§ Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to require the fitting of daytime running lamps to new motor cycles.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe Transport and Road Research Laboratory has been continuing to study a wide range of motorcycle conspicuity aids, including fluorescent clothing, headlamps and daytime running lamps. The indications are that the effectiveness of these aids varies according to such factors as ambient lighting levels and the presence and mix of other traffic, but that, overall, fluorescent clothing, headlamps and running lamps all appear to perform equally well.
The TRRL will continue to study the problem, but I do not consider on the evidence at present available that the benefits of running lamps are sufficient to justify making their fitting compulsory, especially taking into account the representations I have received from the British Motorcyclists' Federation and others.
Our advice to motorcyclists continues to be that they take steps to make themselves as conspicuous as possible on the road by means of one or more of the various aids available.