Lights on to survive Christmas

Cars with their lights on during the day are up to 25% less likely to end up in a fatal daytime collision, says the car review website dogandlemon.com

Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson – who is an outspoken road safety campaigner – says:

“The science is absolutely clear: if other motorists can see you, they can avoid colliding with you.”

In Europe, all vehicles are required to have lights on at all times.

“Driving with your headlights on low beam during the day is a proven way of reducing your accident risk. However, you still have to remember to turn your headlights off again at the end of the journey. In the longer term, drivers should fit daytime running lights to their vehicles.”

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 lamps 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.

Daytime running lights are now fitted to many new cars, but can be retrofitted to virtually any vehicle.

According to an Australian study 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.

Other studies have shown less safety benefits, but virtually all studies have shown a significant drop in both accidents and fatalities where headlights or daytime running lights were used during daylight hours.

Matthew-Wilson adds:

“It's time the government made daytime running lights compulsory on all vehicles. You can’t control the other cars on the road, but you can help other drivers see you before a collision takes place.”

Disclosure of interest: nil

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