A media publicity campaign in Israel in the winter of 89/90 aimed to encourage drivers to use their running lights during the day (DRL) in poor visibility. Evaluation consisted of: (1) An extensive critical literature survey of behavioural studies, fleet studies and nationwide experience. (2) A survey of drivers' opinions and attitudes concerning DRL. (3) Roadside observations on DRL use, covering urban and interurban roads, specifying levels of illumination, weather and vehicle type. (4) Analysis of accidents during campaign to reveal changes in relevant accidents. 87% of the drivers were convinced that the campaign for DRL was effective, 73% were not opposed to a law making DRL obligatory in winter. Almost all drivers claimed to drive with running lights on when visibility was bad. Use of DRL during campaign varied from 5% in clear weather with above 40,000 lux to 50-70% in rainy and foggy weather. Before the campaign, usage rates were 20-50%. Accident analysis of relevant accidents revealed no effect due to DRL, but this may be due to the limited scope of experiment.
Samenvatting