BMW caught in the headlights?

A plan by BMW to introduce laser headlights in its i8 concept car has shone a light on questions about driver safety.

Being dazzled by oncoming headlights is a common complaint of motorists, says David Zuby of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

So when BMW last September announced laser headlights, which could be 1,000 times brighter than are LED headlights, momentarily blinding oncoming drivers seemed to be a glaring concern.

Monty Roberts of BMW tells us that the laser headlights will have a direct, targeted beam that reaches farther than conventional headlights do and won't cause the same wide-ranging glare.

BMW says the intensity of the laser headlights poses no risk to humans. The light won’t be emitted directly, like you see at a laser-light show, but it will appear bright and white. Roberts says that if the headlight breaks, the laser will switch off immediately. He adds that all BMW models might carry laser headlights within 5 years.

That won’t happen in the United States without federal approval, though. Roberts says BMW still is testing the lights and will need approval from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Zuby says that approval won’t happen quickly. “As it stands, regulation doesn’t account for much more than low-beam and high-beam frequency,” he says.

Besides the risk to oncoming drivers, Zuby says, the ability to see farther down the road could lead to faster and more dangerous driving.