{"id":10002,"date":"2015-05-22T12:01:32","date_gmt":"2015-05-22T17:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/?p=10002"},"modified":"2015-05-22T04:01:00","modified_gmt":"2015-05-22T09:01:00","slug":"aaa-tests-show-80-of-headlights-fall-short-on-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/2015\/05\/22\/aaa-tests-show-80-of-headlights-fall-short-on-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"AAA tests show 80% of Headlights Fall Short on Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AAA\"Tampa, FL<\/strong> – New test results from AAA indicate that even with the most advanced headlight systems, a motorist\u2019s ability to see an object on rural roadways at night can be reduced by as much as 60 percent compared to driving in daylight.<\/p>\n

AAA\u2019s test results suggest that halogen headlights, found in over 80 percent of vehicles on the road today, may fail to safely illuminate unlit roadways at speeds as low as 40 mph.<\/p>\n

\"Tests<\/a>

Tests show headlights may fail to safely illuminate dark roadways<\/p><\/div>\n

The testing, conducted with the Automobile Club of Southern California\u2019s Automotive Research Center, measured the distances at which modern headlights illuminate non-reflective objects on both low-beam and high-beam settings.<\/p>\n

These findings, paired with guidelines issued by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, indicate that when traveling on unlit roadways, today\u2019s headlights do not light the full distance necessary for a motorist to detect an object or obstacle in the roadway, react and come to a complete stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cAAA\u2019s test results reveal that headlights found in U.S. vehicles fall short on safety.\u201d said Megan McKernan, manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California\u2019s Automotive Research Center. \u201cBy failing to properly light roadways at moderate speeds, a pedestrian or animal may not become visible to a driver until it\u2019s too late to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

The high-beam settings on halogen headlights improved sight distances by 28 percent at the testing facility; however, in real-world conditions they may only provide enough light to safely stop at speeds of up to 48 mph, which would leave motorists vulnerable at highway speeds.<\/p>\n

\"AAA<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite the clear need for the additional visibility that high-beams offer, particularly on unlit roads, a recent AAA survey found that only a third of Americans admit to using these settings regularly.<\/p>\n

Additional testing found that while the advanced headlight technology found, high intensity discharge (HID) and light emitting diode (LED) headlights illuminated dark roadways 25 percent further than their halogen counter parts, they still may fail to fully illuminate roadways at speeds greater than 45 mph.<\/p>\n

High-beam settings on these advanced headlights offered significant improvement over low-beam settings, lighting distances of up to 500 feet (equal to 55 mph). Despite the increase, even the most advanced headlights fall 60 percent short of the sight distances that the full light of day provides.<\/p>\n

[320left]In addition to testing low-beam and high-beam headlight performance, AAA tested the effect that deteriorated headlight lenses have on light intensity and glare. The protective coating used on the plastics of modern lenses can slowly deteriorate and cloud after about five years, reducing light output and increasing light scatter which results in glare for other drivers.<\/p>\n

The testing found that restoring headlights doubles the maximum light intensity and reduces glare-producing light scatter by up to 60 percent. Yet, according to a recent AAA survey, only 20 percent of Americans have performed this service.<\/p>\n

\u201cCloudy headlights can cause safety issues while driving at night\u201d said Montrae Waiters, AAA spokeswoman. \u201cMotorists can purchase headlight restoration and cleaning kits to restore headlights to new. This will greatly increase driving safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

AAA Recommendations for Nighttime Driving<\/p>\n