Road safety and legislation

Daytime running lights for all vehicles in the European Union

Press Release - FEMA
European Commission Report on DRL - Oct 2004

Press Release
Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations

15th September 2004

Daytime Running Lights in France and the European Union
Shedding some light on their effects?

French Transport Ministry recommends Daytime Running Lights (DRL) for all vehicles, with a national try-out to be held from 30th October 2004 to 27th March 2005. FEMA expresses its reservations regarding this measure, as well as on the method used in a study undertaken by research institutes Swov and TNO at the request of the European Commission.

The French government has decided to recommend DRL for all vehicles during the six months of the winter season, and to evaluate its effects on road safety and eventually introduce measures in the future. FEMA supports the actions undertaken by its French affiliate FFMC (Fédération Française des Motards en Colère) underlining the potential dangers of this measure for powered two-wheelers users, presently the main DRL users in France. The FFMC position is even more justified by the differences in the type and density of traffic, as well as the weather and light conditions between a country like France and Scandinavian countries, where the general use of DRL entered into force in the 70's.

FEMA has worked on this issue in 2002, to stop a proposal from the car industry to the European Commission to fit all new vehicles sold in the UE with Automatic Headlights On (AHO). A coalition was then formed by vulnerable road users (motorcyclists, cyclists, road victims) against this measure, who analysed the research made on this issue. Following that campaign, EU Member States declared within the Council Of Ministers that further research was necessary to thoroughly look into the effects of DRL on vulnerable road users.

At the request of the European Commission, Dutch research institutes Swov and TNO undertook a study (http://www.tm.tno.nl/product/res_vh_22.html), and FEMA was invited to the presentation of the report. On the basis of tests carried out in a laboratory, the conclusion shows that there are no major risks resulting from DRL for vulnerable road users. It is however unfortunate that these tests consisted in asking people sitting in front of a computer to watch pictures involving at the most two vehicles. FEMA underlines that in reality, not only the drivers and riders have to manage the handling of their own vehicle, but also concentrate on a dynamic and more complex traffic environment, particularly in urban areas. FEMA will put these remarks in writing to the European Commission and closely follow the developments in France and at European level on this matter.

ENDS

Issued by Antonio Perlot
Translation: Christina Gesios

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FEMA - Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations
Rue des Champs 62, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 736 9047 / Fax: +32 (0)2 736 9401
http://www.fema.ridersrights.org

European Commission Report into Daytime Running Lights

Report (PDF)

The Commission has been considering how best to implement day-time-running-lights (DRL) ever since the recommendation in the Second Road Safety Communication gave DRL's potential as a 5% reduction in road deaths.

However some road users’ associations fear that DRL on cars would:

- mask the conspicuity of motor cyclists, even if they had DRL themselves;

- daze and confuse pedestrians, particularly the aged.

A study was therefore commissioned in late 2002 so as to gain definitive evidence one way or the other on the costs and benefits of DRL's implementation. The study has been done by the Dutch SWOV and TNO and the Norwegian Institute for Traffic Studies, a renowned institution on cost-benefit analysis that provided the evidence for the Norwegian government's decision to require the use of DRL.

The study's overall conclusion is that the positive effects of all traffic turning on their lights during the day are a reduction in road crashes particularly the most serious crashes. Indeed, the main cost-benefit is in the fatality reduction of between 1000 and 3000 per year, which, relative to the 40,000 fatalities in the EU 15 now would mean a cut of between 2.5-7.5%.

Other detailed conclusions were:

1. It is likely that DRL on passenger cars would have a favourable effect on accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists.

2. Although the study concluded that DRL on cars would benefit motorcyclists (with or without their own DRL), the perception is that the conspicuity of motorcycles using DRL may be reduced if cars also use their dipped beams. This possible problem would be reduced or even eliminated if new cars were equipped with low-intensity dedicated DRL only.

3. For 'full-coverage' DRL the behavioural requirement to turn on dipped beams during the day has the highest benefit/cost-ratio.

4. Other 'full coverage' options include the provision of dedicated DRL for new cars and the rest of the car park turning on its dipped beams. This

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