The debate is raging and it is likely to become more vociferous in the coming years as it has been announced that all new cars are to be fitted with automatic daytime headlights within four years. Government has been against the idea, arguing grounds that using lights in the daytime would increase fuel consumption and emissions.
Motoring groups are united in their opposition to the move claiming that fuel consumption will increase by three percent, a figure that the European Union refutes claiming that it is only 0.3 percent a figure which would not be noticed by vehicle users. Anything that makes a vehicle more visible to all road users, and that includes cyclists and pedestrians, can only be a good thing. However what could be more important is if road users used dipped headlights in fog and poor visibility, something that all students learn during their driving lessons at the Bill Plant School of Motoring.
Published by admin on March 17th, 2008 in Driving School, Driving Lessons
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Increased fuel consumption and emissions are not the only arguement against automatic daytime headlights. The DaDRL, ‘The Association of Drivers against Daytime Running Lights’, are an organisation against the idea. They argue that if every car had this feature, it could divert concentration and mask pedestrians/cyclists/motorcyclists who may not have lights and are not as visible as a car.