Daytime Running Lights

They had that in 1994? Heck my 2000 didn't even come with that. But I'm glad, not wanting to wear those bulbs out needlessly anyway.

Course my Wife's 97 Cevy Monte Carlo has them, and we are on the original bulbs, but less then 45K mi. on the car. What I like about her car is a sensor turns the full headlights on when needed. But they did include a headlight switch, I guess for if/when the sensor gives out, which it hasn't done yet :-).

Remember, he lives in Canada, where DRLs are required.

My 99 has some of the DRL and ABS wiring, even though it has neither.

US models have the plugin installed but don't come with the module. And considering that it costs $100 I will not be adding it to mine. I have never seen any viable evidence that it increases safty. Around here you just have to keep your eyes open and watch for people running stop signs and red lights. They are not even looking for your DRL.

bill

I always assumed that the DRLs were a manufacturers gimmick to get their bulbs to burn out quicker, increasing sales of their over priced bulbs. But like I said all of my Wife's 97 Monte Carlo's bulbs are still fine. But that probably is due to the fact the car only has about 45k miles, and hardly is ever run in the evening/late night hours.

Thankfully I DID receive one useful reply by contacting this group, so I replaced my module and they are working just fine. The gentleman responded to the question by email. I found it interesting how the other responders got off onto any odd tangent to the question. The wear and tear on your headlights? - rather silly notion compared to your life. By the way, I just upgraded my original lights with Hella lights because I wanted better headlights, but the original lights were working perfectly. And yes, I am sure that they were the original headlights. Perhaps the rest of the world actually is wrong, but the US is probably the only developed country that does not require Daytime Running Lights due to the added safety. DRL's cause an immediate and substantial reduction in traffic accidents - period. But wow, maybe it really is just another government conspiracy.

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I searched for a way to achieve DRL in my US-spec 2006 when I bought it but found nothing. If it were as simple as plugging in a $100 module I might well do it (or if I knew for sure what the wiring of the module was I could probably make one for next to nothing using components in my electronic junk drawers).

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I would take a look in the location it is supposed to be. I assume you will find an un-occupied plug sitting there. You can buy the module from miatamania.com for $97.00. The comment I found was that it was cheaper to use one wiring harness and just not put the module in for the US market. I believe there was some other item that the wiring was in place for bu the US cars don't have. I guess the fact that I usually drive with my headlights on, even during the day, is why I never gave much thought to DRL's. Maybe I will. But I wouold love to see a pointer to some legitimate research that shows that they do, in fact, reduce the number of accidents. To me, I see too many other factors involved for any possible valid corelation between DRL's and accidents.

bill

John, In my '94 car the module was just above and behind the brake pedal. It plugged into a provided connector in the wiring harness and the module attached to the firewall with a screw. The extra visibility is worth it. One fellow above mentioned dodging other drivers running stop signs but he mentioned that he saw no value to the DRL's. If the other driver saw you, he probably would not run the stop sign in front of you unless he actually had a deathwish. Being broadsided usually hurts. I doubt that you could just make one but if you can go for it. The module operates the headlights at about half intensity and leaves the rear lights off. I would not imagine that the connector is completely missing from your car. Auto parts stores sell a universal adapter kit for $20-$30 if you get stymied and/or don't like the idea of getting the $100 OEM part. _________________________________________________

I can tell you don't live in PA. We have had Police cars, Ambulances and recently, a Fire Truck hit by people running stop signs and red lights. If they don't pay attention to all those flashing lights and sirens, too, do you really think the DRL on my Miata is going to have nay effect at all?

And, around here, the problem is going to get much worse as we are beginning to see the indicators that lots of people are buying (illegally) those boxes the police and fire depts are supposed to have to change the lights to green as they approach. This results in very short green lights for the side traffic and I am sure someone pulling away from one of these short green lights is going to get T-boned. Sure will be glad when I get to move away from here!!

bill

if your attitude is primarily one of gratitude, why not stop here?

i don't know why you drive a miata, but *i* would expect that a typical regular in this group likes to take advantage of the inherent "sportniess" in the way the car was designed and engineered and drive the vehicle in a way that takes advantage of that - which is an potenitally dangerous action. so it should be a given that ultimate safety, while important, is not necessarily the highest priority; we'd all probably be driving volvos instead.

but the US is

i would hope that your drunk driving laws are a lot harsher than ours, which are a joke. i suspect that DWI/DUI probably cause more accidents than not having DRLs.

-------- "any words spelled incorrectly are probably typing errors"

After I added a pair of cheap foglights wired as DRLs, I saw an immediate drop in the number of drivers running stop signs out of side roads and into my path. Not all of them stop, but enough that I no longer keep my thumb over the horn button at every intersection. From an exercise in paranoia, driving my car became much more pleasant and relaxing.

IMHO, any improvement is worthwhile. Some morons are unreachable (e.g., the ones who hit fire trucks), but most drivers will benefit from a little help seeing you.

The Miata is a smaller target than most drivers expect. They think we're farther away than we actually are. OTOH, studies have suggested that cars with DRLs are perceived as being closer than they really are. I like that.

Problem is that as long as you are one of the few cars using DRLs you stand out. Once everyone has to use DRLs, or use their dipped beams during daylight the morons will no longer be able to 'see' you.

I realize that's a typo (nay instead of any) but it's sure appropriate in its context!

I haven't noticed that around this area much lately. Probably because I stay out of the downtown areas!

Seriously, my office is 3 miles from my house and away from downtown. Makes it really nice in the morning -when everyone else is headed into town, I'm heading out. And vice versa.

Well, except for getting out of the office complex. ;-)

Iva & Vixen

Isn't it nice? I have only been in heavy traffic maybe 4 or 5 times since the start of the year. It is amazing how calming it can be not to deal with that rat race every day.

Pat

I can see DRLs helping during reduced visibility -- smoke, fog, heavy rain, etc. Even in the daytime they're going to make some difference.

We had a day of foggy drizzle with limited visibility after a long period of no rain. Taking a look around, maybe half the cars had their lights on, and that was the ones I could see.

Gotta do what you can to save some idiots from themselves. There were wrecks all over town and I was glad not to get out in it.

Pat

Here in Calif. it is now the law that if your windshield wipers are on, your lights are supposed to be on also. I have no idea how well law enforcement is enforcing this new law though. And if I only have mine on intermittent, and going a very short distance, do I really want to use up part of the finite life of my bulbs if it is just drizzling :-)???

Rain-X.