Driving at night is a risky proposition even in the best of scenarios. About half of all traffic deaths occur in the dark, dawn or dusk. Using bad headlight safety practices adds to risk.
According to IIHS, “It takes 1.5 seconds for a driver to react to an unexpected event under ideal conditions. At a speed of 55 mph, a car travels about 120 feet during this brief period. Once the driver applies the brakes, it takes more than 144 feet, on average, to stop at this speed.
Understanding headlight safety issues, choosing the right vehicle and familiarity with South Carolina law could help you avoid a tragic situation while driving at night.
If you or a loved one suffer serious injuries in a collision while driving at night, please don’t hesitate to contact me by phone at 864-235-4999 or through our contact form, which you can find by clicking the button below.
Headlight Safety Issues
Unfortunately, the low beams of many headlight systems don’t provide enough light. If there’s an obstacle in the lane, a driver going 55 mph on a straight road simply won’t be able to stop or avoid the obstruction. High beams can increase your ability to react to obstruction at 55 mph from 2.2 seconds to over 5 seconds.
Here are three additional headlight safety tips that illustrate the importance of maintaining, replacing and properly using headlights.
- Using high beams improves illumination by 28 percent.
- High beam assist is an available feature that uses a camera to automatically switch a vehicle’s lights from high beach to low-beam when a vehicle approaches.
- You should clean your headlight covers during each car wash. Cloudy headlights can reduce light output by as much as 95 percent.
Curve adaptive headlights are an available feature that shows promise. The test of adaptive headlights indicates a reduction in claim rates. However, since all adaptive headlights use LED or HID lamps, it’s unclear whether the type of lights, the adaptive headlights or both are the reason for the reduction of automaker claims.
Vehicles with Good Headlight Ratings
The following car makes and models received good headlight rating from IIHS for the current model year:
| Car Classification | Make/Model | Style |
| Minicar | Kia Rio | 4 door Sedan/4 door hatchback |
| Small Car | Honda Insight | 4 door Sedan |
| Small Car | Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid | 4 door Wagon |
| Small Car | Subaru WRX | 4 door Sedan |
| Small Car | Chevrolet Volt | 4 door Hatchback |
| Midsize Car | Mazda 6 | 4 door Sedan |
| Midsize Car | Subaru Legacy | 4 door Sedan |
| Midsize Car | Subaru Outback | 4 door Wagon |
| Midsize Car | Toyota Camry | 4 door Sedan |
| Luxury Midsize Car | Lexus ES 350 | 4 door Sedan |
| Luxury Midsize Car | Mercedes Benz C-Class | 4 door Sedan |
| Luxury Midsize Car | Tesla Model 3 | 4 door Sedan |
| Large Car | Kia Stinger | 4 door Sedan |
| Large Luxury Car | Audi A6 | 4 door Sedan |
| Large Luxury Car | Genesis G90 | 4 door Sedan |
| Large Luxury Car | Genesis G80 | 4 door Sedan |
| Large Luxury Car | Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 4 door Sedan |
| Small SUV | Subaru Forester | 4 door SUV |
| Small SUV | Mazda CX-5 | 4 door SUV |
| Small SUV | Honda CRV | 4 door SUV |
| Small SUV | Kia Sportage | 4 door SUV |
| Midsize SUV | Honda Pilot | 4 door SUV |
| Midsize Luxury SUV | Acura RDX | 4 door SUV |
| Midsize Luxury SUV | Hyundai Nexo | 4 door SUV |
| Midsize Luxury SUV | Lexus NX | 4 door SUV |
| Midsize Luxury SUV | Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class | 4 door SUV |
| Large SUV | Audi e-tron | 4 door SUV |
South Carolina Headlight Laws
The state of South Carolina has specific laws pertaining to headlight safety. Understanding the following headlight laws will illustrate the responsibilities of drivers, vehicle manufacturers, mechanics, auto body shops, etc.
(A) Every vehicle upon a street or highway within this State shall display lighted lamps and illuminating devices, excluding parking lights, from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise, and at any other time when windshield wipers are in use as a result of rain, sleet, or snow, or when inclement weather or environmental factors severely reduce the ability to clearly discern persons and vehicles on the street or highway at a distance of five hundred feet ahead as required in this article for different classes of vehicles, subject to exceptions with respect to parked vehicles as provided in this article; provided, however, the provisions of this section requiring the use of lights in conjunction with the use of windshield wipers shall not apply to instances when windshield wipers are used intermittently in misting rain, sleet, or snow.
(B) Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be fined up to $25 dollars.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4450
Every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle shall be equipped with at least two headlamps with at least one on each side of the front of the motor vehicle. Such headlamps shall comply with the requirements and limitations set forth in this article. Every motorcycle and every motor-driven cycle shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two headlamps which shall comply with the requirements and limitations of this article.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4490
Federal Regulations
There are also federal mandates on headlights.
All lighting on motor vehicles is governed by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108. The lighting standards apply to the original equipment and replacements. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, dealers and motor repair businesses are all subject to the requirements. (49 CFR § 571.108)
The standards don’t specify a general limit on maximum intensity due to the vast array of light types and lighting systems. However, FMVSS No. 108 determines maximum intensity based on each individual design and type of lighting system.
The federal lighting standard is very complex and is difficult to interpret even for some manufacturers and lighting specialists. Stated simply, the maximum light output of headlamp systems, whether two-or four-light systems, is limited as follows:
- Type 2 or 2A Lights—Upper beam limited to 20,000 to 75,000 candela per lamp. Lower beam limited to 15,000 to 20,000 candela per lamp.
- Type 1 or 1A Lights—Upper beam limited to 18,000 to 60,000 candela per lamp.
A candela is the basic unit of measure of luminous intensity in the International System of Units. For example, a 100-watt light bulb emits about 120 candelas.
Wrap Up
Practicing proper headlight safety goes a long way towards protecting fellow drivers on the road. If you suffer serious injuries due to a traffic collision with an irresponsible driver, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via the contact form below.