The Effect of LED Daytime Running Lights on Motorcycle Conspicuity and Detection Distance Estimation - Latest Test Results

Accident statistics show that motorcycling is still a pretty dangerous mode of locomotion. Since the last 15 years motorcyclists' fatalities experienced just a creeping decrease compared to car drivers'. In-Depth Motorcycle Studies displayed that in more than two thirds of motorcycle accidents the main contributing factor is a car. With these accidents basically taking place in urban areas (more than 50%) with a lot of distraction and at pretty low speeds - at intersections above all - one can conjecture the low visibility of powered two wheelers (PTW) to be an important cause. This is fortified by actual statistical research naming 10.5% of all motorcycle accidents to be conspicuity related ¹ . With ECE-R87 compliant Daytime Running Lights (DRL) as a regulatory defined conspicuity aid, the impact of DRL usage on PTWs was to be investigated.