It’s a Westminster decision what lights are used on Britain’s roads
Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by Martin Wingfield in EU News
FLAWED academic reports have duped MEPs into voting in support of Daytime Running Lights that pose a threat to pedestrians, cyclists and motor cyclists.
That’s the claim made by Drivers Against Daytime Running Lights (DaDRL) a worldwide voluntary group of experienced motorists including scientists, engineers, mathematicians, lawyers and ophthalmological experts, in a letter to Nick Griffin.
Daytime running lights are installed in pairs at the front of cars and automatically switched on when the vehicle is moving forward, emitting white, yellow, or amber light to increase the conspicuity of the vehicle during daylight conditions, but DaDRL say that the lights blind other drivers and increase accidents.
As long ago as 1997, insurance statistics from 750,000 accidents in the USA were already showing that DRL vehicles were involved in more accidents and in those countries where records have been kept to measure the detrimental effects of Daytime Running Lights, accidents have increased by 12% in Austria, 6% in Poland and 8% in Bulgaria.
DaDRL were also unhappy that expert Ophthalmological opinion on the effects of neurophysiological functions such as change blindness, disturbances of cognitive processes, ‘overload’ of visual short term memory, and discomfort glare caused by the lights, was not consulted or such evidence placed before MEPs prior to the vote.
In a letter to the campaign group, Nick Griffin MEP wrote:
“I completely agree with your assessment of the situation and did not vote for the legislation because it is clearly wrongheaded.
“Even if it had merit, the decision of what kinds of lights should be used on British roads should be the business of our Parliament at Westminster and not of any European institution.
“If I can be of any direct assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.”
