TOTAL NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

TOTAL NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DID NOT CHANGE WHEN PROPORTION OF DRIVERS USING LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS RATHER THAN JUST PARKING LIGHTS IN THE CITY OF UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS, INCREASED FROM 35% TO 80%. IN ADDITION, ACCIDENT HAZARDS IN THE DARK (DAYTIME/NIGHTTIME RATIO) DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS OF A SURVEY MADE BY THE INSTITUTE FOR ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH (SWOV). THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWED THAT: GLARE CAUSED BY LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS OF APPROACHING CARS IS UNACCEPTABLY SERIOUS WITH ALL PREVAILING STANDARDS OF STREET LIGHTING, ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE MANY APPROACHING VEHICLES. PARKING LIGHTS SELDOM CAUSE GLARE, BUT OFTEN ARE NOT CONSPICUOUS ENOUGH. THE SIMULTANEOUS USE OF PARKING LIGHTS AND LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS IS MISLEADING AND CONFUSING. IT MAY BE A MAJOR SOURCE OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN THE DARK. /ARTICLE/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 78, No 5, P 17
• Publication Date: 1970-5

Media Info

• Serial:
  • SAE Journal of Automotive Engineering
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Crash rates; Data collection; Daytime running lamps; Glare; Headlamps; Low beamed headlamps; Surveys; Traffic crashes; Vehicle lighting
• Old TRIS Terms: Low beamed headlights; Parking lights
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220911
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 21 1970 12:00AM