Community Forums

Monacoach · 12-25-2019, 05:41 AM

Why do Americans not use their headlights in dark snowy or rainy weather? I ask this question after changing lanes and almost putting a car with no headlights on, in the ditch.

My guess is because newer vehicles have the dash lit up during the day hence no thought of putting the headlights on?

So many Americans drive around with no headlights oblivious that they are at risk.

Is it time for America to adopt daytime running lights or perhaps better technology to nudge you guys to put your lights on?

1st-tt2018 · 12-25-2019, 05:47 AM

I haven't owned a vehicle without DRL since 2007...and now they have auto headlights...
But I agree with you...wish more people would use the dang things.

Podivin · 12-25-2019, 05:57 AM

Well now, I have a hard time believing that absolutely no one in whatever country you're from EVER drives without their headlights on when it's dark or stormy. Humans are humans no matter where from, and they all do stupid stuff from time to time.

And for all you know, that WAS a fellow countryman of yours, and on different forum somewhere else he's bemoaning the crazy American in his overly large RV that nearly ran him off the road last night.

Like the gent above, in general I agree with you, even more so if you were to substitute 'people' for 'Americans'.

steve52 · 12-25-2019, 06:09 AM

The ones that really get me are the morons who deliberately shut off their DRLs.

Why? There is absolutely NO advantage to turning them off.

**Spdracr39** · 12-25-2019, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monacoach

Why do Americans not use their headlights in dark snowy or rainy weather? I ask this question after changing lanes and almost putting a car with no headlights on, in the ditch.

My guess is because newer vehicles have the dash lit up during the day hence no thought of putting the headlights on?

So many Americans drive around with no headlights oblivious that they are at risk.

Is it time for America to adopt daytime running lights or perhaps better technology to nudge you guys to put your lights on?

DRL's have been law in new vehicles for many years. Auto on headlights have been standard equipment in most vehicles for a few years also. Laws against drinking and driving have been on the books for an eternity. You can make laws or build technology all you want but you can't make morons do the right thing. Please don't clump all Amercans into this category as the vast majority of us do the right thing.

Monacoach · 12-25-2019, 06:21 AM

I am Canadian and drl s are law here. I say Americans because it is not the law in America hence the difference in percentage of drivers who choose or forget to put their headlights on. I would say aprox 30 % of Americans run around without headlights in gloomy weather compared to approx 2 % in Canada. The only difference is that Canadian vehicles don't have the option of running without lights.

KanzKran · 12-25-2019, 06:42 AM

One big reason for folks not turning on their headlights (with running lights) in the dark is that the dashboard is usually lit regardless of outside light status. In the good old days, if headlights weren’t on, the dash was dark. You figured it out with the first glance down. People get used to auto-on headlights, and (I guess) it’s easy to overlook it when they don’t come on automatically.

Some of the instruments in my Grand Cherokee, like the speedometer and tach, are just video images, but the controls and small gauges like fuel are mechanical and lit all the time. So maybe it’s not so easy to not run dash lights all the time.

What I don’t get is if a vehicle has auto-on headlights, and someone switches them off, why don’t the manufacturers add a warning in the form of an indicator light, maybe with a little chime, to warn that it’s dark out and that lights should be on. The circuitry and control logic is all there anyway, so it wouldn’t take any extra work to simply add a warning when the light switch is in the “off” position.

Or just do like the Canadian vehicles and run them anyway. Why the difference?

aether_one · 12-25-2019, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monacoach

I am Canadian and drl s are law here. I say Americans because it is not the law in America hence the difference in percentage of drivers who choose or forget to put their headlights on. I would say aprox 30 % of Americans run around without headlights in gloomy weather compared to approx 2 % in Canada. The only difference is that Canadian vehicles don't have the option of running without lights.

Do you not realize Canada is in america??

For spdracr39, if DRLs are law why does Ford (among others) still manufacture vehicles without DRLs? In Florida it is law to have your headlights on while it is raining; but I see Sheriff's Deputies in Ford vehicles driving in the rain all the time with no headlights (or DRLs) on. Sooo despite the good sense to drive with headlights on in low visibility conditions, if you don't enforce the laws you can't get the oblivious to follow them.

MRUSA14 · 12-25-2019, 06:56 AM

In most states the law states that headlights must be on when when the windshield wipers are in use. As the newer cars become computerized, this is now often done automatically.

Finance · 12-25-2019, 06:58 AM

No, what the U.S. needs is driver training. It’s far too easy to get a license (and keep one).

Technology is no substitute for a good driver -well, that may be untrue in the near future.

Monacoach · 12-25-2019, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfryman

Do you not realize Canada is in america??

For spdracr39, if DRLs are law why does Ford (among others) still manufacture vehicles without DRLs? In Florida it is law to have your headlights on while it is raining; but I see Sheriff's Deputies in Ford vehicles driving in the rain all the time with no headlights (or DRLs) on. Sooo despite the good sense to drive with headlights on in low visibility conditions, if you don't enforce the laws you can't get the oblivious to follow them.

Thankyou for the lesson in geography. So when I hear the phrase make America great again I will assume it includes Canada.

In Canada the drl law is mandated to the vehicle which makes it difficult not to obey.

God bless America which includes Canada and Mexico and all of south America to I guess.....

Merry Christmas.

Isaac-1 · 12-25-2019, 07:12 AM

One down side to daytime running lights is that they don't also operate the tail lights, so when it gets dark people with daytime running lights are more prone to not notice that their headlights are off, and are therefore at a greater risk of being rear ended.

As to people driving without headlights in gloomy conditions, I see this as a two fold problem, first people not paying attention when they are driving, and secondly people relying on automatic headlight sensors which don't think it is dark enough to to need headlights yet.

Ike

p.s. a couple of days ago at the end of twilight I was passed by a state trooper driving without his headlights on, proof that even police make such mistakes.

rlott2k · 12-25-2019, 08:12 AM

Most all police vehicles are supplied without drl so they can e used in stealth mode during searchs, stings, etc.
Yes a ridiculous problem with Drls is the (usually) your hi beams are on at a lower voltage, your dash lights are on ( if you have a newer electronic display) yet your tail lights are off. See many people oblivious to this condition driving in the dark.
As a safety feature my Ford will turn on the lights after the wipers are on for more than 5 or 6 wipes.
I prefer to leave them on automatic regardless.

sanda · 12-25-2019, 05:46 PM

We have little traffic enforcement anymore. No consequences for how we drive. There is currently no law requiring DRL's in the USA. Some companies like GM have put them on as standard equipment for years. DRL's can also be defeated usually by making one click on the e brake. Point is you just cant fix stupid.