The European Commission is consulting on proposals for Daytime Running Lights (DRL). These proposals have met with opposition from the UK government and from motorcyclists. The opposing views on DRL from the car driver's perspective and the motorcyclist's perspective are set out. Scandinavian cars (Volvos and Saabs) have had DRL since the 1970s, increasing the visibility of the cars. Studies in Norway, Denmark and Canada showed reductions in daytime accidents when DRL was introduced. Motorcyclists tend to have their headlights on during the day to increase their visibility. This advantage would be lost if all vehicles had DRL. Studies in Australia, America, Japan and Europe have shown that DRL will make the roads more dangerous for everybody, particularly vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Abstract