Daylight Running Lights

The problem is, once everyone has them, everyone's on the same level playing field with regard to visibility. You're back to square 1.

If you want something to be visible, simply psychology says that to maximize a person seeing it you should change its state. That is, the human mind will do much better at noticing a blinking light, for example, than a steady light. We respond to changes of state, not "oh, look, they're all on".

Nobody seems to have a good reason NOT to have daylight running lights:

Jesus saves! You finally said something intelligent. There is a God!

Advantages

Automobile manufacturers and proponents of daytime running lights claim that having the headlamps illuminated at all times increases the vehicle's visibility to other drivers. With increased visibility, automobile accidents are less likely to occur as drivers will be more alert and aware of other vehicles on the roadway.

Mostly the government says this. Proponents of DRLs are likely to simply turn the headlamps on when they drive, whether it is day or night. Given what is known about lights on in daylight hours, people driving on two-lane highways should turn the lights on at all times.

Auto makers do stuff like this because they are required to. Sometimes they agree that it is good to do, but they seldom lead the charge and do things like this because they are told to if they want to sell their products in the market. I once had a motorcycle that turned the headlamp on as soon as the engine started. There was no requirement, motorcycle makers just did it.

Disadvantages

Opponents of daytime running lights claim that the lights make for a more cluttered and distracting roadway. Drivers are more likely to be distracted by the illuminated headlamps of oncoming vehicles. Also, when the majority of cars in a dense traffic situation are utilizing daytime running lights, glare from the lights can create driver visibility issues, especially on a sunny day.

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That's silly, isn't it? The lights PREVENT accidents. Period. "Distraction," "glare," "visibility issues"... What issues? It must have been thought by a lawyer.

People don't like lights on in daytime, regardless of the obvious upside. None of my cars have DRLs and I would not dream of installing them. But on the other hand, if I had a car with DRLs, I would not dream of defeating them. There is a downside of early implementations, that is that they provided almost enough light at night that some people failed to turn the headlamps on. Current implementations are far better in this respect.

Having said all of that, if you ride your bike on the right side of the roadway, you would not know that the cars approaching had daytime runninng lights or not.

White light tells you the vehicle is coming at you, red lights tell you the vehicle is leaving. You look left and right and see a blob, it is far enough away that you can pull out, only to figure out that the blob is getting closer. You look left and right and see white lights, and you take an extra millisecond to decide if the distance is sufficient or not. This millisecond saves lives.

Any light is better than no light, this is where we are at today with respect to DRLs. A blinking light might be better than a steady light, but baby steps.

Wrong.

This happened to me while turning left with my Honda Pilot: I gave the right of way to a cyclist, and went into daydreaming mode, waiting patiently for him to clear the pedestrian path, all of sudden, when I started going, a car just popped up and it gave me a big scare. If the car had the headlights on, I would have seen it. Our mind works on auto pilot and often we fail to see things. You don't linger on the rearview mirror. You take a glance and change lanes.

This thing is like the cyclists that don't have the lights on, particularly at night. They deserve whatever they get if they don't buy a simple light that costs 10 bucks. Toyota, GM and VW (among others) deserve praise for doing the right thing, and I would stay away from buying a vehicle without that safety feature.

Canada has required DRLs for years, the USA is behind the curve on this one. I'm not sure of the technicality, but I think that operators have an option on some makes/models to turn the DRLs on or not. If the car has automatic headlamps that come on when it gets dark, then the DRLs are probably on be default if the auto-on setting is selected. The operator can, in some cases, select the headlamps to be off. In this instance they must turn them on manually when the need arises.

It is required in Calif. that headlights be on if the windshield wipers are being used. Not for a single swipe or for washing the windshield, but if there is enough rain in daylight hours that the wipers are needed, the driver is also supposed to have the headlamps on. Not DRLs, per se, but forward visibility -- not your visibility, other's visibility of you -- is the goal.

That's pure crap. Not some opf it, all of it. Pure crap. Completely pure crap.

MonkeyHumper is an idiot, you are full of s*it.

Nope. You want them all to be visible.

All of them having steady state lighting puts them all back to square 1. The human mind doesn't see anything unique happening.

Make them all flash their lights like cops. You'll see every car no matter what.

NOTHING STRAINS THE BATTERY AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED.

You know nothing of religion and your buddy knows nothing of cars. Both of you should not even be allowed to use a computer. Holy s*it, man! DRLs don't even come on until after the engine starts. He should not listen to a word you say, and you should not listen to him. You guys are Dumb and Dumber, II.

If the lights are on and the battery is weak, then turn the f---ing lights off until you get the engine going. Jesus H. Christ! Between the two of you idiots, I want to get a high powered rifle and go climb a clock tower somewhere.

???

One cannot have a better copilot, you are an idiot and noname is full of s*it. That's what I have decided.

Idiot.

And then, she needs you to die, not get hurt.

That makes no sense!

If you do not have DRLs, then you have to turn the lights on when you want them and off when you don't. So, don't turn them on until after the engine starts and you will never have to wonder about the affects of having the lights on when you start the car -- which in a healthy car is not a problem that you need to worry about -- and when you park you have to turn the lights off anyway so your objection are nonsensical.

Your comment about the AC is nonsensical. I never ever change the state of my AC until I decide that it is making me too cold, or not cold enough. This has nothing to do with Engine Start. If the AC happens to be on because it was on when I parked, then it will be on when I start my car. Again, if the car is healthy then this is not a problem that you need to worry about.

You're the guy talking about not driving your car because something might happen if the car is not in proper operating condition. Holy s*it man, get a grip!

You're just being stupid now. Think about what you just said and why it is dumb.

While we're in the business of forcing people to use their lights properly, I would prefer someone invent something to dim the high beams of those assholes who refuse to turn their lights down.

While we're in the business of forcing people to use their lights properly, I would prefer someone invent something to dim the high beams of those assholes who refuse to turn their lights down.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have this dream of having .50 calibre submachine guns mounted on my vehicle...

Canadian government, IIRC.

However, it does make it easier to run down bicyclists who "take back the road".

It's a complete crock of s*it that nobody notices lights that are on.

Tests show that headlights on in daylight hours prevents head-on accidents, or passing when passing should not take place.

It's a complete crock of s*it that nobody notices lights that are on.

Tests show that headlights on in daylight hours prevents head-on accidents, or passing when passing should not take place.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Agreed. I especially notice this when travelling on an undivided highway, i.e. one that only has ONE lane in each direction. Oncoming vehicles WITH DRL's or headlights ON are visible from a far, far, greater distance. Period. It would not lessen the effect if ALL oncoming vehicles had their lights on, it WOULD lessen the accident rate though, because ALL oncoming vehicles would more visible.