Lights On

1
Lights On

• A Science Fair Entry by Dean Bolt
• Jan-Mar 2002
• Version of 2-25-2002

2
Acknowledgements

• My dad helped me with both the idea how to take
  data for this science fair project.
• Maryland Senator Arthur Dorman One of the bills
  sponsors
• Asking for District Court Maryland actual
  citations for years since this law went into
  effect
• Mother dad for helping me learn how to use PC,
  especially Goggle search engine
• Maryland MVA
• Questions related to public education of law
• US Federal Government
• Richard L. Van Iderstine Chief, Visibility and
  Injury Prevention Division for
• NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety
  Administration in Washington DC
• Mr. Iderstine helped with testing ideas

3
Question

• Are the Maryland drivers putting there headlights
  on during daytime rainstorms as required by law
  for safety ?

4
Research Subject

• Ask Maryland sponsors of the law how it is
  working
• Search on line discussion groups on topic
• Find actual Maryland Bill Law wording
• What is being discussed on Internet about topic
• What are other countries doing ? Other US states
  ?
• What has been effect on safety from law ?
• Ask Federal Government for information on topic
  Effects of DRL
• Ask Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles
• Is law incorporated into license test test
  study booklet ?
• How many violations recorded since law went into
  effect ?

5
Sources / Bibliography

• Web Site
• Association of Drivers Against Daytime Running
  Lights (DRLs) web site
• Canadian Driver web site
• Daytime Running Lights The Studies web site
• General Motors web site on Daytime Driving
  Lights
• John Cletheroes USA and Canada Holliday Hints
  web site
• Maryland Medical School web site on vehicle crash
  statistics.
• Maryland State Archives web site Maryland House
  Bill 68 Senate Bill 430
• Miata Mailing List November 1997,Message 23 on
  Maryland Law.
• North Carolina DMV web site
• Pennsylvania AAA Federation web site
• SHA Programs Regulations web site on Maryland
• U.S. DOT web site on NHTSA Proposed Reduced
  Glare From Daytime Running Lights to Motor
  Vehicles
• Newsgroup Discussions
• Alt.travel.road-trip.driving discussion on Re
  Slow Drivers. Relates to Maine Maryland
  headlight law.
• Rec.autos.driving discussion on Re Fog light
  legality discussion from 1994. Relates to
  Maryland headlight law.
• Rec.autos.driving discussion on Re PLEASE, turn
  your lights On ( in heavy rain)!!!! discussion
  from 1994. Relates to Florida Maryland
  headlight law.
• E-Mail Replies

6
Materials

• Highway Traffic on rainy day during daylight
  hours
• VHS Video Camera gt Record vehicle traffic
• VHS Video Player gt Playback of traffic for
  counting
• Rain coat
• Rain cover for VHS camera gt Plastic sheet
• Computer on Internet to research topic E-mail
  for more information

7
The Law In Simple Words

• This Maryland law requires a driver to light a
  vehicles headlamps or fog lights if the
  vehicles windshield wipers are operating for a
  continuous period because of impaired
  visibility.The law provides that failure to
  comply is not a moving violation, is subject to a
  maximum fine of 25, and may only be enforced as
  a secondary violation.
• See actual wording of Law in notebook. Note, use
  of running lights were specifically written out
  as a way to comply!

8
Assumption

• Maryland drivers are not really putting their
  headlights on very much as law requires

9
Procedure

• Independent Variable
• Weather Conditions To Require Headlights Being On
  By Law
• Dependent Variable ( Observed Data )
• Vehicle Headlights or Fog Lights Being On of Off
• Controlled Variable ( Factors Held Constant )
• Location
• Time Of Day
• Rainy Day Conditions

10
Data Taking Procedure

• Plan for Data Taking Based on Weather predictions
• Choose rainy day for data of law compliance
  (after sun rise before sun set )
• Using Video Camera To Take Data
• Charge VHS Camera Battery
• Put blank VHS tape in camera
• Video traffic for set time period or number of
  vehicles
• Protect camera data takers from rain
• We learned to use camera from inside of car
• Play Video data count vehicles both with
  without lights on
• Record data make percent results from data
  ratios
• Ask state about cars caught for no lights
• Write E-mail to State Officials
• Collect information on other states countries
  about similar laws
• Internet search
• Collect data on vehicles that have Daytime
  Running Lights (DRL)

11
Research Subject

• Ask Maryland sponsors of the law how it is
  working
• Search on line discussion groups on topic
• Find actual bill wording
• Ask Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles
• Is law incorporated into license test test
  study booklet ?

12
Explanation Of Science Fair Data

• Rainy Day Test One (1)
• Done by my dad to prove data could be taken get
  an idea of how many were not putting their lights
  on.
• Rainy Day Test Two (2)
• Done by Dean his dad in Rain
• This is data source used in Conclusion

13
Daytime Running LightsDRL

• DRL Equipped Vehicles
• Daytime running lights are already standard
  equipment on Toyota, Volkswagen,and BMW.
• General Motors ( GM) as of last year had more
  than 25 million light duty vehicles sold with DRL
• DRL has been the law in Canada for several years,
  and the manufactures of these vehicles in Canada
  for Canada also provide this design for the US
  version.
• Results of both Canadian and US data indicates
  vehicle to pedestrian and vehicle to vehicle
  accident reductions from this feature.
• For Science Project
• It was assumed our data was influenced by DRL.
• A data sample was taken to see how many vehicles
  had their lights on all the time would be part
  of the high compliance on rainy day.

14
What Could Influence Data

• Time Of Day
• Driver may have started out driving in dark and
  still had lights on! We took data approximately 1
  1/2 hours after sun rise.
• No sample taken at mid day
• Weather
• Heavy rain may influence divers more than light
  rain to put their lights on
• Driver Passengers
• More that one occupant in vehicle might increase
  likelihood of lights being on
• No sample taken
• Driver education
• Is it on drivers license Questions ?
• Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles Confirms
  Yes
• Is it on news or ?
• No word search done
• Internet chat confirms some discussions going on
• Do drivers have a good knowledge of law ?
• No survey done
• Vehicles with DRL
• My dad took a survey at same location time of
  day without rain. His data from over 400 vehicles
  counter indicates 24 ( 96?400) of vehicles have
  DRL or other reason to have headlights on other
  than rain. Also noted , not all large trucks have
  DRL.

15
Vehicle Headlights On Data
Sample Data Location Date Time Conditions Who took Data Comments Vehicles Counted Lights Off Compliance
1 Rt3 South in Bowie, MD Bet.450 Belair Dr. Jan 31 2002 838 Medium Rain Data Test Sample Taken By Deans Dad Data taken by hand count 300 9 300-9?300 97
2 RT 3 South in Bowie, MD Same Location As Test No1 Feb 6th 2002 740AM start EST Light-Med Rain Dull daylight Deans Data Taken by Dean Dad Data taken by video camera tallied later. All large trucks had their lights on 868 31 868-31?868 96.5
16
Vehicles With Headlights On During Rainy Day Time
17
Actual MD Violations Issued

• Data From One of MD Senators that sponsored bill
  in 1997
• Data From Arthur Dorman
• Maryland Citations Written For 1997 Headlight Law
• 1st Year----July 1999 -- June 1999 -- 256
  Citations Written
• 2nd Year----July 1999 -- June 2000 -- 211
  Citations Written
• 3rd Year-----July 2000 -- June 2001 -- 195
  Citations Written
• 4th year-----July 2001 -- June 2002-Not Available
  Yet !

18
Results

• From a Large sample of 868 vehicles counted on a
  rainy morning in Bowie on RT 3 South , 96.5
  were obeying the headlights on in rain law
• All large trucks were obeying the headlights on
  in rain law

19
Conclusions

• Most vehicles are obeying the new headlight law
• Our sample indicates 96.5
• My Prediction were much to low. They were not
  only not supported, but were very pessimistic
• Our sample also indicates all large trucks are
  obeying
• The fairly low annual violations recorded by the
  Maryland police is another good indicator of
  continual increase in abeyance
• Based on my dads short data sample of 300
  vehicles on same road time , there is
  indication of 24 of the vehicles have DRL.
• Future work
• Maryland state level education for the law, both
  what is being done interviews of public for
  results.
• Taking data on roads other than highways
• Number of DRL vehicles registered in MD vs total
  registered