What are daytime running lights? Benefits & fleet safety

What are daytime running lights (DRL)?  

Daytime running lights or DRLs are low-intensity lights that improve vehicle visibility on the road by increasing the contrast between vehicles and the environment.

While some research shows DRLs could improve road safety, reducing everything from pedestrian accidents to head-on collisions, they are not mandatory in Australia but the Government is working to “make it mandatory for DRLs to be built into all new cars” (1).

Also, research from Monash University showed that “DRL fitment can reduce the overall risk of being involved in a non-nighttime multi-vehicle crash where vehicle visibility may be a factor in crash causation by a statistically significant 8.8%” (2).

Also, this research revealed that “a 20.3% reduction in crash risk was associated with the fitment of DRLs during dawn or dusk and a 13.8% reduction in crash risk was associated with speed zones greater than 75 kilometres per hour” (3).

This article will discuss what DRLs are, how they differ from regular headlights, their benefits, and how they can impact fleet safety.

Benefits of daytime running lights

The primary benefit of DRLs is simple - increased contrast and visibility lead to fewer collisions, particularly for vehicles that are less noticeable during daylight, or when certain daytime weather conditions like glaring sun or cloudy skies impair visibility.

Studies have shown that DRLs can reduce the risk of accidents involving other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

According to a study by the Institute for Road Safety Research, “in-depth crash studies have shown that not having seen the other road user or having seen the other road user too late plays a role in 50% of the daytime crashes, and for intersection crashes this is even 80%” (4).

In depth, meta-analyses of the effects of DRL use in cars show that DRL contributes substantially to reducing road crashes, car occupant and vulnerable road user injuries whatever the country's latitude (5). 

In detail, “a reduction in multi-party crashes of between 8%-15% was found as a result of introducing mandatory laws on daytime use. A compilation of meta-analyses of 25 studies that have evaluated DRL for cars and 16 studies that have evaluated DRL for motorcycles “found that DRL reduces the number of multi-party daytime crashes by 5-10 per cent” (6). 

Furthermore, a review found “that DRL reduced multi-party daytime crashes by around 12% and deaths and injured victims by 25% and 20% respectively” (7). 

So, the use of DRLs can help increase the safety of drivers, making it very relevant for the safety policy of your fleet, positively impacting your team's safety. See how fleet management software is helping fleet safety programs, reducing accident costs and improving maintenance. 

Help boost safety with a fleet management solution 

Fleet managers looking for other ways to help boost fleet safety may want to consider a fleet management solution that empowers them to develop and maintain effective safety programs. Fleet management can help impact safety in several different ways:

• GPS tracking offers managers greater insight into driver behaviours like speeding, harsh braking, sudden acceleration and more. This information can be used to help fleet managers reduce these behaviours. In fact, according to the 2025 Verizon Fleet Technology Trends  Report Australia [https://www.verizonconnect.com/au/fleet-technology-trends-report/], 26% of respondents said GPS users improved safety. 
• Dashcam video can create greater awareness for drivers about their behaviour through unsafe driving alerts, analysis and replayable video for personalised coaching. The same report showed that 75% of respondents said video helped them improve driver safety in Australia.
• Maintenance programs that offer preventative and predictive maintenance analytics and diagnostics help fleet managers keep vehicles operating as expected on the road. Also, these programs offer partner integrations to communicate more quickly with maintenance teams and fleet managers about vehicle statuses, easing the maintenance process. 
• Companies using fleet management software saw a reduction in accident costs and insurance costs, underlining how this technology can help fleets drive a safer tomorrow. To learn more, book a demo with one of our specialists.

Sources:

• (1)The Guardian Australia
• (2-3) Monash University
• (4-5-6-7) Institute for Road Safety Research