Daytime Running Lights: A Review of Theoretical Issues and Evaluation Studies

摘要

The study provides a review of the literature on the use of daytime running lights (DRL) as a vehicle collision countermeasure. It assists in the design of an accident study for military vehicles, once DRL has become obligatory nationwide. In the first part of the study, possible theoretical reasons for the supposed effectiveness of DRL are discussed. The suggested influences of DRL on perception are primarily based on theoretical considerations, and the relation between effects on perception and driving behavior are still hypothetical. In addition, the section reviews some experimental results revealing relationships between the use of DRL and some aspects of traffic behavior. The second part of the study examines the available evidence for the effectiveness of DRL as a measure to reduce accidents. Studies evaluating changes in accident rates after the introduction of DRL at a nationwide scale as well as studies evaluating changes in accident rates after the introduction of DRL for specific groups are discussed. The results of a study evaluating the effects of DRL implementation in Sweden are examined in detail since the study was conducted at a fairly large scale using a variety of accident data and applied new statistical methods. The present review indicates that there is no clear-cut account for the perceptual and behavioral processes underlying DRL. In addition, the available evidence in terms of accident rates seems equivocal as well.