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Pottsy · 26th June 2007, 20:31

The most recent EU study comes up with this:

According to the research available, Daytime Running Light (DRL)1 has a high potential to increase road safety. They help road users to better and earlier detect, recognise and identify vehicles. Studies estimate the life-saving potential of DRL to be in the order of 3 to 5 % of the yearly number of road fatalities.

That is to say, if measures are taken to require the use of DRL throughout the EU, it could help saving between 1.200 and 2.000 road fatalities per year and thus make an important contribution to the European target of saving 25.000 lives per year on European roads.

The following research findings should also be noted in the course of assessing whether legislation on DRL for all vehicles is appropriate:

Road users not having lighting devices, i.e. pedestrians, cyclists, mopeds do not become less conspicuous if all vehicles feature DRL;
A negative effect of DRL on the visibility of motorcyclists can not be ascertained;
Dedicated DRL and dipped headlamps do not cause glare;
It is true that DRL increases fuel consumption and CO2-Emissions by up to 1.5% if dipped headlamps are used but this is reduced to only 0.3% in the case of dedicated DRL. However, taking into account this effect on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the benefits of a legal obligation to use dipped headlights on existing vehicles and to equip new vehicles with automatic dedicated DRL outweigh the costs by the factor 1 to 2. i.e. for one Euro invested into daytime running lights, there is a benefit to society of 2 Euro.
14 Member States have mandatory rules on the use of DRL in force so far, with different requirements. Furthermore, some Member States recommend the use of light during daylight without mandating them while waiting for harmonised European legislation. In order to avoid confusion and related road insecurity, a harmonised EU-wide rule could be necessary for the benefit of the travelling citizen.

26th June 2007, 20:31	#19 (permalink)
Pottsy Administrator Civinfo master Join Date: 10th April 2006 Location: Leics Posts: 5,481 Thanks: 22 Thanked 167 Times in 98 Posts iTrader: (0)	The most recent EU study comes up with this: According to the research available, Daytime Running Light (DRL)1 has a high potential to increase road safety. They help road users to better and earlier detect, recognise and identify vehicles. Studies estimate the life-saving potential of DRL to be in the order of 3 to 5 % of the yearly number of road fatalities. That is to say, if measures are taken to require the use of DRL throughout the EU, it could help saving between 1.200 and 2.000 road fatalities per year and thus make an important contribution to the European target of saving 25.000 lives per year on European roads. The following research findings should also be noted in the course of assessing whether legislation on DRL for all vehicles is appropriate: Road users not having lighting devices, i.e. pedestrians, cyclists, mopeds do not become less conspicuous if all vehicles feature DRL; A negative effect of DRL on the visibility of motorcyclists can not be ascertained; Dedicated DRL and dipped headlamps do not cause glare; It is true that DRL increases fuel consumption and CO2-Emissions by up to 1.5% if dipped headlamps are used but this is reduced to only 0.3% in the case of dedicated DRL. However, taking into account this effect on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the benefits of a legal obligation to use dipped headlights on existing vehicles and to equip new vehicles with automatic dedicated DRL outweigh the costs by the factor 1 to 2. i.e. for one Euro invested into daytime running lights, there is a benefit to society of 2 Euro. 14 Member States have mandatory rules on the use of DRL in force so far, with different requirements. Furthermore, some Member States recommend the use of light during daylight without mandating them while waiting for harmonised European legislation. In order to avoid confusion and related road insecurity, a harmonised EU-wide rule could be necessary for the benefit of the travelling citizen.