Most pickup trucks have poor headlights, IIHS tests show

Most pickup trucks have poor headlights, IIHS tests show

Drivers of late-model pickups are likely to find themselves squinting into the darkness or temporarily blinding other drivers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)ês latest headlight ratings show.

All four small pickups evaluated are available only with headlights rated –poor.” The same goes for 3 out of 7 large pickups. Only one large pickup, the Honda Ridgeline, is available with headlights rated –good,” though all but the most expensive trim levels come with poor ones.

IIHS found a similar pattern in the other groups it rated for headlights earlier this year, midsize cars and small SUVs. –As vehicle safety has improved in recent years, this important equipment has been overlooked,” said Matthew Brumbelow, an IIHS senior research engineer.

IIHS launched its headlight ratings after finding that government standards based on lab tests allow for huge variation in the amount of illumination headlights provide in on-road driving. The Institute evaluates how far light is projected from a vehicleês low and high beams as the vehicle travels straight and on curves. It also measures glare from low beams for oncoming drivers.