addition, proper lighting will enable you to react quicker and stop at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.

Use vehicle mirrors to your advantage: Exterior mirrors that are properly aligned not only reduce blind spots, they also reduce glare from vehicles behind you. The outside rearview mirrors should be adjusted so that the bodywork of the vehicle is just outside of the driver's view.