European Commission plans for daytime lights on motor vehicles

12 comments
By Richard Peace | Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 11.00am

European Commission plans for all new vehicles to have daytime running lights have sparked opposition from cyclist groups.

The proposed legislation would require all new vehicles to be equipped with lamps which automatically switch on when they move forwards, whatever the time of day.

It would apply to all new cars and small vans from 2011 and larger vehicles, such as lorries and buses, from 2012.

The European Twowheel Retailers Association says the move could prove harmful to cyclists and the European Cyclists’ Federation has warned that if the proposals go ahead, vulnerable road users will have to watch out for cars rather than the other way round.

Both organisations say there is no reliable evidence that daytime running lights would benefit cyclists.

The European Commission lists the chief causes of road deaths as speeding, alcohol and drugs, fatigue and non-wearing of seatbelts and helmets.

Bernhard Ensink, of the European Cyclists’ Federation, said: "To us it is not logical that the Commission shows great interest in harmonising legislation on daytime running lights but does not see any need for harmonising, for instance, speed limits or blood alcohol limits.

“If the European Commission wants to bring down the number of deaths on EU roads from the current 43,000 per year to 25,000 by 2010, it needs to target the real problems", 

British cycling organisation the CTC has in the past campaigned against similar plans from the Commission on the grounds that headlights cause ‘visual darkening’ in the area around them, masking cyclists and pedestrians. It argues that drivers become increasingly accustomed to the habit of looking for lights, rather than people or vehicles.

The proposals have yet to be approved by European ministers and the European Parliament.

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User Comments

There are 12 comments on this post

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  • I'd have thought this had already been introduced with the amount of cars I see driving around with headlights and sometimes their fogs on in daylight

    Generally speaking it's the usual suspects that do this, i.e. the boy racers, those in 4x4's or driving a german car.

    Also if they introduce this for motor vehicles what's stopping them introducing it for bicycles?

  • Damn if you can't see a car in daylight with the lights off...you shouldn't be driving.

    And think of the carbon footprint, that's an extra 100W per vehicle during daylight. That's enough to run a human...a cyclist even!

  • When driving around on freeways through Europe most people turn their lights on anyway. That makes sense to me because there's a lot of traffic and it's all very fast.

    In normal city traffic it's really not needed. Has someone from the new Audi or Volvo design team infiltrated the EC?

  • I'm pretty sure that this is about cars seeing other cars...and that these lamps do help in that regard. I have no idea about the numbers, but I presume that the number of road fatalities involving cars not seeing other cars is way, way, way higher than anything involving cyclists.

  • I'm pretty sure that

    (a) this is about cars seeing other cars, and

    (b) daytime running lights help in that respect, and

    (c) the number of fatalities involving cars not seeing other cars is far higher than the number involving cars and cyclists,

    so as public policy it'd make some sense. Note that (c) is really an argument for the dangerousness of cars, period...

  • Basic Physics – Every Action has an Equal and Opposite Reaction - in this case if you make one object more visible then another must become less visible.

    They tried this for a couple of months in France the year before last, purely on a voluntary basis, and I recall reading somewhere that cycling clubs reported an increase in the number of accidents and incidents of ‘sorry mate, didn’t see you’. Motorcycling organisations came down firmly against it for the same reason.

  • so as i see it the one with the brighter light wins, the only problem is the police, i don't think they will like my new bike light. and fitting might be a problem but might be good for a laugh as its takes a 100w halogen bulb. :-)

    -www.tarpaulinsdirect.co.uk/TarpaulinsSite/product/TECADTCH.htm

  • I'm in Canada and we've had mandatory running lights for as long as I can remember (I'd say around 15 years?) and I can't ever remember hearing anyone complain about them. I'm a cyclist and an occasional driver and I think it's totally fine in every way. Driving, I can see cyclists just fine in the day with my lights on, and vice versa as a cyclist.

    OK, I don't have accident stats, but I can't see how daytime running lights can be a problem for cyclists in any way.

  • The use of day time lights is good for countries like Sweden and Canada etc as for a fair period of their year the sun is very low so there is a need for the lights.

    But in towns in the UK I think it will make cyclist less visible NOT GOOD :(

    Will this mean us cyclist will also have to use lights all the time as well?

    When driving I find it annoying when people put too bright a light on as it distracts drivers from seeing everything else around which you need to look out for!

  • I should add a further comment: in North America we have 'daytime running lights'. These come on when you turn your car on no matter what. These lights are usually quite unobtrusive and and are equal to regular 'low beams' or less. At night, you can voluntarily turn on your proper headlights which can emit more light. Often cars with four headlights will run two in the day and four at night.

    Again though, no problems here!

    Also, probably almost 90% of Canada's population resides in latitudes farther south than London. Right now I'm on about the same latitude as Florence, Italy :)

  • As i drive on country roads quite a lot i do tend to put my lights on every time i get into a car, it doesn't hamper how well i see pedestrians cyclists etc.

    Where it does help is when on country lanes that are in wooded areas. Going from bright sunshine into gloom takes a while for the eyes to adjust and it is significantly easier to see cars which have their lights on through these sections of roads and when in a car with headlights on in these areas you are able to see far more and be seen easier. Makes sense really. The amount of numptys who don't bother is frightening

  • Please visit u tube weblink to see pix and comment on Daytime running lamps canada

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfYTXh7_qkA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

    and a new high visibility safety color standard

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAMJMk9Dp9c&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

    copy and paste link in web browser if they wont play

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