Research shows that South Africa has a considerably higher Road Accident Rate than the United States of America and Europe. The Road Traffic Management Corporation's Road Traffic Report of March 2008 reported that during the period of 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008, there have been 11,577 fatal vehicle accidents on the road. The percentage of fatal vehicle accidents during daytime driving is just as high as driving at night time. These accidents cost our country R13,629 million for the period of 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008.
Mr Rob Hansfield-Jones, Head of Public Affairs for the Automobile Association of South Africa, has renewed the call for government to make it compulsory for all vehicles over 3500kg and
taxis to be fitted with Daytime Running Lights (DRL).
He says that the visibility of the Daytime Running Lights (DRL) to road safety has been well proven worldwide and would assist traffic officials in identifying vehicles that are not roadworthy if their lights are not working. Traffic officials could then categorise the vehicle as being of higher risk. He also mentions that Daytime Running Lights would play a big roll in visibility.
In Canada DRL became compulsory in all vehicles manufactured after 1 December 1989. Ford and General Motors have fitted DRL as standard. It is reported that in Canada vehicle accidents decreased by 11%, in Sweden by 23%, in Finland by 37% and in Norway by 40%.
In America it is reported that vehicle accidents have been decreased by 5% and pedestrian fatalities by 9% in the early years of 2000.
After the statistics have proven that vehicle accidents have been reduced in the Scandinavian countries where DRL have become compulsory, General Motors approached their authorities to fit this device to their current range of vehicles and it was granted in 1993. Traffic Data of 12 American States reported that 71% of all accidents involved two or more vehicles. Most of these accidents are not front and rear crashes but head on collisions. 74% of these vehicle accidents occurred during daytime. |
