Each year, around 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists are killed along U.S. roads - 2,300 of them occurring at nighttime - and another 70,000 pedestrians are injured in traffic crashes, according to a 2003 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

New automotive lighting technologies, including xenon bulbs and Adaptive Front Lighting Systems that utilize led headlights, can help improve nighttime pedestrian security, based on the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council.

According to researcher Michael Flannagan of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, drivers "overdrive" the headlights on lots of today's vehicles, meaning they are going too fast to stop safely within the distance made visible by the headlights.

"The essential safety need in low-beam lighting is seeing distance," Flannagan said. "The maximum safe speed with today's regular low beams is only about 45 mph. Our studies point to there's a major safety problem that headlights could address."

One possible solution is Xenon headlights, often generally known as blue headlights, these lights are based on a gas discharge process, Xenon uses an arc instead of a filament as a light source. The result is enhanced roadway vision by increasing the light output to the sides of the street.

A 2004 University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute test revealed that Xenon headlamps provided twice as much light for seeing critical objects on the road while producing 25 percent less glare. The wider beam coverage also provides improved lighting on road shoulders, where pedestrians and bicyclists are normally found.

Nearly 120 vehicle models equipped with Xenon headlights were sold in North America in the 2005 model year -; up 21 percent from 2004.

One more emerging headlight technology is AFS or Adaptive Front Lighting System. It provides optimal lighting in various driving conditions by automatically modifying the beam pattern of the headlights in response to various speed, weather conditions and road situations. The headlamps automatically move as the steering wheel is turned. This helps illuminate the road at an earlier stage, allowing the driver more time to adjust and steer or brake as required.

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