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.

[mich800]

slickest1 wrote:
All the vehicles I have had here in Canada have had DTRL's |They only come on half as bright as the low beam. The tail lights do not come on which I personally think they should be on as well.

My 2008 F250 was originally a export to Canada so it has the DRL. But at least for this one it is just the regular low beams that come on when the vehicle is put in gear. Not a lower powered light.

[Bumpyroad]

DE88ROX wrote:


I haven't had to turn on my truck lights since 2000.

I leave my lights on auto and don't frequently have to change that to on. but unless you leave your lights on 24/7/365 if you don't turn them on what do you do when you enter a stretch of road that requires headlights on? during the day?
bumpy

[DE88ROX]

DRL's should be mandatory for all car makers. Its such a simple feature, I don't understand why it isn't already.

I haven't had to turn on my truck lights since 2000.

[OldRadios]

Our bikes both have headlights and taillights on all the time. I changed mine to all LED which are visible from an even greater distance. Don't ride with the brights on though as it's not necessary. Both my wife's and my '15 Fords have programmable daytime running lights. Mine also has LED running lights that are always on.

I sometimes remember to turn the headlights on on the RV but not always. This summer I had a guy pull out from a side road right in front of me. How do you not see a motor home 30 feet from you? Not sure lights would have helped. Swerved and missed him by not more than an inch. Good thing there was no oncoming traffic.

[D_E_Bishop]

The busser thingy is cool but how will it help me to remember to turn the lights on?

I can continue on as I have been and when I go to signal a passing semi it is clear to pull over, if the lights aren't on I get reminded to turn them on.

I just like to tinker and I'm sure a series of searches will lead me to what I want, "automation and not memory".

[dodge_guy]

Matt_Colie wrote:
For a time, I worked at processing accident data at NHSTA. We collected a lot of data and first sorted out the motorcycles that either were in states that required the headlight on or those that had the switch that did not allow the headlight to be turned off. We expected to prove that the light on was a big deal....

Nope....
It was a manufacturer choice then, but it is a DOT rule that motorcycles not be able to shut down the headlight(s).

What we did run into that was neat was that the European cars with a fog taillight (an auxiliary bright taillight that comes on with the fog lights) were vastly more likely to be rear-ended in the daylight if they had the fog lights on.
The best we could figure was that this was a result of the fog taillight reducing the impact of the brake lights.

Isn't data fun?

Matt

Thanks for bringing up the rear fog lamp that the Euro's seem to love. To me it looks like a brake light on with one of them out.

Pay attention when you drive and none of this goofy nanny stuff is necessary!

[fj12ryder]

Data is absolute, interpretation of that data is another story altogether. 🙂

[Matt_Colie]

For a time, I worked at processing accident data at NHSTA. We collected a lot of data and first sorted out the motorcycles that either were in states that required the headlight on or those that had the switch that did not allow the headlight to be turned off. We expected to prove that the light on was a big deal....

Nope....
It was a manufacturer choice then, but it is a DOT rule that motorcycles not be able to shut down the headlight(s).

What we did run into that was neat was that the European cars with a fog taillight (an auxiliary bright taillight that comes on with the fog lights) were vastly more likely to be rear-ended in the daylight if they had the fog lights on.
The best we could figure was that this was a result of the fog taillight reducing the impact of the brake lights.

Isn't data fun?

Matt

[Bumpyroad]

slickest1 wrote:
Most pickups and cars now that have a person sitting in the back seat cause the lights to shine up higher in to oncoming traffic. .

If I had a truck sprung so lightly that it would do this, I would junk it.
bumpy

[slickest1]

All the vehicles I have had here in Canada have had DTRL's |They only come on half as bright as the low beam. The tail lights do not come on which I personally think they should be on as well.

The assertion that they are blinding people is ridiculous as many of the other claims of that group.

I agree that Motorcycles should have low beam lights on as well but High Beams in the daylight can be blinding.

Many of the newer vehicles have horrendous lights on them that are hard to meet at night. I thought they had to meet some standard but that seems to have gone away too. Most pickups and cars now that have a person sitting in the back seat cause the lights to shine up higher in to oncoming traffic.
And then there is all the LED lights that seem way too bright.

Who needs more laws? The common sense laws that are on the books are not being enforced.

[rhagfo]

D.E.Bishop wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

D.E.Bishop wrote:
We have four motor vehicles and only one has DRLs. I looked for aftermarket kits for the others and they all seem to have so many other functions I don't want or need and they include LED head lights. Can anyone offer a after market kit that uses the existing lights and wiring?

I can and do add things to my electrical systems in the vehicles and the S&B so it's not a biggy.

I am also looking for a simple lights on when wipers are on kit. I can built my own but really like potted or weather tight products rather than just hanging switches and relays all over the place.

That would be the kit that I have used for the last 48 years, I turn on the light switch when I get in the car, it is called a habit.
In the 48 years I lost one battery because I left them on. now with almost all cars having a buzzer that warn the lights are left on, not a problem.

You can't take the fisherman out of this camper wrote:
Wow.. interesting responses! I didn't think this was THAT big of a deal!! My Chateau Motor Home does not have DRL's. The first time I drove it on a very foggy day (near Ottawa by the way) my wife had to remind me to turn my headlights on because my other vehicles all have DRL's and headlights that come on automatically at dusk. I've taken the Chateau in for service and I'm told it did not come equipped with the relay required for DRL's! Too bad! At my age my eyes and brain clearly tell me I can see on-coming vehicles better when their DLR's or headlights are on.. so I think I would prefer to be safe rather than sorry... or dead. Even if I am already older than some of my friends who have 'gone on before'!!

rhagfo, I appreciate your comment, however, sometimes I just don't remember to turn them on and I'm not sure if my Winnie has the "lights on" alarm but my Bounder did not.

Light buzzer

[westend]

Not sure if he was being sarcastic or not... GM products are supposed to have both lights on, but my observations are that the majority of GM products have one of those lights out most of the time. I think its hilarious that GM still is unable to make such a simple system work consistently...

I'm sure GM electrical engineers have tried to make the DRL system durable. On the other hand, GM does sell replacement bulbs. BTW, these same engineers are the ones that designed vehicles with brake and tail light functionality through the hazard flasher circuit. Lose the functionality of the mechanical hazard flasher and you lose all tail light function. 😞

I see many vehicles, now, that have headlights and fog lights operating together. IMO, that is a sure-fire recipe for bulb replacement. I also notice this with the newer HID light equipped vehicles. Why anyone needs fog lights on when they have a huge illuminating HID bulb is a mystery. I guess more is better. The above would also be true for vehicles with a row of LED's across the lense? Why have that operating with all the rest?

Oh yeah, one more peeve--when the key is turned "off" in certain GM vehicles, the back up/reverse light is illuminated. More than once, I've stopped in a parking lot, unsure if the vehicle is about to back up into the traffic lane.

[Fizz]

More fuel to the fire...

Seatbelts save lives, it's proven fact.
Airbags were mandated because idiots refuse to use seat belts.

[Stefonius]

tomman58 wrote:
I thank GM for thinking of safety.

GM isn't thinking of safety, they're thinking of money. DRLs are required by law in Canada, and a lot of GM vehicles built in the USA and Canada cross the border for sale. It costs GM an extra $1.40 (I forget the exact amount, but it really is trivial) to make cars both ways, so they just put DRLs on every vehicle instead of only doing it where it is legally required. They don't give a hoot about safety... Heck, they only added 5 MPH bumpers, airbags, safety belts, shoulder belts and safety glass to vehicles when it was mandated by the government. Their only concern is profit, just like every other capitalist enterprise.

[Sport45]

spoon059 wrote:
GM products are supposed to have both lights on, but my observations are that the majority of GM products have one of those lights out most of the time. I think its hilarious that GM still is unable to make such a simple system work consistently...

Probably not a majority, but they're certainly the ones you notice. 😉