Headlights needed on intercity roads

Lights must be lit during the daytime until the end of winter on March 31.

By DAVID RUDGE
traffic 298 (photo credit: )
traffic 298
(photo credit: )
As of Tuesday, all drivers are required to turn on the headlights of their cars during the daytime on inter-city roads as part of the overall effort to reduce the carnage on the roads. The regulations, which apply to all vehicles - including trucks, motorcycles and buses - will remain in force until the end of the winter on March 31. Motorists who are caught breaking the regulations face fines of NIS 100 and two points on their licenses. Drivers of buses, trucks and two-wheeled vehicles are also required to keep their headlights on inside urban areas. In the case of motorcyclists, the regulations apply all year round. One man was killed and three other people suffered light to moderate injuries when two cars collided near the Yuvalim junction in the Misgav region of the Galilee. Police are investigating the cause of the crash. The fatality brought to 394 the number of people killed in road accidents since the beginning of January, compared to 444 over the same period last year. Despite the drop in fatalities, Dep.-Cmdr. Meir Or, head of the Traffic Department's Accidents Investigations Unit, said it was imperative that motorists drive in accordance with road and weather conditions, especially at this time of year, with rain forecast until the end of the week. "It is imperative that motorists prepare for the winter by checking lights, indicators, windshield wipers and washers, as well as brakes and tires, while ensuring that the latter are in order and filled with air to the pressure recommended by the manufacturers," said Or. "It is also important that drivers realize that, when it rains, visibility is greatly reduced in those areas such as side windows where there are no wipers and blind spots already exist. This reduced visibility is even more pronounced at night," he added. Or stressed that many accidents could be avoided and that the wearing of seat belts by drivers and all passengers, as required by law, could help save lives and prevent serious injuries in the case of crashes. "Seat belts should be regarded not as an inconvenience but as something that is done automatically whether on long or short trips because it has been proved worldwide that the wearing of seat belts in cases of accidents can help save lives and prevent serious injuries," said Or. Motorists had something to be more cheerful about on Monday following an overnight reduction of 10 percent in gasoline prices at the pumps. According to the new prices, 95 octane costs NIS 5.52 a liter and 96 octane costs NIS 5.56.