Why do folks hate DRLs?

[subeysnow]

cuz idiots out there don't remember to turn on the lights during rain, mist, and sun down.

 

And for you cheap bastards that claim it wears down your bulb, maybe you save you money instead of buying expensive mods for your cars.

 

Cost of replacing bulbs is a poor excuse of disabling DRLS. You may not see the benefit, but others do cuz they see you.

[hutru01]

cuz idiots out there don't remember to turn on the lights during rain, mist, and sun down.

 

And for you cheap bastards that claim it wears down your bulb, maybe you save you money instead of buying expensive mods for your cars.

 

Cost of replacing bulbs is a poor excuse of disabling DRLS. You may not see the benefit, but others do cuz they see you.

 

First of all, lets refrain from calling us bastards. I happen to know my father. If its broad daylight, you are going to see me. If you don't see me, as I said earlier, you need to get your eyes checked. If its dark in anyway from rain, sleet, or snow, my lights and yelllow fogs will be on.

[Vimy101]

First of all, lets refrain from calling us bastards. I happen to know my father. If its broad daylight, you are going to see me. If you don't see me, as I said earlier, you need to get your eyes checked. If its dark in anyway from rain, sleet, or snow, my lights and yelllow fogs will be on.

 

The DRL function is to allow you to be seen earlier.

 

BTW, just because you know your father literally doesn't mean one isn't still a bastard.

[hutru01]

The DRL function is to allow you to be seen earlier.

 

I know this. I just like to debate to be honest.

[JensL]

Yes, you are visible during broad daylight, but with the lights on you're MORE visible.

The most dangerous time is when it's getting darker, it's too easy to either forget to put the lights on, or wait to long.

 

And Hutru01, if you drive at night with your regular headlights AND fogs on, you're doing something wrong. It's actually illegal too...here in Norway.

The fogs are meant for lighting up a few meters in front of the car, so that you can see better in...fog. The headlights will only light up the fog, and blind you.

Using both the headlights and the fogs, you're mildly blinded by the bright spot in front, and the long range visibility is severly reduced.

 

Also, you're blinding oncoming cars.

 

What's your arguments for NOT using the lights during daytime, hutru01?

[jerami1981]

i have never not seen a car coming at me, if i can see its lights in the day, i can see the car without the aid of their lights. Lots of people around here leave porch lights and street lights on 24/7, so a light is a light to me anymore, just like a car on the road is a car on the road. If you need them to have their lights on in the DAY LIGHT to see them, you either need corrective lenses, surgery of the eye or dont need to be driving. the only timne i have found lights are seen before the car are on vast stretches of highway where the car is many miles away, which could concern me less. All of this is simply my opinion of course.

[Vimy101]

^ You're entirely missing the point. DRL allow you to be seen earlier and see (notice) other cars earlier. Forewarned is forearmed.

[hutru01]

Yes, you are visible during broad daylight, but with the lights on you're MORE visible.

The most dangerous time is when it's getting darker, it's too easy to either forget to put the lights on, or wait to long.

 

And Hutru01, if you drive at night with your regular headlights AND fogs on, you're doing something wrong. It's actually illegal too...here in Norway.

The fogs are meant for lighting up a few meters in front of the car, so that you can see better in...fog. The headlights will only light up the fog, and blind you.

Using both the headlights and the fogs, you're mildly blinded by the bright spot in front, and the long range visibility is severly reduced.

 

Also, you're blinding oncoming cars.

 

What's your arguments for NOT using the lights during daytime, hutru01?

 

As I said earlier, DRLs are a waste of bulb life. Thats my opinion. HID bulbs are more expensive and a pain in the ass to replace. I hear you guys and all, but I just don't care about others seeing me with my lights on during the day. The difference is not enough for me to switch back to having them. The HIDs with the yellow fogs are so pretty though......especially coming down the interstate. I like the look of it. I am not blinding anyone. No one flickers their lights at me. I guess half the population is doing something wrong because that is what the majority of people do. You might want to stay in Norway with your completely biased opinions. I will continue to drive with my HIDs and yellow fogs at night and no lights during the day. With all that said, I don't have really have to justify why I do the things I do. Its not "illegal" to have fog lights here in the states.

[jerami1981]

my point was merely that unless i am on a vast stretch of road, with miles upon miles of clear visibility, i can see a car as soon as it is in line of sight, lights or no lights... night time is different obviously, but the topic isnt dusk or dark or dawn, its daytime, which i can see cars just fine for quite some distance.

 

Not saying they are wrong, i just dont get any benefit from them. They just seem to allow people to get more lax, look left, look right, no lights no cars..BAM. I look for cars when i look both ways and i never have trouble seeing as far as the road stretches both ways and seeing the cars on it, regardless of lights. I dont have problems of cars suddenly appearing on a road where the was no car prior because it wasnt visible due to no DRLS. I have however come across times when a car looked like a light post due to only having one light or being at a weird position on the road and discarded it as a car and assumed it was someones drveway lights mounted on the entrance to their driveway. The lights when at certain levels can also make it harder to judge the distance and velocity of the vehicle hidden behind them as they obscure what is behind the lights.

 

You want me to be seen earlier, put a yellow and green rotating strobe light on the roof of my car. Put blinking lights on, headlights to me are designed to help you see what is ahead of you in poor lighting situations, i do not think we should be counting on them as crash avoidance systems.

 

I think DRLS are more of a preference thing. I dont believe you can atrribute drops in accidents to cars with DRLs. If it makes you feel invincable, great, leave them on and i hope you never get hit. If you dont like them and it isnt against the law, leave them off and just pay attention which you should be doing anyhow.

[JensL]

Fair enough, hutru01, opinion is opinion.

I was having difficulties taking you seriously anyway.

 

By the way, "biased opinons"? How do you figure?

I've seen both scenarios in real life quite extensively, and seen the results of it.

Have you?

[Vimy101]

^ To Hutru:

 

Basically what you're saying as I understand it is that you prefer to increase risk to other drivers and ultimately to yourself by being less visible.

[hutru01]

Fair enough, hutru01, opinion is opinion.

I was having difficulties taking you seriously anyway.

 

By the way, "biased opinons"? How do you figure?

I've seen both scenarios in real life quite extensively, and seen the results of it.

Have you?

 

Yes, I have seen the scenario many times. It might in some rare cases, be the difference between a fender bender and a bad car wreck. I am just not that concerned. But really, don't take me serious, I do like to debate.

 

As for the biased opinion, you don't think the fact it is illegal in Norway has anything to do with how you feel about fog lights at night? You are actually the first person to make that comment to me.

[hutru01]

^ To Hutru:

 

Basically what you're saying as I understand it is that you prefer to increase risk to other drivers and ultimately to yourself by being less visible.

 

As for my car being visible.

 

A.) My car is white. It stands out.

B.) I have tinted windows. Attracts the cops attention, thats for sure.

C.) My car stays clean, therefore it shines. The sun reflects off of my car to blind you, so in a sense, I have DRLs all over my car as long as its sunny. What do you have to say about that?

 

[Vimy101]

^ You car stands out more with DLR which is the entire point of DLR. How visible is your car in snow?

[LittleBlueGT]

Here in Norway (and Scandinavia) it's obligatory for every vehicle to use the headlights during the day. It's been like this for quite a few years.

 

And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Cars are so much easier to see, it's easier to see how far away they are, and it's easier to spot an "active" car as opposed to a parked one.

 

When I see an imported car without any lights during the day, I'm amazed that anyone even considers the notion that DRL shouldn't be obligatory.

It's even more ridiculous when I visit countries that doesn't have DRL, for example Germany. I actually feel quite unsafe when driving there, it seems like all cars are switched off. :-)

 

The effectiveness will NOT be reduced if every car got their lights on during the day. A light is a light, no matter bus or bike.

Wouldn't it be better if buses and trucks drove on the other side of the road? Then they would be quite visible, right?

 

And this is absolutely not a misguided attempt at increasing safety. More european countries are introducing this. I just can't believe it took them so long.

 

What are the negative sides? You needing to buy an extra pair of bulbs per year for a few bucks? Are you kidding?

 

About the only sesnsible guy here. Thanks for giving us some sanity.

 

 

Not all government studies are right, but this one is 100%. If you don't agree with it you are wrong!

 

In Canada we have had daytime running lights for years. If someone in an old car does not have theirs on it makes a huge difference with me seeing them. I have 20/15 vision BTW.

 

I have seen on 1000s (no joke) of occasions where DRL help with visibility of other cars. Any simple test will show this.

 

I have on more then one occasion gone to pass a slower vehicle and seen a whole pile of cars coming towards me (all with DRLs) only to have one car w/o lights that is closer scare the crap out of me! Good thing for 320 wtrq! All this happens over and over on my commute to work even if there is no fog, or rain or anything to reduce visibility.

 

 

Sorry if I come off harsh, but it is true. The US is one of the only countries that has finally gotten some things figured out. Many countries in Europe has had this for years.

 

Example for the I hate DRLs guys: a few hundred years ago some locals say it is stupid to sail across the atlantic, you will fall off the world! We know better now. Not a your opinion my opinion thing, It is fact!

 

I know many will redicule me but I feel I have to do this for others safety. I know the odd person will read this and decide not to disable their DRLs, and may unknowingly save their lives.

 

What Subaru screwed up on is not having automatic lights. Many people (including my wife) have driven LGTs at night w/o the lights on and only DRLs, which is also very dangerous. Can you say rear-ender?

[JensL]

Yes, I have seen the scenario many times. It might in some rare cases, be the difference between a fender bender and a bad car wreck. I am just not that concerned. But really, don't take me serious, I do like to debate.

 

As for the biased opinion, you don't think the fact it is illegal in Norway has anything to do with how you feel about fog lights at night? You are actually the first person to make that comment to me.

 

Ah, a slight misunderstanding. I thought you were labelling me as biased because we use DRL in Norway, not the fog light issue.

The scenario I meant, was every car using DRL.

 

I must admit I was one of "them", using headlights and fogs at night. It's not that long ago it became illegal.

But then there was some discussion about it over here, and some tests being done. It's a fact that the fogs reduces your visible range at night, and that you blind oncoming cars. Your yellow ones might be a little dimmer, though.

 

It's legal to use parking lights + fogs in the day, but not at night.

 

And...just because something isn't illegal, doesn't necessarily make it smart. ;-)

[Vimy101]

The NAV is blindingly bright at night which reminds me to switch on the headlights.

[JensL]

Hehe...good points, LittleBlueGT! ;-)

 

Is it obligatory to use DRL in Canada? Interesting.

 

Actually, my EDM '07 Wagon got automatic driving lights AND the option to turn them completely off.

[KartRacerBoy]

Apparently Moderators, reposts are POPULAR! Reposts FTW! "Repost" posters are LOSERS!

 

I think we need a section of the forums devoted to reposts. Let's call it the "Nostalgia" section.

[KartRacerBoy]

First of all, lets refrain from calling us bastards. I happen to know my father.

 

You're taking all the fun out of this thread. How about Bitch? Are you a female dog? Or a nasty woman (ie, a wife)?

[KartRacerBoy]

The concept of daytime headlights is based on the idea that lights on during daytime = not normal so the brain picks up on it. It's why school buses and motorcycles do it.

 

If / when every car has its lights on during the day, the effectiveness will be greatly reduced and soon it'll be just like it was when nobody ran lights during the day. It'll also make it less safe for motorcyclists.

 

School buses are yellow for increased visibility. If every third vehicle was the same bright yellow, it would reduce the usefullness of having the color on buses. Same goes for DRLs -- it's a misguided attempt at increasing safety.

 

You might be right if every road you drive on is crowded. Where I am, that's no so. Most roads have a prime traffic time. So even if all cars use DRLs, if it's not a crowded road, there's a benefit. You see a car down the road sooner; it jumps out at you. And for anyone who drives on roads in rural areas, DRLs help them spot oncoming cars.

 

And as others have said, cost is minimal. Live with it.

[LittleBlueGT]

You might be right if every road you drive on is crowded. Where I am, that's no so. Most roads have a prime traffic time. So even if all cars use DRLs, if it's not a crowded road, there's a benefit. You see a car down the road sooner; it jumps out at you. And for anyone who drives on roads in rural areas, DRLs help them spot oncoming cars.

 

And as others have said, cost is minimal. Live with it.

 

Exactly right.

[Speedracerx]

I agree that the DRL provides a level of safety...that's why for years I have turned on my headlights during the day when I'm in two way traffic in rural areas...especially high speed areas like open country, farmland, etc.

 

In town, on the freeway, in the crowded suburbs, I don't do it, and I disconnected my DRL...why?

 

Partially because of reduced bulb life, but mainly because I have a habit of using my handbrake to slow my car down when I see a cop: no brake lights and no nose diving. If you have Suby DRLs, when you hit the handbrake, the DRLs go off! When I'm pulling up and releasing, then pulling up and releasing the handbrake, I'm signaling the cop to "look at me"!

 

Let the flame begin!

[KartRacerBoy]

Exactly right.

 

More evidence of my brilliance. Let the praise begin.

[KartRacerBoy]

I agree that the DRL provides a level of safety...that's why for years I have turned on my headlights during the day when I'm in two way traffic in rural areas...especially high speed areas like open country, farmland, etc.

 

In town, on the freeway, in the crowded suburbs, I don't do it, and I disconnected my DRL...why?

 

Partially because of reduced bulb life, but mainly because I have a habit of using my handbrake to slow my car down when I see a cop: no brake lights and no nose diving. If you have Suby DRLs, when you hit the handbrake, the DRLs go off! When I'm pulling up and releasing, then pulling up and releasing the handbrake, I'm signaling the cop to "look at me"!

 

Let the flame begin!

 

AS my gay friends say when they're hitting on other guys, FLAME ON!

 

I rather doubt the cop has a clue WHY your DRLs go off, so just burn up the hand brake Mr. Stealth and hold it on! Otherwise, you probably will draw his attention.