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By: Youngone Lee
We swerved off of the road. I floated in midair, then crashed against the window. The chaos seemed to last seconds, but the adrenaline coarse through me for what felt like hours. Engulfed by the dark, I saw one thing illuminated by the dull, yellow light from the front of the car: A deer in the headlights. It was a miracle that both the deer and I had been left unscathed but I often wonder, what would have happened to us if there weren’t any proper headlights? Driving in the dark is often unavoidable but by reinforcing ideas and laws we currently have, we can make this activity less dangerous.
Over 50% of automobile accidents occur at night. Furthermore, we “average approximately 2,500 pedestrian deaths” due to incorrect lighting during nighttime accidents. (IIHS, 2018). Although there are laws statewide on when to turn on and off headlights, the regulations on what kind of headlights differ from state to state (autosimple.com). Headlights that are considered blue bulbs, often advertised as “Xenon bulbs” or “HID bulbs”, can cause more harm than good. Because they produce blue light, one of the shortest wavelengths, they scatter easily. This wavelength is difficult for the human eye to focus on, decreasing visibility on the road. Furthermore, blue lights produce more glare, which poses further more danger to the driver and others on the road (Stern, 2004). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has noted that “more than half of the 79 headlight variants evaluated have too much glare” and noted that complaints about glares have increased steadily. Even as a passenger, I have experienced this blinding glare from other drivers, making me shift my eyes for a split second. This same split second can put a driver’s life at risk, simply because of inadequate headlights.
Advocating and enforcing current laws regarding headlights can help reduce night driving risks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration‘s law to allow “brighter high-beam lights” and change to “reduce glare from oncoming vehicles” has helped reduce accidents on the road. We should continuously enforce the current laws we have and also think about introducing newer, more efficient headlights into the American market. Countries, such as Europe and Canada, have adapted the Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) headlights. These headlights “keep a vehicle’s high beams turned on all the time” and accommodate oncoming vehicles. When another vehicle is detected, the “system shades the appropriate area of the headlight to prevent glare that could interfere with the vision of the other driver”, increasing illumination for the driver and decreasing the glare for others (Alanzi, 2017). With tighter restrictions on harmful headlights and an introduction of new technology, such as the ADB, we can reduce fatalities on the road.
As an individual, I can make sure to adjust my headlights, buy non-blue bulbs, and educate my family and friends about the importance of illuminating the road. With this new knowledge, I can increase road safety for both myself and other drivers.
MLA Citations:
“No Headlights Accident Attorney.” Stephenson Rife, 26 Jan. 2018, www.indianapilaw.com/headlights-essential-neglected/.
Admin. “Headlights, Laws, and Road Safety: Everything You Need to Know.” Auto Simple, 13 Feb. 2019, www.autosimple.com/blog/headlights-laws-road-safety/.
Daniel Stern, premier automotive lighting consultant, and Lighting Guru of Lighting Gurus Daniel Stern. “Dangerous, Illegal, Blue Headlight Bulbs.” Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply, 18 Jan. 2004, www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html.
Alaniz, Anthony, et al. “Organizations Push NHTSA To Modernize U.S. Headlight Standards.” GM Authority, 7 May 2017, gmauthority.com/blog/2019/05/organizations-push-nhtsa-to-modernize-u-s-headlight-standards/.