Daytime Running Lights: Commission listens to the concerns of VRUs

Issued 30th November 2007

The European Commission (EC) has decided not to call for the use of daytime dipped-beam headlights in Europe. This means that the point of view of motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users (VRU) has finally been taken into account.

As announced by Mr. Zoltan Kazatsay, Deputy Director General of the DG TREN during the 4th ACEM Annual Conference held on Tuesday 20 November 2007, the EC proposal to harmonise the use of daytime dipped-beam headlights in Europe has been abandoned.

Although the Commission still supports the view that daytime dipped-beam headlights could increase the safety of car drivers and reduce the number of car accidents and fatalities, it recognized that too little information is yet available about the impact of this measure on other road users. This was one of the concerns raised by FEMA against this proposal.

FEMA argued that clear evidence and reliable statistics demonstrating the benefits of compulsory use of dipped beam headlights during the day from countries where it had been introduced were indeed lacking. FEMA further claimed that there were sufficient doubts concerning the quality of some of the research to warrant its promotion as an issue for harmonisation.

Aline Delhaye, FEMA’s General Secretary, says “While there may be a possibility of improving the safety of car drivers, harmonising the use of dipped beam headlights during the day would have inevitably lead to a loss of conspicuity for motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users. By declaring that measures would not be implemented for the benefit of some road users at the expense of others, the European Commission has not only taken the concerns of motorcyclists into account, but has also sent out a positive message for the European road safety debate.”

FEMA welcomes the EC decision and recognizes that this crucial dialogue between stakeholders has lead to positive results for motorcyclists.

END

Note to editors:

1. The Commission supports the United Nation Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) decision to introduce mandatory dedicated DRL for new vehicles. An explanatory PowerPoint can be found following this link Here Power Point Presentation.

2. FEMA’s answer to the EC consultation over the use of Daytime Running Lights (dipped beam) can be found following this link: Here pdf.

Contact:

Virginie Peters – Campaigns Officer

Rue des Champs 62, 1040 Brussels, Belgium

Phone +32 2 736 9047
Fax: +32 2 736 9401
Mobile +32 484 976 170

virginie.fema@chello.be