A recent study in Germany has found cars equipped with xenon headlights are less at risk of being in an accident compared with cars using duller halogen bulbs. According to the results of the study conducted by Germany’s TÜV Rheinlands, if every car featured xenon lights, the number of people killed in motor vehicle accidents could fall by up to 18%. It doesn’t end there. The study also found the lower power consumption of xenons could improve carbon-dioxide emissions from vehicles by up to 1.3g per km.

The brighter intensity of xenon lights compared with halogen units provides better illumination of the road ahead as well as greater warning for pedestrians crossing a street in the dark. They also have a longer life span, reports AutomobilWoche.

However, critics still argue that because of the blinding glare given off by xenons at certain angles, the lights shouldn’t be made mandatory.