Automakers' High-Tech Headlights Disappoint in Safety Study
- Insurance industry-backed research rates one of 31 cars `good'
- Newer LED systems may not work as well as plain-old halogen
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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.