Press information
Survey by TNS Infratest
Germany's drivers want better night-time vision
Around 30 percent of German automobile drivers find night-time driving unpleasant and either always or sometimes feel unsafe at the wheel. These are some of the results of a representative survey conducted by TNS Infratest on behalf of the lighting manufacturer OSRAM. The survey found that women feel much more unsafe than men. And inexperienced drivers are significantly more anxious about driving at night. Many of the causes of these feelings of unease could be remedied by improved vehicle lighting, for example by simply upgrading with bright halogen lamps.
According to the representative survey of German automobile drivers conducted by the TNS Infratest market research institute, 30 percent of them do not like driving at night or in the dark. Whereas only 18 percent of male drivers feel uneasy at the wheel in the dark, almost half of all women, or 44 percent to be precise, are affected in the same way. And even if they drive routes they are familiar with, these figures barely change for either men or women. Only for very inexperienced drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 are the figures significantly higher. Almost 10 percent always feel unsafe at the wheel of a vehicle at night. But it is precisely at night when the roads are most dangerous. Accident statistics show that around half of all fatal accidents occur at night, despite the significantly lower volume of traffic.
Across the ages and sexes, the causes for night-time unease are largely the same. 61% of those polled mentioned poor weather conditions as the main reason. Snow, rain, fog and shorter days in the winter months all reduce visibility. Irrespective of the weather, reduced visibility (41%), late and poor recognition of other road users (37%), increased risk of wild animals straying onto the road (32%) and the increased difficulty of reading road signs (31%) were all named as principal causes. Factors such as tiredness and fear on the other hand hardly featured at all. Almost a quarter (23%) of the people polled complained of poor illumination of the road by the vehicle headlights.
Drivers cannot of course do anything about shorter days or poor weather but they can improve the lighting on their vehicles - and very easily. Every driver should have the vehicle lighting checked regularly. 40,000 German repair shops for example offer a comprehensive inspection under an annual scheme. "Light Test 2007" is about to get under way.
Another way of feeling safer and more comfortable on the road at night is to upgrade the vehicle with brighter lamps, such as OSRAM Night Breaker high-power halogen lamps. These shine much more light on the road and extend visibility both forward and over the side of the road. Their particularly white light makes it easier to see through fog, rain and snow.
About the company
OSRAM is one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. Sales in the year ending September 30, 2006 totalled 4.6 billion euros, 88 percent of which came from outside Germany. OSRAM is a high-tech company in the lighting sector. Around 40 percent of sales comes from innovative products. Energy efficiency is one of the areas of focus for research and development. This global player employs around 40,000 people worldwide, supplies customers in some 150 countries and has 49 production facilities in 18 countries.
Press contact:
OSRAM
Nadine Kleinert
Tel: +49-89-6213-3769
Fax: +49-89-6213-3457
Email: n.kleinert@osram.com