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Headlights are an extremely important factor within newly innovated cars. With the newly released automobiles, it looks like headlights are getting brighter and better with greater reliability. Concept cars are now being upgraded with more elaborate headlights. One of the newer vehicles by Mitsubishi called the Eclipse Concept showed great advancements with have a lightning-bolt effect due to neon crack-tube indicators. Newer headlights are showing a trend of looking like lightning bolts and are sure to becoming more common in the coming concept cars.

Styling up a vehicle is becoming more popular but can significantly upgrading a car. Yet, there are some safety concerns that must be addressed with the upgraded headlights. Officials claim that drivers receive 80 percent of their information through visual effects. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in Washington D.C stated that 42 percent of all crashes and 58 percent of fatal crashes have resulted due to poor visibility from damaged headlights and late night conditions.

There have been 2.8 million reported crashes comprising of 23,000 deadly crashes show that poor visibility plays a great factor. Recently the NHTSA has been looking at federal headlight standards that have not been revised within the past decades. They aim to update them within the coming years with pressing issues such as glare, bluish lights from HIDs, and how high headlights should be put only on high cars such as SUVs or trucks.

Yet, the most significant changes to headlights have been made in the past years showing that they have changed since they first entered the automobile industry in 1885. They were powered by acetylene gas and put in to lengthen the amount of travel time within later hours of the day. The first electric headlamp debuted in 1905. The 1970's brought sealed beam lights which were later replaced in the 1980's by halogen headlights. These lights brought controversy with many complaining that they are too expensive and too bright.

Subsequently, high intensity discharge (HID) lights have been introduced, led to complaints. Mercury vapor lamps, high pressure sodium vapor lamps and metal halide lamps in the HID. What actually causes the light of a fluorescent tube is an arc discharge. HID lamps produce a brighter light than fluorescent tubes, and iridescent. A manufacturer called lighthouse Viseton said that the HID lamps in 2005 ChevroletCorvette produce double the light than halogen lights and saves power, which is a growing concept in luxury cars today.

LED's and digital format lights are also being used within headlights which can be used for safety and style purposes. However, there is still a growing controversy amongst headlights and what should be done to improve safety.