A Shanghai high school student has come up with an invention she says could cut down on traffic accidents caused by drivers blinded by another car's high beams.

Bi Yan, the 18-year-old inventor from Shanghai Xingzhi High School, was awarded the title "science star for tomorrow" at a citywide youth science contest on Sunday.

Her invention consists of a light sensor that can detect the lights on an approaching automobile. The sensor is attached to a control that can turn off the car's high beams when an approaching vehicle is detected within 170 meters of the car.

"Dazzling light sent out by cars' headlights will almost blind the two drivers who are moving toward each other, posing a hidden cause for head-on automobile collisions at night," Bi said.

Medical surveys suggest drivers can lose up to 96 percent of their vision when another car's high beams are glaring at them.

About 40 percent of fatal traffic accidents in the city occur at night, of which 30 percent to 40 percent are caused by improper headlight use, according to police.

The city's traffic regulations state that drivers should dim their headlights when they are within 150 meters of an approaching automobile.

But the regulation is poorly implemented in the city as drivers, especially new drivers, are often slow to turn down their headlights.

During a spot check by local traffic police last year, 54 drivers were ticketed for improper headlight uses at five crossroads in the city within two hours.

"The light problem always plagues drivers," Bi said, adding that her invention was inspired by a long complaint from her father, who is a professional driver.

Fu Weiyang, Bi's instructor, said that a local car manufacturer had showed interest in installing Bi's invention into its products. But teachers declined to disclose the automaker's name.

(Shanghai Daily April 20, 2005)