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. In the UK, “since 2011, DRLs have been a legal requirement for all new passenger cars and small vans. Larger vehicles like buses, lorries and coaches are exempt from this rule, along with motorcycles” (1).

Also the Department for Transport shared a “research that showed that DRLs are likely to reduce multiple vehicle daytime accidents and fatalities by up to 6% once all vehicles are equipped”(2) 

Furthermore, DRLs are also not a valid substitute for headlights and shouldn’t be used in low-light conditions. You could get in trouble for having DRLs running at inappropriate times, as this could cause other drivers to be dazzled, leading to accidents.

This article will look at what DRLs are, how they differ from regular headlights, their benefits, where they are mandated and how they impact fleet safety.

Benefits of DRLs 

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-analysis 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, in summary, the use of DRLs can help increase the safety of drivers and isvery relevant to an organisation's  safety policy.. 

Find out how  fleet management software is shaping  fleet safety programmes, reducing accident costs and improving maintenance. 

Help boost fleet 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 programmes. 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 [LINK TK], 39% of respondents said GPS users improved driver safety habits. 
• Dashcam video can create greater awareness for drivers when looking at  their behaviour through unsafe driving alerts, analysis and replayable video for personalised coaching. That same report showed that 74% of respondents in the UK said video helped them improve driver safety.
• Maintenance programmes that offer preventative and predictive maintenance analytics and diagnostics help fleet managers keep vehicles operating as expected on the road. Also, those programmes that offer partner integrations to communicate more quickly with maintenance teams and fleet managers about vehicle statuses ease 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:

• (1-2-3)Department for Transport UK
• (4-5-6-7) Institute for Road Safety Research