DRLs and glare comments open on NHTSA site (2025 Update)

With permission, This is from Dave of Lightsout/DADRL

T904 Daytime Running Light Memo Dec 02, 2009

Dear Lightsout.org / DADRL Members:

The following came from a long time DADRL contributor and member::

**** The Department of Transportation (DOT), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking the publics comments, in order to develop and establish a "Strategic Plan" for the years
2010-2015. The complete (3 page) NHTSA docket can be viewed on-line at: followed by entering the specific docket number into their search box, RH box. The docket number is: NHTSA-2009-0171 We believe this docket, along with your comments sent in, is important towards getting NHTSA to establish in their future strategic plan, an agenda to address the unsafe conditions of excessive glare, caused by daytime running lights DRLs. For the past several years NHTSA has only concerned themselves with "studying" the effects of DRLs, without bringing forth any substantial changes in their original DRL ruling, which allowed, but did not require DRLs on motor vehicles. I think the newer submissions are at the top of the listing.

**** In NHTSA's previous 5 year strategic plan, from 2005-2010 DRLs were not even mentioned as a part of their strategic plan. Therefore we not do not want to miss this important opportunity, to insist that NHTSA include within the strategic plan for 2010-2015, an item and/or agenda to address and correct the current problems of equipping motor-vehicles with blinding and unsafe glaring DRLs. If all of us stay quiet, and do not express our opinions about glaring DRLs, NHTSA will then have the right to assume the public no longer cares anymore about the various types of headlamp and DRL glare emitted from motor vehicles lighting. Therefore all of us need to send in our individual comments to this docket, so that the problems of glaring DRLs is included in NHTSA's 2010-2015 agenda. Only thru our individual efforts of sending in our comments, will NHTSA be required to address and update their inadequate and outdated DRL lighting policies.

**** Please take a few minutes of your own time to send in your personal comments to this docket, which expires on Jan. 4, 2010. All members of Lightsout.org & DADRL, from all countries, all nations, are encouraged to send in their comments to this docket.

**** NHTSA is now (again) in the process of upgrading their web-site...and today I hit a bunch of dead-ends when trying to access this docket...so we will need to include these specific instructions below, so that our members can find this docket within the system. Here are my revised instructions, for accessing the docket.

**** After logging onto the home page, then scroll down to the "Title" area, and click on the 2010-2015 Strategic Planning heading. Or...from the regulations.gov/ home page, click on the arrow in the "Select Document Type box" , and click on "Agency Documents"., then fill in the "enter Keyword or ID box" with: "NHTSA-2009-0171, and then click on the search button., then scroll down to the bottom of the next page, and click on the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan, in order to read the document, or to submit your own comments.

**** Be sure to include the Docket Number, NHTSA-2009-0171 in all of your correspondence. Within the Docket there are a number of questions NHTSA would like for you to comment on. But you can instead choose to answer only a select few of these questions, if you prefer to keep your comments brief. Among the 37 questions seeking your comments, there are some directly related to "crash avoidance" technologies. So this is an important opportunity we do not want to miss ! This Docket will set the stage for NHTSA's agenda for the next 5 years. Only thru our individual comments sent in, about DRLs, will NHTSA be required to establish some new regulations and rulings, that will address and correct these various problems of excess and unsafe glare, coming from daytime running lights.

*** Please send in your comments today. Thank You: Lightsout.org / DADRL

**** This is from Dave of Lightsout/DADRL, and I find this new docket system confusing at the least. The previous docket system seemed to be user friendly to use, to find, and submit comments. Could it be that this was the reason the we no longer have that system.

FIN