Why Are Midsize SUV Headlights Failing Safety Tests?

Recent studies, completed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, suggest that many midsize SUV’s headlights are lacking in quality and safety. Headlights are critical to road safety, and factors such as how much visibility is created by the headlights, and how much glare is caused by the headlights were tested. The majority of vehicles were found to produce too much glare for sufficient night driving safety. Car manufacturers are responsible for providing safe products. Crashes are much more likely to happen at night, even though there is much less traffic on the road.

Safety Tips for Driving at Night

• Vision correction: Human vision is much worse at night. Make sure you have correctional lenses on if you do not have perfect vision. Anti-glare lenses can help increase vision quality and safety while driving at night.
• Stay awake: Driver fatigue is a huge contributor to road accidents. Make sure you are awake and alert, an if you start to feel sleepy, pull over to a nearby resting area to sleep.
• Clean your windshield: Dust and grime can accumulate on your windshield and refract light coming from other vehicles, clouding your vision and increasing the risk for an accident.
• Dim your dashboard lights: Limiting the amount of light entering your eyes from inside the vehicle will increase your vision capacity outside of your car.

These are some great tips to keep you safe, but some accidents are caused by the negligence of car manufacturers. In the SUV case mentioned above, there were no recalls issued, but if a product is too unsafe, a liability case can form.

When Is an Accident a Car Manufacturers Fault?

• Defective products: Faulty products cause accidents in many ways. Faulty tires that blow out, dangerous exploding airbags, and failing brake systems are examples. Car components have a strict set of safety standards they need to adhere to for legal reasons. A product liability attorney has the resources to investigate if your vehicle meets those specific standards.
• Failure to warn drivers: In the event of an auto recall, the manufacturer needs to notify drivers by mail within 60 days the recall is issued with options for remedying the issue. You can check for existing safety recalls on safecar.gov.

If you suspect that an auto accident happened due to a defective component in your vehicle, a Lufkin auto accident attorney at Mike Love & Associates, LLC is dedicated to investigating your case for breaches in auto safety laws.