Car headlamp standards

8.1.2014

Question for written answer E-000111-14
to the Commission
Rule 117
Jarosław Leszek Wałęsa (PPE)

My office has recently been contacted by a motor vehicle user regarding standards relating to the production and use of motor vehicle light bulbs. The issue may at first appear trivial but, as the motor vehicle user pointed out, it may have an enormous impact on European road safety.

Based on Poland’s experience, it is apparent that drivers have great difficulty in setting their lights. Surveys show that 99% of drivers have their car lights wrongly adjusted. In my opinion this is due not only to the fact that drivers forget to set their car lights correctly, but also to the lack of uniform EU standards on headlight production. The construction of these lights is often highly complex, meaning that drivers are unable to replace burnt-out bulbs as they should and are unable to set the angle of the beam. Simplifying the construction of motor vehicle headlamps and providing suitable instructions for the mounting and adjustment of lights could prove extremely useful and would surely save the lives of many drivers and other road users.

1. Does the EU monitor the number of road accidents caused by a lack of car lights or by poor adjustment of the headlamps in motor vehicles?

2. Is the Commission working on new legislation in this matter?

OJ C 279, 22/08/2014