RELATED ARTICLES:   •  Beaming In On Road Safety

Within months, drivers of new cars may be forced to switch on their headlights during the day in a road safety move aimed at saving pedestrians' lives. Manufacturers have agreed to fit all new vehicles with headlights that switch on automatically when the driver turns the ignition key.

The subject of Day-time Running Lights (DRL) is a highly controversial one, though, and there are many different views on this issue. As a result, the EU commissioned research from the Dutch road safety institute SWOV. Its report found a strong case for DRL on the basis of a positive cost benefit analysis. But, due to the complexity of this issue, it was agreed with member states of the EU to form an expert group to examine the issue of DRL in more detail. This group recently concluded that the time had come to actively promote the introduction of DRL.