Headlights are Improved and Quality is Up
Headlights have improved for the 2021 model year. The IIHS has revised the rule for 2020. It was following that rule change. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revised the criteria for a vehicle to earn one of its top two safety awards. This was to include headlight quality. In turn, the automakers quickly responded, the safety institute claimed.
Automakers Didn’t Always Capture the Top Spot for Awards
Many automakers fell short of the top two awards from the IIHS. This is the result of the rule change in 2020. They didn’t come standard with that caliber of the headlight. In fact, those that did satisfy the IIHS’s criteria offered Good or Acceptable headlights in 2020. A big win for the consumer are more manufacturers are going to a single headlight package for many 2021 models, according to IIHS President David Harkey. Taking an inferior piece of equipment off the market is as important as the invention of a better one.
Headlights – Multiple Options
Subaru has offered multiple headlight options on the Outback, Forester, Ascent, and Legacy. There is only one of the options being rated as Good by the IIHS. All of those vehicles offer just one option now. It is rated as Good, for 2021.
Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+
IIHS gives out two major awards which are the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. The latter being the superior rating. 10 vehicles have earned the higher of the two awards this year. The lower one was last year was due to a headlight upgrade. The Ascent is one such vehicle. Others included the Audi A7, Honda Accord, Hyundai Palisade, Mazda CX-30, Nissan Altima, Toyota Highlander, Volvo S60, Volvo XC40 and Volvo XC60.
Headlight Ratings
How well they illuminate straight and curved roads is how IIHS rates the headlights. The headlights that rate good on their low setting can illuminate the right side of the road at least 325 feet ahead. The worst headlights are good for only 220 feet, IIHS notes. Sometimes they are even less.
