Calls for legislators to mandate DRLs as Australian study finds big reduction in crash risk
A new study conducted by the authoritative Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) has found daytime running lights (DRLs) reduce the likelihood of a ‘non-night-time’ multi-vehicle crash by 8.8 per cent.
The findings were extrapolated from the crash data of the Western Australian, New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland police services between 2010 and 2017, in which a combined 119,606 casualty crashes were recorded.
Of those, 11,013 collisions involved at least one vehicle fitted with DRLs.
‘Non-night time’ obviously includes daylight hours but also dawn and dusk, which were found to be the most effective and crucial periods for the use of DRLs on account of the reduced visibility, especially in higher speed zones.
Not all automatic headlight systems are created equally and thereby have different thresholds of darkness before activating, while other motorists driving vehicles without such a system often question the validity of using headlights at dawn and or dusk when they don’t have much impact on the road ahead.
DRLs are specifically wired and or programmed to be active when the headlights are switched off and then deactivate when the main lights illuminate, ensuring some form of visible light is illuminated on the front of modern vehicles at all times.
Around 62 per cent of current models offered in Australia come with DRLs on every variant or model grade, and while the technology isn’t mandatory in Australia, it has been in Europe since 2011 – hence the increasing use of the tech on cars sold Down Under.
The study’s findings prompted researchers to call for the mandating of DRL technology in Australia given it “would likely lead to reductions in the overall crash risk of the fleet”.
“Governments should consider a DRL mandate on all new vehicle models, including all variants to accelerate the process of fitment through the fleet,” researchers concluded.
“This would likely lead to reductions in the overall crash risk of the fleet.”
Lead author Dr Angelo D’Elia added that an examination of NSW data indicated at least half of the existing vehicle fleet did not have DRLs fitted as of 2020.
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Keyword: Daytime running lights reduce chances of a crash