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Accident statistics show that motorcycling is still a pretty dangerous mode of locomotion. Since the last 15 years motorcyclists' fatalities experienced just a creeping decrease compared to car drivers'. In-Depth Motorcycle Studies displayed that in more than two thirds of motorcycle accidents the main contributing factor is a car. With these accidents basically taking place in urban areas (more than 50%) with a lot of distraction and at pretty low speeds - at intersections above all - one can conjecture the low visibility of powered two wheelers (PTW) to be an important cause. This is fortified by actual statistical research naming 10.5% of all motorcycle accidents to be conspicuity related 1 . With ECE-R87 compliant Daytime Running Lights (DRL) as a regulatory defined conspicuity aid, the impact of DRL usage on PTWs was to be investigated.

Along with the introduction of HID-headlamps and a luminous flux beyond 2000 lm the regulations concerning automatic levelling and headlamp cleaning systems were enacted. This reply regarding the position, HID-headlamps would produce a higher glare-illuminance, was only partly accepted. While levelling systems are well established, headlamp cleaning systems are challenged for economical and ecological reasons. The proposed paper will deal with the different aspects of soiling. Because standard dirt as defined in ECE R-1 is not representative for any dirt from the street, the efficacy of HCS on different kinds of dirt are analyzed. Initially 22 headlamps from H4 to HID have been systematically soiled with standard dirt, then the ECE-points and the luminance distribution have been measured. The maximum increase of the glare illuminances should highlight the moment where cleaning could have its most valuable benefit and what the minimal effects of cleaning should be.

The Laboratory of Lighting Technology at the Technische Universität Darmstadt has conducted experiments to verify whether the prevalently reported different glare strains of the three light sources in automotive lighting, namely tungsten halogen lamps, high intensity discharge lamps and LEDs, can be verified in real traffic geometry. Furthermore, these light sources will be used for new adaptive driving beam functions. These systems will alter the conventional cut-off lines or simply switch off sectors where other road users have been detected. It is therefore probable that these other road users will experience more glare illuminance than they would, if the oncoming car would be equipped with a well aimed classical passing beam. The tests take place on a former air field now used as the university’s testing site. Apart from the glare sources no other visual disturbances are present. The geometry of the test setup is chosen to represent a real traffic situation.