An Advertorial Feature
As of a law passed in February 2011, all new automobiles on UK roadways, as well as small delivery vans, must use daytime running lights (DRLs). Cars that predate the law and are not equipped with DRLs are exempt. With the advent of this new requirement, UK joins the European Union and Canada in a common DRL mandate.
Upon start-up, a car’s daytime running lights come on automatically, and stay lit until the driver turns off the ignition. Volvos are among the first vehicles of European manufacture to come with standard DRLs, due to a long-standing Swedish DRL mandate. DRLs are a low-cost safety feature that requires no additional effort on the driver’s part. The consensus of many researchers is that DRLs positively impact overall traffic safety.
Safety
The primary reason behind the new UK daytime running lights law is overwhelming evidence that these auxiliary lights make vehicles easier to see at a distance during daylight hours. The British Department for Transport claims that mandatory DRLs could reduce traffic accidents in the country up to six per cent.
By being able to see approaching cars with DRLS sooner than those with no lighting, motorists, bicyclists and motor bike riders have more time to prepare for approaching traffic, staying safely in their lanes. Pedestrians can step to the side of the road and delay crossing until the vehicles have passed.
According to the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, evidence supports the case for DRLs. A decade-long study in Norway showed that mandatory DRLs in that country reduced the number of daylight vehicular crashes by 10 per cent. A Canadian study reported an 11 per cent reduction in multi-car daytime crashes in DRL-equipped vehicles. The added safety provided by DRLs could reduce your chances of having a car accident which is good news when it comes to your car insurance quote.
Cost
Equipping new vehicles with DRLs represents a minimal cost to manufacturers, and a barely perceptible effect on a vehicle’s petrol consumption. Maintenance of DRLs primarily consists of changing a light bulb from time to time, or replacing a fuse even more rarely. With minimal additional cost and big safety benefits, DRLs would seem to be a non-controversial mandate. This law could help reduce car insurance if accident rates decrease significantly.
The Opposition
Opponents of the UK DRL law contend that the use of daytime running lights actually makes cyclists and pedestrians less visible during daylight hours, putting them at increased risk of injury from motorists. Such UK-based groups as Lightmare, the national cyclists’ association CTC, and the Driving Instructors Association have all gone on record as opposing the DRL law.
UK’s Department for Transport refutes oppositional claims, as does the European Commission, the source of the new DRL laws. The Commission asserts that road users such as cyclists do not become less distinct as a result of an auto being more visible, nor do pedestrians fade from view in light of a passing auto’s DRLs. To get a better idea of what this might mean for your car insurance quote, why not consult a respected insurance provider such as Your Cover from Allianz.
