How many cycles should windshield wipers perform on high speed?

Windshield wipers are a critical safety feature in vehicles, ensuring that the driver's visibility is maintained during adverse weather conditions. When assessing the performance of windshield wipers, specifically on high speed, the standard is set to ensure that the wipers operate efficiently and effectively.

The correct answer indicates that windshield wipers should perform more than 40 cycles per minute when set to high speed. This standard threshold ensures that the wipers can clear heavy rain or snow quickly, providing the driver with optimum visibility and enhancing safety on the road. A wiper rate exceeding 40 cycles also signifies that the mechanism is functioning properly and is capable of reacting swiftly to sudden changes in weather conditions.

In contrast, the other options suggest lower cycles per minute, which would not suffice for maintaining clear visibility during heavy precipitation. Wipers operating at such lower rates could lead to safety hazards, as they may be unable to adequately clear water or debris from the windshield in a timely manner. This underlines the importance of having windshield wipers that meet or exceed the performance standard for high-speed operation, which is set to enhance vehicle safety.