New Headlight Study Points to Problems

Most small SUVs come from the factory with poor headlights and none have actual “good” quality headlights, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

It tested 21 small SUVs and found most of them (two-thirds) received a “poor” rating.  And while none received a “good” rating,  a few were rated as “acceptable.”

“More modern lighting types, including high-intensity discharge (HID) and LED lamps, and curve-adaptive systems, which swivel in the direction of steering, also are no guarantee of good performance,” said the IIHS.

The problem is often the positioning of the lights and how they perform in actual road conditions, not just in a lab.

“Manufacturers aren’t paying enough attention to the actual on-road performance of this basic equipment,” said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Matthew Brumbelow. “We’re optimistic that improvements will come quickly now that we’ve given automakers something to strive for.”

Headlight performance is important because about half of traffic deaths occur either in the dark or around dawn or dusk.

The IIHS measures the amount of usable light provided by low beams and high beams as vehicles travel on straightaways and curves. The cars are placed on a track after dark and a special device measures how far the light projects. The IIHS also looks at excessive glare to oncoming drivers.

“Glare issues are usually a result of poorly aimed headlights,” Brumbelow said. “SUV headlights are mounted higher than car headlights, so they generally should be aimed lower. Instead, many of them are aimed higher than the car headlights we’ve tested so far.”

The Mazda CX-3 was found to have the best performing headlights on its Grand Touring trim. They are curve-adaptive LED lights with optional high beam assist.

The other vehicles with acceptable (but not “good”) headlights are the Ford Escape, the Honda CR-V and the Hyundai Tucson.

The worst headlights on small SUVs were found on the Honda 2016 HR-V.  And the HR-V can’t be purchased with anything other than these headlights.

While the above results are for small SUVs, the IIHS also tested mid-sized SUVs earlier this year and found similar results.   In March, the IIHS released a study on mid-sized SUVs, which found that the Toyota Prius v was the only vehicle out of 31 evaluated to earn a good rating.

Source: IIHS