running lights on cars and trucks

[tomman58]

We have driven the USA many, many times in good weather and bad, day and night. There is one thing that really bothers me while doing what I like ....rving. The thing is the lack of cars and trucks that have running lights on in the daytime. I am not sure but seems like GM is the only one that has daytime lights. Point being while on the roads of our country sometime you need to pass a really slow car or truck. I do it often when I want to do the 55mph speed limit as that is slow enough. The problem is the on coming traffic and visibility.
We all know that passing can be doable but we need all the road we can get. The downside is seeing others coming our way at dusk, early morning, or in rainy weather.
The absence of running lights seems to me to be a real and present safety issue.
What do you think ? Should there be a national law to make people safer? Jus' wondering.

[Playtime_II]

Only way I would support would be if they made DRL that also included low-level rear tail lamps.
I was really upset when driving from Tampa to Orando (I-4) in the evening. Beyond dusk, I mean full dark, I counted 4 cars with only DRL on. Most of the cars were dark colored and were almost invisable. Given the distracted driving problem and our senior drivers driving slow (FL problem) no wonder my insurance tripled when I moved here.

[Stefonius]

I am not a fan of DRL, and if my next vehicle has them I will disable them on day one.

My personal peeve is vehicles without amber turn signals in the rear. They're required in Europe and other parts of the world, but not here. Much safer to have a dedicated turn signal bulb in the back in my opinion. Of course, that won't make people from New Jersey use their signals....

[Chuck_thehammer]

Motorcycles built for the US market .. Must have headlight/running lights ON...

Ohio has a Law.. if windshield wipers are On, so must the headlights..

I turn on running lights right after I start the engine on my Ford. trailer or not.

but people still turn left in front of motorcycles with headlights on.(number one cause of motorcycle wrecks)

[Homer1]

I am with ROMOR many people do not realize that DRL's do not turn on the tail lights and at dusk this is menacing.

[JIMNLIN]

I turn my DRL off in the day time in her chevy Impala and 1500 truck. Our roads around here are two lane which make judging distance critical for a safe pass.
Towing or not towing when it comes time to pass in a area marked for passing who needs to take a peek from behind a slow vehicle and see a vehicle down the road with his bright lites on. You can't tell if he is one mile or 200-300 yards down the road.

No DRL for me.

[MFL]

My wife has a bright red sport coupe, and I mean bright red! The daytime lights come on at a lower wattage, than night time lights. In the daytime you don't even notice the lights on, just the red. My 13 Ford truck has no DRL. Not sure if they can be activated, but rather not anyway.

Like mentioned, I also think motorcycle lights on all the time is a great idea. When riding a motorcycle, you need every advantage you can use for visibility. My street bike has really bright cat eye style lights, even on low and daytime. If I am on a state hi-way and see a vehicle approaching from a side road during daytime, I flick them to bright. This goes from bright, to really bright, would be hard not to notice. Also, I am looking at this time, for an option, if that vehicle does pull out in front of me.

Agree with Cummins, no matter the vehicle, your best option, is to be a defensive driver. Riding a motorcycle since I was 13, has made me a defensive driver! Hey, I'm still alive.

Jerry

[dodge_guy]

Not needed. Never found a reason to have them on.

Are you saying you are passing people on 2 lane roads while towing?!!! with or without lights on that's very dangerous! I have been behind slow moving cars while towing and I just wait. much safer than trying to pass at 60 with 60 feet of vehicle!

DRL`s don`t offer much in safety, more of a "make you feel safe" feature.

[Cummins12V98]

I run my parking lights and fog lights when towing in daylight. I use my seat belt. I do so because "I" think it's the right thing for ME to do. I don't need the NANNY telling me what to do.

Problem is people become used to these safety items and it becomes the norm no different than neon being required to be worn on job sites. It just becomes a sea of neon and nothing is distinct anymore.

Best is to always be a defensive driver.

[SoundGuy]

Bumpyroad wrote:
just what we need, more govt. intrusion into our lives.

You'd prefer death instead? :R

Here in Canada DRLs have been required since Dec 1, 1989 so it wouldn't even cross my mind to question the value ... 'cause there is no question about it. 🙂

[Bumpyroad]

just what we need, more govt. intrusion into our lives.
bumpy

[rhagfo]

fj12ryder wrote:
One thing we don't need is more laws. Sorry.

Tell the car companies to put them on their cars. They're the ones you need to talk to, so go to the source. I agree that they don't really do anything, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

While I agree we don't need more laws, stop and think about all the warning labels on power equipment. Not required by law, but required to protect the manufactures from law suits from stupid users, defeating safety features or using in a manner never intended.

To the study of lights on preventing accidents, tough for a study to document an accident that never happened because one of the drivers had head lights or Day time running lights on.

I have been driving with headlights on since 1967, how many times has it saved me from an accident I can't tell you as the accident that would have happened just didn't not even a close call. The other driver saw me because I had my lights on coming out of a dark shadow on a sunny day.

back in the day of sealed beam head lights I would date my bulbs when replaced I averaged between two to three years of bulb life.

The other thing I noticed was the number of people that would flash their lights at me to tell me I had mine on!!!

[Old-Biscuit]

Having ridden motorcycles for most of my life I always rode with headlight on....on HIGH BEAM. Anything to be more noticeable.
By 1980 MOST motorcycle headlights came on when ignition key was turned on.

Don't know if it really helped but riding with them on gave me a 'feeling' I was a bit more conspicuous.

Because of that habit I always turn vehicle headlights on also (never had one with DRLs)

Studies or not to me others are more noticeable when they have their headlights on in daytime.

A LAW...........no thanks!
There are way too many laws as it is.
Passing a new law does NOT mean compliance.
CA (and I bet other states) passed a law that drivers had toturn headlights on if using wipers. Well, dang common sense would dictate if it is raining (using wipers) then turning headlights on would be smart.
People are stupid...law didn't change that

Better method (other then revenue generator) would have been an education campaign.......starting with Driver's ED in high school.

[GordonThree]

donn0128 wrote:
DRLs are an option on Ram trucks. All an owner needs to do is have the dealer turn the feature on.

Do you have any supporting documentation on that?

DRL was not an option on my 13 Ram, had two dealers check. The only option they could find was to reflash the computer with Canada set as the sale country.

[romore]

You can't take the Fisherman out of this Camper wrote:
It's the law here in Canada.... and my 2006 Chateau does NOT have them!! :S Probably built in the US of A!!

They would have been activated to pass inspection and be registered, they have either malfunctioned or been disabled. We are so used to them that we notice their absence when traveling in the U.S. I respectfully disagree with gbopp, they do make a difference in situations where visibility is reduced and being able to spot cars with neutral colors. Any color that blends in like white on snow covered roads is hard to see. One issue though is drivers who forget to turn the headlights on at night, the rear of the vehicle is not visible until it's too late.

[donn0128]

DRLs are an option on Ram trucks. All an owner needs to do is have the dealer turn the feature on.