https://trb-annual-meeting.nationalacademies.org/registration

ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE WITH PARKING LIGHTS AS RUNNING LIGHTS

AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO TEST THE NEED FOR BETTER VISUAL DEFINITION OF THE AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE THROUGH THE USE OF RUNNING LIGHTS DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. IN LIEU OF THE ADDITION OF SPECIAL LIGHTING SYSTEMS, THE PARKING LIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS OF SOME 200 MOTOR VEHICLES WERE MADE TO TURN ON AUTOMATICALLY ON IGNITION. AFTER 1 YEAR, OBSERVATION OF THESE VEHICLES, AND OF ABOUT 400 UNMODIFIED VEHICLES AS A CONTROL GROUP, GAVE RESULTS INDICATING THAT THE MODIFIED VEHICLES AS A GROUP HAD A BETTER ACCIDENT RATE (SOME 18 PERCENT BETTER OVERALL) AND A BETTER SEVERITY RATE (66 PER-CENT LOWER ON A NUMERICAL SCALE) THAN THE UNLIGHTED VEHICLES. SPECIFICALLY, THE REAR-END ACCIDENT RATE WAS REDUCED BY 45 PERCENT, WITH SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS OF OTHER ACCIDENT TYPES. VARIATION BY TYPE OF VEHICLE AND COLOR OF VEHICLE ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. /AUTHOR/

Record URL:
- http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1970/332/332-001.pdf
Supplemental Notes:
- Paper sponsored by Committee on Highway Safety and presented at the 49th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Authors:
- Cantilli, Edmund J
Conference:
- 49th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
- Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
- Date: 1970-1-12 to 1970-1-16
Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

Media Type: Digital/other
Features: Figures; References; Tables;
Pagination: pp 1-13
Monograph Title: Highway safety improvements
Serial:
- Highway Research Record
- Issue Number: 332
- Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

TRT Terms: Color; Control groups; Crash rates; Daytime running lamps; Injury severity; Motor vehicles; Rear end crashes; Taillamps; Testing; Vehicle lighting
Uncontrolled Terms: Severity
Old TRIS Terms: Parking lights; Running lights; Types
Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

Accession Number: 00221245
Record Type: Publication
Files: TRIS, TRB
Created Date: May 26 1971 12:00AM