A meta-analysis of studies concerning the safety effects of daytime running lights on cars

doi:10.1016/S0001-4575(96)00041-3

Accident Analysis & Prevention

Volume 28, Issue 6, November 1996, Pages 685-694

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-4575(96)00041-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

A meta-analysis of 17 studies that have evaluated the effects on traffic safety of using daytime running lights (DRL) on cars is presented. A distinction is made between studies that have evaluated the effects of DRL on the accident rates of each car using it and studies that have evaluated changes in the total number of accidents in a country following the introduction of mandatory use of DRL. Three different definitions of the measure of safety effects are compared and their validity discussed. It is concluded that the use of DRL on cars reduces the number of multi-party daytime accidents by about 10–15% for cars using DRL. The estimated effects on the total number of accidents of introducing DRL laws are somewhat smaller, 3–12% reduction in multi-party daytime accidents, and are likely to contain uncontrolled confounding effects. There is no evidence to indicate that DRL affects types of accident other than multi-party daytime accidents.

References (27)

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Cited by (44)

The impact of daytime running (LED) lights on motorcycles speed estimation: A driving simulator study
2022, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
Motorcycles are the most common type of vehicle involved in traffic deaths, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. In order to prevent traffic accidents involving motorcyclists, one of the measures is to respect the “see and be seen” rule. If a motorcycle is perceived in time or another motorcyclist is spotted in time, there is enough time to react, in order to avoid a traffic accident or reduce the consequences. In many countries, it is for this reason that the use of daytime running lights on motor vehicles and/or motorcycles is legally prescribed. In the Republic of Serbia, a country that belongs among the least developed countries, about a third of those killed in traffic accidents are motorcycle drivers. For these reasons, an experimental study was conducted on a driving simulator to examine the importance of (non) use of daytime running lights on the estimation of motorcycle speed. Three different situations were examined: without daytime running lights, with daytime running lights, and with LED daytime running lights; for test speeds of 30 km/h, 50 km/h, 70 km/h, and 90 km/h. In the experiment, 128 young drivers participated. The results showed that the speed of a motorcycle with LED daytime running lights on is perceived most accurately.
Evaluation of the effects of daytime running lights for passenger cars
2019, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
Research trying to determine the impact of the use of daytime running lights (DRL), in vehicles, on road safety are lasting throughout the decades. The largest number of previous studies were focused on the search for a relationship between the use of daytime running lights and the number of traffic accidents. As the occurrence of accidents is affected by many factors, this paper examines whether there are differences in driveŕs estimation of passenger car speed when daytime running lights are turned on or off. In order to examine these issues in more details, driving simulator research was conducted. The respondents estimated passenger car speed of 30 km/h, 50 km/h, 70 km/h and 90 km/h, in both conditions (with and without DRL). The results of this research clearly indicate that there are differences in the estimation of passenger car speed when DRL are turned on or off. These differences are statistically significant for higher vehicle speeds (70 km/h and 90 km/h). Furthermore, demographic factors, frequency of driving, as well as involvement in traffic accidents, show significant impact on vehicle speed estimation. The recommended measures (that imply the usage of the DRL only outside of the residential areas), would greatly contribute to the protection and preservation of the environment, primarily in built-up areas.
The effect of a yellow bicycle jacket on cyclist accidents
2018, Safety Science
This study is the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the safety effect of high-visibility bicycle clothing. The hypothesis was that the number of cyclist accidents can be reduced by increasing the visibility of the cyclists. The study design was an RCT with 6793 volunteer cyclists – 3402 test cyclists (with a yellow jacket) and 3391 control cyclists (without the jacket). The safety effect of the jacket was analysed by comparing the number of self-reported accidents for the two groups. The accident rate (AR) (accidents per person month) for personal injury accidents (PIAs) for the test group was 47% lower than that of the control group. For accidents involving cyclists and motor vehicles, it was 55% lower. The study was non-blinded, and the number of reported single accidents was significantly lower in the test group than in the control group. This is likely a result of a response bias, since the bicycle jacket was not expected to affect the number of single accidents. To compensate for this bias, a separate analysis was carried out. This analysis reduced the effect of the jacket from 47% to 38%.
Randomized trials and self-reported accidents as a method to study safety-enhancing measures for cyclists—two case studies
2018, Accident Analysis and Prevention
Citation Excerpt :
In the early 1990s it was made mandatory for car users to use daytime running lights in some countries. In 1996, Elvik (1996) conducted a meta-analysis estimating the mean effect of introducing daytime running lights to motorized vehicles. The mean effect was estimated to a 3–12% reduction in the occurrence of daytime multi-party accidents.
A large number of studies show that high visibility in traffic is important in the struggle of getting the attention from other road users and thus an important safety factor. Cyclists have a much higher risk of being killed or injured in a traffic accident than car drivers so for them high visibility is particularly important. A number of studies have examined the effect of high visibility, such as reflective clothing, but most studies have been primitive, the data limited and the results very uncertain.
In this paper we describe the safety impact of increased visibility of cyclists through two randomised controlled trials: permanent running lights on bicycles and a yellow bicycle jacket, respectively.
The effect of running lights was studied through a trial where the lights were mounted to 1,845 bicycles and 2,000 others comprised a control group. The bicycle accidents were recorded every two month in a year through self-reporting on the Internet. Participants were asked to report all cycling accidents independently of severity to avoid differences between participants as regards to which accidents were reported. They reported a total of 255 accidents i.e. 7 accidents per 100 cyclists. The results showed that the incidence rate for multiparty bicycle accidents with personal injury was 47% lower for cyclists with permanent running light. The difference is statistically significant at the 5% level.
The effect of a yellow bicycle jacket was examined through a trial with 6,800 volunteer cyclists. The half of the group received a bicycle jacket and the other half comprised a control group. Both groups reported every month all their bicycle accidents independently of severity on the Internet. They reported a total of 694 accidents i.e. 10 accidents per 100 cyclists. The treatment group was asked each month if they carried the jacket on their last cycling trip. The results showed that on a random day the treatment group carried the jacket or other fluorescent cycling garment on 77% of their cycle trips. The incidence rate for multiparty accidents with personal injury was 38% lower than the control group. The difference is statistically significant at the 5% level.
The trials were not blind and it seems that the lack of blinding has influenced the level of the groups accident reporting. To address this bias we used a correction factor formed by the difference in the number of single accidents of the two groups.
The experiences with self-reporting of accidents via a web based questionnaire sent by e-mail with one respective two month intervals were very good; in both trials more than 80% answered all questionnaires whereas less than 2% did not answer, and the quality of the self-reported accident was considered high.
The effect of ambient light condition on road traffic collisions involving pedestrians on pedestrian crossings
2017, Accident Analysis and Prevention
Citation Excerpt :
It is also likely that conditions tending towards darkness, not just darkness itself, can lead to increased risk of an RTC. For example, daylight running lights (DRLs) can reduce the risk of daytime RTCs (Elvik, 1996). They were introduced and have been legally required in Scandinavian countries for decades, as these North European countries receive longer periods of twilight and generally lower levels of ambient light than other countries.
Previous research suggests darkness increases the risk of a collision involving a pedestrian and the severity of any injury suffered. Pedestrian crossings are intended to make it safer to cross the road, but it is not clear whether they are effective at doing this after-dark, compared with during daylight. Biannual clock changes resulting from transitions to and from daylight saving time were used to compare RTCs in the UK during daylight and darkness but at the same time of day, thus controlling for potential influences on RTC numbers not related to the ambient light condition. Odds ratios and regression discontinuity analysis suggested there was a significantly greater risk of a pedestrian RTC at a crossing after-dark than during daylight. Results also suggested the risk of an RTC after-dark was greater at a pedestrian crossing than at a location at least 50 m away from a crossing. Whilst these results show the increased danger to pedestrians using a designated crossing after-dark, this increased risk is not due to a lack of lighting at these locations as 98% of RTCs at pedestrian crossings after-dark were lit by road lighting. This raises questions about the adequacy and effectiveness of the lighting used at pedestrian crossings.
Urban traffic safety assessment: A case study of six Indian cities
2016, IATSS Research
Citation Excerpt :
Helmet use by MTW riders is not enforced in any of these cities, though helmet use is mandated by the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 of India [20]. The high rate of MTW fatalities could be reduced significantly if the existing mandatory helmet laws were enforced in all the cities and laws requiring MTWs to keep their lights on during the day were implemented [21–24]. Ludhiana and Amritsar have relatively high proportions of bicyclists.
This study reports the results of fatal road traffic fatal crash data from six mid-sized cities in India: Agra, Amritsar, Bhopal, Ludhiana, Vadodara, and Vishakhapatnam. Relative to total road fatalities, the percentage of vulnerable road user deaths in all six cities range between 84% and 93%, car occupant fatalities between 2% and 4%, and TST occupants less than 5%. The largest proportion of fatalities for all road user categories (especially vulnerable road users) is associated with collisions with buses and trucks, followed by collisions with cars; however, the proportion of pedestrian fatalities associated with MTW collisions ranges from 8% to 25% of the total. The data indicate that the 0–14 age group is underrepresented in proportion to its share of the population, including children riding motorcycles. Occupant fatality rates per 100,000 vehicles for MTW and TST occupants are 2–3 and 3–5 times higher, respectively, than for cars. However, estimates of association with fatal crashes show that MTWs and cars pose a similar risk to society, with TSTs representing a slightly smaller risk. Confirming some of these results will require data with a higher level of detail.

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PaperA meta-analysis of studies concerning the safety effects of daytime running lights on cars

Abstract

Accid. Anal. Prev.

Accid. Anal. Prev.

Accid. Anal. Prev.

Running light questionnaire

Am. J. Optom. Arch. Am Acad. Optom.

The current status of automobile running lights

J. Am. Optom. Assoc.

Automobile running lights — a research report

Am. J. Optom. Arch. Am. Acad. Optom.

The effects on accidents of compulsory use of running lights during daylight in Sweden

Effekt p>ȧ trafikolyckor av rekommenderad och pȧkallad användning av varselljus i Finland

Effectiveness of daytime running lights in Canada

The potential of daytime running lights as a vehicle collision countermeasure

Daylight ‘lights-on’ plan by Port of New York Authority

Traffic Engineeering

Accident experience with parking lights as running lights

Highway Res. Rec.

Statistical methods for rates and proportions

Paper
A meta-analysis of studies concerning the safety effects of daytime running lights on cars