DRLs are only DRLs if they automatically turn off when the headlights are turned. If they stay on they aren't DRLs, they are just additional lights that may or may not meet the regs.
Do DRLs or headlights on in the daytime work?
Something in Tim's back yard - last year in Gippsland we had a terrible spate of cars running into trucks between mid January and they end of March. 15 crashes, 15 minor injuries, 6 major injuries and 2 fatalities. This was about double the frequency of crashes for the rest of the year. Also, Gippsland actually had an increase in crashes last year in comparism to the rest of the state were numbers decreased. Not a good year for us. Also had 3 crashes, 4 fatilities in about a 3 week period in about August from cars doing u turns in front of, pulling out of intersections in front of, or wondering onto the wrong side of the road in front of full sized trucks on 100km/h roads. No one comes out unscathed in the these situations. Not the distracted driver or the innocent driver.
This year myself (heavy vehicle enforcement officer), and 3 other colleagues (a road safety community advisor, a local council road safety advocate and a local safety officer for a national transport company) instigated a headlights on campaign within the Gippsland transport community. It was a very amature job, predominantly in our own time with no formal backing from our employers.
The campaign had 3 components.
1. Headlights on to make the trucks more visible to the distracted/inattentive/texting/moron car drivers.
2. A conscious decision by the truck driver to turn their headlights which (hopefully) means they acknowledge that they are aware of the issue of cars pulling out in front of them which will hopefully mean they will drive more defensively.
3. An advertising campaign on local media highlighting the issue to the public so that when they see an increased number of trucks with their headlights on they might acknowledge why they are lit up and will also drive more defensively around trucks.
Did it work?
I can't honestly say. BUT, the stats show an incredible change for the same 10 week period this year - 3 minor injury crashes. With 2 of the injuries being so minor that they almost went unreported (I am told maybe a band aide or 2). This is a huge reduction on the same period last year, as well has halving the number of crashes/week in comparism for the whole of last year.
To many variables to suggest that it was purely our headlights on campaign, but we don't know what other factors could be involved.
One thing that is certain is the number of drivers, and in fact whole fleets that are moving to fit DRLs to all of their vehicles simply because of the difference individual drivers have reported in the reduction in the number of vehicles pulling out in front of them.
I am also a convert. At the very least I have made no improvement to my safety on the road. At best I may have prevented someone not seeing me and causing a fatality, potentially my own.
Info about the headlights on campaign can be found here -
https://www.facebook.com/truckieslightup?fref=tsA very sad post script to the campaign was 3 days after the end of our "official" 10 week campaign a young boy died when a car, truck and school bus collided north of Bairnsdale. I have not seen/heard official findings of the cause of this crash, however inside information has suggested a car pulled out in front of a truck (a bright red, full sized semi), mid afternoon on a clear well light day. The truck driver managed to swerve and almost miss the car, but then a bus travelling in the opposite direction appeared from around the corner.........
As I said before. No one wins. All involved have had their lives changed forever. An innocent party has died.
The car driver has failed to see the truck. If the truck had of had headlights on (or DRLs) maybe the car might of seen it.
Maybe. Maybe not. At the very least the truck would not of been LESS visible with lights on.
Have you done all you can to prevent someone else causing a crash?
Peter
