Headlights safety rating

[Steve the Dude]

Noticed something unusual on the IIHS website. I've been checking it for months. All other trucks have gone through their safety evaluations a long time ago. Not Ford. I've been waiting to see how the two upper trim headlights rated and even called and talked to someone who told me they didn't even have the F-150 on their schedule. Seems VERY odd.

2021 Ford F-150 (iihs.org)

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[imnuts]

They probably ordered their test trucks in March and they're now sitting in one of the holding lots waiting to be completed with everyone else's trucks.

I've been looking for their headlight ratings every few weeks as well. I'm sure they'll get them tested at some point though. I've read that it can take up to a year at times for vehicles after a large redesign before they're tested.

 

[Vulnox]

I also suspect COVID has thrown off a lot of testing schedules. I don't imagine IIHS headlight testing was high on the list of critical services that that needed to stay in office.

 

[Blueshound]

Also interested to see the results from AEB, pedestrian detection, etc. Crash testing will likely be similar to 2020 but you never know.

 

[Steve the Dude]

They probably ordered their test trucks in March and they're now sitting in one of the holding lots waiting to be completed with everyone else's trucks.

I've been looking for their headlight ratings every few weeks as well. I'm sure they'll get them tested at some point though. I've read that it can take up to a year at times for vehicles after a large redesign before they're tested.

Don't see it that way. If I was proud of my new lights I'd have had a truck up there months ago for testing especially with how bad they rated last year.

 

[imnuts]

IIHS pays for the vehicles they test. It's entirely possible they put in an order and it's either in the order bank or it was produced and waiting for parts to finish. While Ford may be able to look up and reprioritize the order, given the demand even without the ratings and with current production issues, what is the incentive on their part? The sales are likely to be low profit margin sales since it's likely to be a fleet order.

 

[TNKIRK]

IIHS pays for the vehicles they test. It's entirely possible they put in an order and it's either in the order bank or it was produced and waiting for parts to finish. While Ford may be able to look up and reprioritize the order, given the demand even without the ratings and with current production issues, what is the incentive on their part? The sales are likely to be low profit margin sales since it's likely to be a fleet order.

I don't care what anybody says............My 502a Lariat supercab lights are 10 times better than my 2013 fx4

 

[diesel97]

I don't care what anybody says............My 502a Lariat supercab lights are 10 times better than my 2013 fx4

but are they too bright? that's also what the test is for, but I hear you my ford headlights suck also

 

[aika1]

but are they too bright? that's also what the test is for, but I hear you my ford headlights suck also

Define "too bright". If they have a "too bright" marking for lights, and a "not bright enough" marking for lights, I'd like to know what their criteria is.

And also, I'd like to know how much they're paying Goldilocks to do their headlight testing...

 

[imnuts]

Since you didn't read how they test, the lights can be too bright. It's based on glare and aiming of the light. Putting aftermarket HIDs or LEDs in a halogen reflector/projector housing may visually look brighter from behind the wheel, but light will no longer be aimed in the proper locations and also will cause excessive glare for oncoming traffic. I know many people are too lazy, inconsiderate, ignorant, or a combination of the 3 to care, but some people do.

 

[Bryan Simon]

Hmmm.
still remember T-3 lamps as being the only thing available.
Wagner Halogens were the ‘cat’s meow’.
Still use those in both hot rods and the 98 Chev.
Plenty bright for me and not offensive to others.
Was not all that impressed with the lamps on the 05 Ranger
Lamps in the new truck are about the most illuminating I have had, and they are the base halogens.
I just can’t fully understand why everything needs to daylight bright for so many.
Nighttime or inclement weather are times to be slowing down and not overdriving your lights.
Most of these ‘bright lights’ are not really shooting farther, it’s just that everything closer is better lit.

But I’m a low beam driver anyway unless in the country and no visible oncoming traffic, or very rural interstate with little oncoming traffic

 

[aika1]

Since you didn't read how they test, the lights can be too bright. It's based on glare and aiming of the light. Putting aftermarket HIDs or LEDs in a halogen reflector/projector housing may visually look brighter from behind the wheel, but light will no longer be aimed in the proper locations and also will cause excessive glare for oncoming traffic. I know many people are too lazy, inconsiderate, ignorant, or a combination of the 3 to care, but some people do.

Technically, "brightness" can't be too high for the test documents that IIHS provides. The visibility demerits assigned are for LACK of visibility, not for an overabundance, based on the shortest light edge at a given distance. I provided a link for you to read that bit below.

I believe what you're complaining about is "glare" which IS defined in the documents below, though tolerance of said glare is the Goldilocks portion of the protocol (I'll get to that later).


For anyone interested, here's the link to the testing, as well as the rationale and supporting documents for the lighting test.

Headlight test and rating protocol (iihs.org)

This test and rating protocol just shows you how they collect data, using electronic devices. As to the "how" they decided on the data thresholds, that is here, in the rationale and supporting work document:

Rationale and supporting work for headlight test and rtating protocol (iihs.org)

And within the Rationale and supporting work for headlight test and rating protocol is the following excerpt:
"IIHS has conducted volunteer experiments (Reagan and Brumbelow, in press; Reagan et al., in press) that allow comparisons between subjective ratings of perceived discomfort glare and the proposed glare exposure boundaries in the IIHS headlight evaluation. After observing each subject vehicle approach, the volunteers would give a rating of perceived discomfort glare using the DeBoer rating scale. This scale consists of ratings from 1 to 9, with higher numbers indicating more acceptable levels of glare, and with the odd numbers anchored to verbal descriptors. "

Oh look! I found the link to the "volunteer" portion of the paragraph I excerpted.
It is here:
Test track evaluation of headlight glare associated with adaptive curve HID, fixed HID, and fixed halogen low beam headlights (iihs.org)


The takeaway is that they surveyed a whopping 20 people who rated some random cars like Mazda, Audi, etc, and THOSE specific headlights, subjectively. I know people who hate any and all HID's, LED's, etc, that aren't the old school yellow halogens. Those people will lower the average rating of a TYPE of headlight shown, and then extrapolated to other types of vehicles. In short, I still believe that the concept isn't airtight, and headlight tolerance still has a lot of subjectivity involved.


Hence, the "Goldilocks" comment.

 

[Steve the Dude]

2021 Ford F-150 (iihs.org)

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