Daytime running lights can prevent many fatal accidents, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Commenting after an elderly man riding a mobility scooter on a pedestrian crossing was hit by a van, dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says:
“Many of these accidents are preventable by the simple addition of daytime running lights on all moving vehicles. Pedestrians who can see moving vehicles can avoid them. Mobility scooters that are lit up are less likely to be accidentally hit by passing drivers.”
Daytime running lights are now fitted to many new cars, but can be retrofitted to almost any vehicle.
According to European studies on the effectiveness of daytime running lights in improving road safety, the potential savings are:
• 25% of daytime multi-vehicle fatal accidents (11% of all non-pedestrian fatal accidents)
• 28% of daytime fatal pedestrian accidents (12% of all fatal pedestrian accidents)
• 20% of daytime multi-vehicle injury accidents
• 12% of daytime multi-vehicle property accidents
Unlike spotlights and foglights, which often dazzle other drivers, daytime running lights are designed solely to be noticed. Thanks to LED technology, daytime running lights now use less electricity than some car stereos.
Daytime running lights normally turn on automatically when the engine is switched on, and turn off automatically when the engine is switched off or the headlamps are switched on.
They can also be easily fitted to other moving vehicles, such as mobility scooters. ·
A report on daytime running lights, prepared by Australian safety expert Chris Coxon for the former Minister of Transport Safety, Harry Duynhoven, recommends that all vehicles, including bicycles and wheelchairs, should be clearly visible to other road users. The report states: · ·
“Passenger and commercial vehicles are not the only wheeled users of public roads. Cyclists, wheelchair users and motorised lawn mower operators must all negotiate the same areas and cross busy roads at times [and must therefore be fitted with lights that warn other road users of their presence].”
Matthew-Wilson adds:
"Daytime running lights are now compulsory for motorcyclists, but not other road users.
“The fact is, daytime running lights have the potential to seriously dent the road toll for all road users, including elderly people on mobility scooters.
"Daytime running lights are cheap and easily retrofitted to any vehicle. So why doesn’t the government act to make them compulsory for every moving vehicle on the road?"
