(Bloomberg) — Automakers seeking to improve safety with high-tech headlights may be literally leaving their customers in the dark.
A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the headlights in just one of 31 new midsize cars as good: Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius V. One-third of the models were deemed "poor," the lowest rating on a four-point scale, including two from Mercedes-Benz cars made by Daimler AG. BMW AG's 3 Series with halogen lamps had the lowest-scoring of all tested lighting systems.
Swivel systems not following through
The institute's first-ever headlamp study found that automakers rushing to roll out new technologies such as high-intensity discharge or light-emitting diode lamps or systems that swivel according to the direction of the wheels aren't following through to ensure the light will illuminate the road. In the case of the BMW, a driver might not have enough time to react to avoid a crash at speeds greater than 35 mph, IIHS said.
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