A Survey of Vehicle Forward Lighting System Mounting Height and Driver Eye Height

Headlight glare remains a persistent problem to the U.S. driving public. Over the past 30 years, vehicle forward lighting systems have evolved dramatically in terms of styling and lighting technologies used. Importantly, vehicles driven in the U.S. have increased in size during this time as the proportion of pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) has increased relative to passenger sedans and other lower-height vehicles. Accordingly, estimates of typical driver eye height and the height of lighting equipment on vehicles from one or two decades ago are unlikely to represent the characteristics of newer vehicles in the U.S. automotive market. In the present study we surveyed the most popular vehicles sold in the U.S. and carried out evaluations of the heights of lighting systems, as well as typical driver eye heights based on male and female drivers. These data may be of use to those interested in understanding how exposure to vehicle headlighting and other factors have changed in the recent past.