In the last decade, the automobile industry has been focused on developing vehicle safety options that utilize crash avoidance technology and electronic awareness systems. The purpose of these innovations is to prevent collisions by predicting and mitigating common human errors. However, there is one critical safety feature that hasn’t changed much over the past 20 years: headlights. Many drivers don’t realize that headlights rely on outdated technology that fails to properly illuminate the road and even blinds oncoming driver.
This is hopefully about to change.
Adaptive Driving Beam Technology
According to a recent article by the Washington Post, advocates are pushing the federal government to allow a new generation of headlights to be used in vehicles. The new technology, adaptive driving beam technology (ADB), could eliminate the headlight system used today where drivers “click on and off” between high and low beam systems.
Per the article, this technology uses “computers and light sensors to adjust the cone of light that allows the driver to see the road in front of the vehicle. With ADB, the headlamp can remain on high and its beam can remain focused on the roadway ahead. But the beam is also reshaped or dimmed to avoid creating glare for oncoming drivers.”
Why is this so important? Over 50% of all traffic fatalities and 71% of all pedestrian deaths in the United States occur at night. Also, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has found that only a little more than half of the new cars have adequate lighting systems. According to the Washington Post article, a study by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute estimates that ADB technology could reduce nighttime crashes by 7%.
Although this technology is already being used in Europe, it has yet to be approved by the NHTSA for use in the United States. Hopefully, this technology will be approved as soon as possible for the safety of all drivers and pedestrians in America.
Contact the Harrisburg car accident attorneys at Metzger Wickersham if you require legal representation after a motor vehicle collision. Our firm has been providing personalized services, compassionate guidance, and knowledgeable legal representation to the wrongfully injured of Pennsylvania since 1888. With our help, you can recover a monetary settlement or verdict that covers your injury-related expenses and prepares you for the next chapter of your life. Schedule a free consultation by calling (888) 286-2850.
