IT might feel odd, but road safety advocates say driving with your headlights on all the time has the potential to cut multi-vehicle and passenger collisions by a quarter.
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Orange and Cabonne councils have both signed up with the Be Seen, Be Safe campaign, meaning employees using fleet cars will drive with headlights on, no matter the time of day or conditions.
The campaign is based on international research, which estimated turning headlights on could cut the number of daytime multi-vehicle fatal crashes by 25 per cent and injury crashes by 20 per cent, daytime pedestrian fatalities by 28 per cent and multi-vehicle property crashes by 12 per cent.
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Orange mayor Reg Kidd said a few split seconds of extra notice of an oncoming vehicle could save lives.
“People think it’s odd having your lights on during the day but it makes it easier to see vehicles coming around a bend,” he said.
“Most modern cars automatically turn the lights on and off when you turn the engine on and off so a lot of people won’t even have the think about it.”
Cabonne Mayor Kevin Beatty urged other drivers to do the same.
“The more people who turn their headlights on 24/7, the safer our roads will be for everyone,” he said.
Later stages of the campaign will focus on reducing crashes at intersections.
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