Tránsito Wants
Headlights Obligatory On
At Dusk
The Policía de Tránsito
will be asking
legislators to include
the obligation of
drivers to turn on their
headlights at 5:00pm as
they discuss reforms to
the Ley de Tránsito,
which has been expected
passed and into effect
last month.
The request by the
Tránsito follows a study
by the Universidad de
Costa Rica (UCR) that
reveals that turning on
the head lights before
night fall helps
pedestrians and
cyclists, especially in
the months of October
and March, when the dusk
comes earlier.
Germán Marín, director
of the Policía de
Tránsito, explained that
the lights on at dusk
not only helps drivers
but offers other drivers
and pedestrians
visibility of an
oncoming vehicle.
Marín is convinced that
the lights on at dusk
policy can reduce
accidents and save lives
and as such will be
asking legislators to
included in the new Ley
de Tránsito.
The law would force
drivers to turn on their
headlights at least one
half hour before
nightfall and one half
hour after dawn, though
the hours are not
specified.
The UCR study
investigated 24.000
traffic tickets issued
for accidents between
2000 and 2002, which
revealed that the
majority of pedestrians
being hit by a vehicle
occurred between 5:00pm
and 8:00pm.
During those hours there
was also a higher
incidents of deaths and
serious injuries from
traffic accidents, the
study revealed.
Many Costa Rican drivers
are accustomed not
turning on their
headlights until it is
dark and then in some
cases will continue
drive without them. That
custom has proven fatal
in many occasions.
The reason for not
turning on headlights,
some say, is that
turning on the
headlights wears down
the battery and wastes
too much fuel.
In some northern
countries, like Canada
and Scandinavian
countries, the law
obligates drivers to
have their headlights on
all the time. In Canada,
for example, "daytime
running headlights" are
legislated into new car
manufacturing. TheU.S.
does not have a daytime
running light
requirement.
Experts in Costa Rica do
not believe that running
headlights are a
necessity, but having
headlights on at certain
times is essential,
especially after 5:00pm
and backed by the UCR
study.
Roy Rojas, director of
the Consejo de Seguridad
Vial (Cosevi), considers
that turning on
headlights at 5:00pm
should be obligatory.
Rojas, reminded that
such a pilot project was
proposed 10 years ago,
but is was met with
stiff criticism.
For the ministra de
Transporte, Karla
González, she fully
supports the turning on
the headlights early
proposal. |
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