One more note, if I may, from Canada where Daytime Running Lights have been
a fact of life for over a decade... :)
I do not believe that DRL makes motorcycles LESS visible. I would agree
that it is not always possible to discriminate between a motorcycle and an
automobile with one of its DRL lamp burned out, but.... does it matter?
What matters, I think, is that there is something coming your way in the
opposite lane of travel.
And yes, the issue of DRL does generate a lot of e-mails; this occurred here
as well before (and even after) DRL was mandated. I can only say that I
believe that an healthy debate is always helpful in bringing out the PROs
and CONS, as well as the facts/data on the issue.
This doesn't make the final decision any easier to take but, at least, one
has a better understanding of the «can of worm» one is about to open. :)
Cheers for now.
Denis Boucher,
Senior Engineer, Crash Avoidance Research
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate
Transport Canada
330 Sparks Steet, 8th Floor, Tower C
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1A 0N5
Tel : (613) 998-1953
Fax : (613) 990-2913
E-Mail : [log in to unmask]
Internet : http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert A. Douglas [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 9:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Daytime running lights
I cannot believe the amount of email traffic this has generated. Why is so
much being
made from this? Clearly, with lights on, a vehicle is more easily seen,
even in daylight.
We need to argue this? And what is the problem with having them on, are
people afraid
they'll have to put another shilling in the electric meter or something?
The ONLY sensible complaint I've heard about cars running with headlights on
during
the day is that it makes MOTORCYCLES (which typically run with lights on)
somewhat
less visible themselves.
R.A. Douglas
Robert A. Douglas, BASc(CE), PhD, PEng
Senior Lecturer, Director of Studies (Forest Engineering)
geotranz - Natural Resources Geotechnique
and Transportation Engineering
New Zealand School of Forestry
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand
tel +64-3-364 2117
fax +64-3-364 2124
http://www.fore.canterbury.ac.nz/
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