WASHINGTON (AP) — There may be a reason why people have trouble seeing while driving at night, and it’s not their eyesight.
“If you’re having trouble seeing behind the wheel at night, it could very well be your headlights and not your eyes that are to blame,” says David Zuby, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety executive vice president and chief research officer.
The study by the IIHS says that of the rest, about a third are rated “acceptable,” a third “marginal” and a third “poor.” It says the difference between the top- and bottom-rated models for a driver’s ability to see down a dark road was substantial.
Click here to read the full study – how they evaluated the headlights and what they came up with.
The IIHS evaluated things like how powerful the light is at a given angle and glare for oncoming vehicles. Out of dozens of midsize vehicle models that were tested, only one made the “Good” category. The other 29 models were stuck somewhere in “Acceptable,” “Marginal,” and “Poor.”
The Toyota Prius V LED headlights, available only in the top trim line, are the only headlights to get the “good” rating.
The following are the ratings given by the IIHS:
Good: Toyota Prius v
Acceptable: Audi A3, Honda Accord 4-door, Infiniti Q50, Lexus ES, Lexus IS, Mazda 6, Nissan Maxima, Subaru Outback (built after Nov. 2015), Volkswagen CC, Volkswagen Jetta, Volvo S60
Marginal: Acura TLX, Audi A4, BMW 2 series, BMW 3 series, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry
Poor: Buick Verano, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Malibu Limited (fleet model), Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat
