ROAD SAFETY AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS: A CONCISE OVERVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE

Studies of road accidents in Japan, Canada and the Federal Republic of Germany show that the human perception errors and perception related to misjudgements form a main causal factor in road accidents, ranging from 20% to 50%. Types of conflicts for which daytime running lights (DRL) may be beneficial, such as overtaking collisions and crossing collisions are over represented in daylight accidents. A reduction of accidents would occur if DRL could match the selective perception of traffic in darkness. Estimations of distance to other road users are shorter if DRL are used, while visibility is only partially enhanced. These perceptual results point to an explanation of the effect of DRL as based on the enhancement of timely perceptual selection and judgement, instead of based on the enhancement of mere visibility only. The expected reduction of the total number of accidents is at least 5%. The measure has surely a very good cost-benefit ratio: total costs will increase by less than 30 Dutch guilders per car per year.

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV

  Bezuidenhoutseweg 62
  The Hague,   Netherlands  2594 AW
• Authors:
  • KOORNSTRA, M J
• Publication Date: 1989

Media Info

• Pagination: 17 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Crash causes; Crashes; Daytime running lamps; Human factors; Perception; Safety; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety; Visibility
• Geographic Terms: Canada; Germany; Japan
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00496265
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-89-4, HS-040 873
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 31 1991 12:00AM