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Lights On

A Science Fair Entry by Dean Bolt

Jan-Mar 2002Version of 2-25-2002

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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

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Question

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

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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 ?

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Sources / Bibliography• Web Site• Association of Drivers Against Daytime Running Lights (DRL’s) web site • Canadian Driver web site• Daytime Running Lights: The Studies web site• General Motors web site on “Daytime Driving Lights”• John Cletheroe’s 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– Arthur Dorman, Maryland State Senator & one of sponsors of headlight law. Reply included annual law citations. Reply of 5 Feb

2002– Maryland MVA Testing & Licensing Group– Richard L. Van Iderstine, Chief , Visibility and Injury Prevention Division.Reply relates to not having any good data on DRL mix

and helpful hints to improve experiment

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Materials

• Highway Traffic on rainy day during daylight hours

• VHS Video Camera > Record vehicle traffic

• VHS Video Player > Playback of traffic for counting

• Rain coat

• Rain cover for VHS camera > Plastic sheet

• Computer on Internet to research topic & E-mail for more information

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The Law In Simple Words

• This Maryland law requires a driver to light a vehicle’s headlamps or fog lights if the vehicle’s 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!

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Assumption

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

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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

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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)

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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 ?

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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

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Daytime Running Lights“DRL”

• 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.

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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% ( 96400) of vehicles have DRL or other reason to have headlights on other than rain. Also noted , not all large trucks have DRL.

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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

8:38 Medium

Rain

Data Test Sample Taken By Dean’s Dad

Data taken by hand count

300 9 300-9300 =

97 %

2 RT 3 South in Bowie, MD

Same

Location

As

Test

No1

Feb 6th

2002

7:40AM start

EST

* Light-Med Rain

* Dull daylight

Dean’s Data

Taken by Dean & Dad

Data taken by video camera & tallied later.

All large trucks had their lights on

868 31 868-31868 =

96.5%

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Vehicles With Headlights On During Rainy Day Time

97% 96.5%

0

20

40

60

80

100

Rainy Day1

Rainy Day2

% Vehicles With Headlights On

%

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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 !

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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

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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 dad’s 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