jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Most cars have daytime running lights (DRL) now. Do you remember an early attempt at DRLs, probably in the 1960s? You could buy a small white light that you put in the center of your grill. It would turn on when your car turned on. They were fairly popular, but the trend died out.

When it came time for real DRLs, it was a political nightmare, which is typical. Back in about 1957, when GM wanted four headlights, there was a nationwide scramble to change lots of state laws to allow them. Even now, most states limit the number of lights you can use on the road. That's why added lights do not light up when the high beams are turned on. There are also restrictions on the color of lights you can have on your car.

tramsey Loc: Texas

My dad put one of those running lights on his car. He said it was to keep the crazies from running over him.

flip1948 Loc: Hamden, CT

My first car with daytime running lights was a 1997 Cavalier. I wasn't sure about them at first, but after a while it became obvious that I was being "noticed" a lot more.

There were times when I was sure a driver wanted to pull out of a side street right in front of me...but stopped.

pendennis

The Canadians ordered daytime running lights, the low beams running on reduced voltage. Idea was to get drivers' attention of oncoming traffic. We shipped cars and truck to Canada, which required special voltage regulator, fusing, harnesses, etc., to comply.

Question remains, though, is if every car has daytime running lights, how is that anything special?

RiJoRi Loc: Sandy Ridge, NC

Probably depends on the traffic density. It might not matter much in Manhattan, but hereabouts (where 6 cars in a row is "rush hour") it would help.

My rule of thumb is: Would I see that oncoming car better if their lights were on? If so, I turn mine on. (Of course, this is in addition to state laws!)

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

In Florida (and I am sure elsewhere) the law requires headlights to be turned on when it rains - it would be logical for the headlights to come on automatically when the wipers are turned on, but I don't know of any car that has that feature. I like the "auto-on" feature that turns them on when it gets dark.

cbabcock

My 2013 Jeep GC has auto wipers, and when it rains they come on, and turn on the headlights, too. The running lights are on at all other times.

stu352 Loc: MA/RI Border

Jeeps and many others now have the wiper/headlight on feature, though it can be enabled or disabled in the setup menu. The auto headlight on when dark is there too. the automatic high to low beam when a car approaches is available, but I disabled mine since it got faked out too many times, flashing my headlights like I was signaling someone.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Then, ofc, there are fog lights, which really look cool.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

When I pull out onto a highway, I notice the cars with lights much more than those without. I'm surprised that DRL aren't required on all cars now.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

On a different but related note, is the brightness of the running lights and headlights on newer cars and trucks. The brightness of those headlights, even during the daytime, is extreme and in my view dangerous to oncoming traffic. At night they are even more dangerous. I have good night vision but it is typically destroyed when a pair of those come into my field of view. Also, many trucks drivers aren’t satisfied with just a pair of fender height headlights - they have a matching pair mounted on their bumpers that also throw half a million lumens each of dazzling white light a half mile down the road. I at first thought these folks had their high beams on, but upon flashing mine to remind them to lower their headlights, they turned their high beams on. Some yayhoos even mount these stupid LED light bars on the front of their trucks and if you flash your high beams to signal them to switch to their low beams, they will turn the light bar on in an attempt to totally blind you. Older cars with incandescent bulbs aren’t a problem as our eyes are less sensitive to longer wavelengths. But the blue-white light transmitted by these newer headlights are in the spectrum our eyes are most sensitive to. Headlight power and emission spectrum needs to be regulated to a range where oncoming traffic isn’t night blinded by it.

Stan

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

My 2018 Subaru Legacy has a neat feature. On a dark road, the high beams will come on until it detects front or rear lights of cars in front or coming at you. It also goes to low beams when my headlights reflect off traffic signs or other reflective surfaces. Discovered that by accident.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

I have daytime running lights on 3 cars. Today, even with the DRLs, I had people pull in front of me - one from the right lane to mine, the other from a side street to turn in front of me. Both times I had to swerve the car while hitting the brakes to a screeching sound and flash the headlights/horn. Both drivers acted like they were right in what they did and that I should be watching out for them! Two in a few hours on the road today!

The DRL lights could always be seen. Careless or didn't care??? Doesn't make much difference when you almost have an accident or have a very real one.

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

I have DRL's on both my cars. I can't tell you how many cars I see without their lights on when it's almost dark. DRL's allow me to be seen clearly everywhere and that's a safer way to travel.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Those "too-bright" lights are headlights, not DRL. I hope they are soon outlawed. They are a danger to anyone driving toward them. What's also annoying is drivers having their high beams on during the day. Motorcycles often do that.