Support the CTC against EU Legislation

[Andrew G]

[quote]CTC question EU proposed legislation
By CTC


Latest bright idea from EU gambles with cyclists’ lives” says CTC

Forthcoming European legislation which would force drivers to have front lights switched on in all daytime conditions would seriously undermine cyclists’ safety on the roads, according to the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation CTC.

CTC is urging all cyclists to join its online campaign calling on MEPs to oppose the Commission’s proposals. CTC believes that a blanket requirement to use so-called ‘daytime running lights’ (DRL) would make it much harder for drivers to see cyclists and that drivers would get into the habit of looking for lights, thus failing to notice cyclists and pedestrians as a result.

CTC’s Campaigns & Policy Manager, Roger Geffen, said: “DRL will make it all the more likely that drivers will fail to spot cyclists. By ignoring this, the European Commission is gambling with cyclists’ lives – it’s one Euro lottery we certainly don’t want in the UK.”

“Not only would DRL make the roads a more hazardous place for cyclists, it would increase fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions by as much as 1.5% at a time of mounting evidence that urgent action is needed to tackle climate change.”

The European Commission claims that DRL would if anything be beneficial to cyclists, pointing to the results of an experiment testing how quickly drivers could spot pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists in photographs of cars with DRL. Critics of DRL point out that these results do not represent what would happen with real (as opposed to photographed) light, or how drivers would respond under real driving conditions - where their attention is not specifically focused on looking out for cyclists.

Collisions involving cyclists are higher at dusk because drivers do not think it is dark enough to warrant lights. Whilst CTC is strongly opposed to a blanket requirement requiring headlights to be on all day, we would not object to low-glare, fuel efficient LED lights which would come on automatically in low light conditions.

[Andrew G]

I agree with the driver education. I suppose it could be more of a problem here due to the large numbers of cars on the roads. I guess the concern the CTC have is that a lot of drivers don't look for cyclists properly anyway, if cars always had lights on they might be tempted to just glance out the corner of their eye more as opposed to looking properly.

Personally I can see the CTC's point of view, but would rather driving standards were looked at by the EU than silly petty legialation like this, but that's politicians for you .