Europe 2011: All New Vehicles To Have DRL |
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File under Opinion
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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In what's a bad blow against motorcycle safety and against the advice of most motorcycle protection associations, the European Commission have decided to make DRLDaytime Running Lights - having your car lights on during the day. mandatory for all new vehicles starting in the year 2011. So, it's a phased in approach, starting with new cars and trucks.
Until now, most countries did not have Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and motorcycles (who by law, did) were more visible to cars during the daytime. In fact, many countries mandated motorcycles to have their lights on during daytime for our own safety. Now, the safety of a few is no longer important! The EC wants all vehicles to have lights on during the day.
Our lights will just melt in with all the other vehicles, so no one will notice that a motorcycle is coming up behind you.
The European motorcycle federation (FEMA) is saying because the cars will not use dipped-beam lights but LED lights for DRL, it's a victory for motorcycle riders rights (source: link). I strongly disagree with them, and I think FEMA sold out for political reasons.
The proposed DRL are "special" LED lights, not like the normal lights we see on cars, but for cagers who, occasionally, look into a mirror, they'll not see much of a difference. If the EC want the lights to be seen by others, they will emit enough light to make it visible at a distance, so whatever you want to call it, it's going to make it more dangerous of motorcycles. If they really wanted to, the EC could have made the car DRLs another color. But even that increases the risk to motorcycle riders.
I can smell what's going to happen here. In 2012, when the increase of motorcycle accidents has drawn the attention of every politician and talking-head of TV shows, they'll start saying that motorcycles is just too dangerous, too polluting, too messy .. and must be abolished. Can you see it coming?
Via: Europe
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