AAA Report Concludes Cloudy and Yellow Headlights Offer Decreased Visibility

The American Automobile Association, more commonly known as AAA, recently released a statement regarding headlights & auto accident prevention that should be an item of interest to anyone who travels along the road. This report, released sometime in early December, concerns some new test results that the organization compiled relating to headlights that are cloudy or yellow-tinted.

The studies done by the AAA related to deterioration that might occur on headlights that are older — headlights, in other words, that exhibit the cloudy and/or yellow-tinted appearance mentioned above. These lights were compared with newer headlights that have brighter, whiter illumination, with the goal of determining the exact amount of light that the various devices produced.

In their findings, which have been published and are available for public consumption, the AAA states that older, more deteriorated headlights set to the low-beam produce on-average 22 percent less light than a new bulb will produce on the same setting. To this test, AAA also added the comparison of headlights that are cleaned verses headlights that are replaced. In this part of the test, they examined the light output from various lamps that were professionally cleaned by a mechanic. Cleanings of this sort can range between $40 and $200, and often come with a one-year guarantee. To this, AAA states that it is just as efficient to clean the headlamps on your own using sandpaper, an abrasive pad, and some sort of oil-based lubricant such as WD-40.

AAA’s report should remind people that driving with old, decaying, or cloudy headlights is a clear danger while on the road. In many states, there are even laws against operating a vehicle in such condition, and police will pull over and ticket drivers with headlights that do not match the safety code.

In order to protect yourself and everyone else on the road, it is important that you maintain the clarity of your headlamps as well as replace any bulbs that are exhibiting signs of decreased ability. Driving with yellow and cloudy headlamps is a clear danger and a hazard to all motorists. By following these simple steps (replacing bad bulbs and cleaning the headlamps) you can help ensure that the highways are a safer place.

Sources:

• Here’s why older headlights pose a risk for motorists, pedestrians

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.