DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AS A VEHICLE COLLISION COUNTERMEASURE: THE SWEDISH EVIDENCE RECONSIDERED

In Sweden the use of daytime running lights (DRL) was made mandatory on 1 October 1977 for all motor vehicles at once, during all seasons and for all areas. According to earlier studies, the introduction of DRL resulted in a reduction of 11% of multiple accidents during daytime. In many discussions on the effectiveness of DRL, these findings have been considered as the strongest evidence that the use of DRL is an effective vehicle collision countermeasure. The present study reexamines this evidence and shows that the reported 11% effect of DRL in the Swedish study is spurious. The effect is mainly the result of the application of a model that shows selective effects of DRL through modeling of unexplained changes in the number of single accidents. It is concluded that the Swedish data fail to show a clear effect.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • Theeuwes, J
  • Riemersma, J
• Publication Date: 1995-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 633-642
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 27
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Countermeasures; Crash avoidance systems; Daytime running lamps; Safety; Traffic safety; Vehicle lighting
• Geographic Terms: Sweden
• Old TRIS Terms: Running lights
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00714506
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Nov 30 1995 12:00AM