Question 3.109

3.109 Will the regulation make the product safer?

Canada requires that cars be equipped with “daytime running lights,” headlights that automatically come on at a low level when the car is started. Some manufacturers are now equipping cars sold in the United States with running lights. Will running lights reduce accidents by making cars more visible?

  1. Briefly discuss the design of an experiment to help answer this question. In particular, what response variables will you examine?
  2. Example 3.25 (pages 153–154) discusses center brake lights. What cautions do you draw from that example that apply to an experiment on the effects of running lights?

3.109

(b) During the experiment, the lights may help because they are new and catch the attention of drivers, but over time if they become standard, then they will be less noticeable.