It should come as no surprise that driving at night poses an increased risk. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 20 percent of all fatal accidents occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. – a period that accounts for only 2.4 percent of daily traffic volume.

And it isn’t just drivers who are at peril. According to a 2003 study by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half of all fatal pedestrian accidents also occur in the dark of night.

To help decrease those two sobering statistics, Ford Motor Company is lighting the way with innovative technologies.

When the all-new Lincoln crossover utility vehicle goes on sale in the fall of 2006, it will feature the adaptive front lighting. The crossover's lighting system features halogen projector-beam headlamps, mounted in a cage that pivots from left to right. Based on vehicle speed and steering wheel angle, an electric motor swivels the cage. The results are startling, shifting the light pattern as much as 11 meters left or right in a curve.

The system senses when the vehicle is approaching a curve and directs the row of LEDs to switch on sequentially. As the vehicle turns, the LEDs illuminate at a rate and intensity determined by the degree and speed of the turn. Electronic sensors analyze inputs from the steering wheel and the vehicle speed to determine how and when to illuminate the LEDs. The LEDs automatically switch off when the road straightens out. Meanwhile, the main beam continues to illuminate the overall road.