Why do drivers have headlights on during the day?

Why do so many drivers have their headlights on all day? I thought only Volvo cars would have headlights on but, staying near London for the past 10 years, I have noticed that all London Transport buses have their headlights on all day regardless of the weather. Moreover, I have noticed a large number of non-Volvo cars which have headlights on all day including the well lit siummer days.

If the bus company state that heaving headlights on increases visibility I would say that something bright red, about 9 foot tall and 35 foot long does not really need headlights to be visible...

Or is it Secret groups who are 'brighting' or sensitising individuals to a stimulus?

Any answers please?

[edit on 7/6/2008 by Heronumber0]

I know that a lot of private citizen types drive with their lights on because it makes their car easier to see, but as for why the London buses do it...why not contact the transit authority and ask?

I think you can put your worries to bed concerning secret groups driving with lights on in the day time.

It was about ten years ago that I also noticed lights on autos during the day. I soon realized that manufactures were making vehicles that upon ignition the lights would come on. It is a safety feature.

Sometimes in the USA we drive with our lights on to draw attention to a special day or issue.

I purchased a 2007 truck last year whose lights are on while driving day and night. It makes it difficult to sneak up on someone at night.

Most newer model vehicles are equiped with "daytime running lights". Just like the above poster mentioned, its to help see the vehicle to avoid wrecks.

if the public transportation routes go into tunnels they were once required to have headlights on... perhaps the present day lights-on policy is a carry over

but to really have public transport visible, they may want to put those strobe lights on top of the cab, all school buses now have those attention getting flashing strobes here in Carolina USA.

I am not sure it is due to high visibility. These 'citizen' types seem to be driving with full or tampered headlights on in broad daylight on sunny days, on open roads and motorways.

In the video below notice that a large number of cars are circling around a 'quite' sidestreet. In the top centre of the video, note the large number of cars making U-turns. Moreover, note the amount of people who have headlights on - coincidence or deliberate action?

In Scotland we generally call these type of drivers " Women "

No idea why others leave there lights on, but thumbs up from me for this very intruiging post.

A daytime running lamp (DRL, also daylight running lamp or daytime running light) is a lighting device on the front of a roadgoing motor vehicle, installed in pairs, automatically switched on when the vehicle is moving forward, and intended to increase the conspicuity of the vehicle during daylight conditions. DRLs might have been first seriously proposed in 1961 in the USA, in response to Texas then-Governor Price Daniels' drive-safely campaign.

Link

U-turns are legal in alot of the states, unless you live in Ohio.

Thanks for the rational and pragmatic replies and I accept that some cars will have a mechanism to have the lights on during motion. However, used in a careful, specific manner, this can be a powerful psychological method to sensitise others. A useful definition of this technique is presented here:

Brighting

Brighting used in Gang Stalking as a form of Torture or Threat
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1. Mobile
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a. This involves a vehicle parked on the roadside with headlights on facing the subject as he/she walks or drives by. The car may then drive away just after the subject sees the truck/car to further target the subject.
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b. A parked vehicle with headlights on in front of the subject's house that drives away when the subject looks out the window.
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c. An oncoming car with High Beams on in a location where they should not be used and are not dimmed!!
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The above two overt tactics are done initially to sensitize the subject.
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Then the brighting may continue by one or more vehicles parked in a store parking lot with headlights on as subject drives by or vehicles parked in their own driveways with their headlights on as the subject drives by.
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These tactics are then done many, many times thereafter to torture and threaten the subject as he/she drives by.
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c. Turning on High beams in normal driving conditions where they should not be used!!
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Urban Dictionary


IMHO, this is another use of daytime headlights.

My 1998 Ford has its lights on whenever the ignition is on. The 'day' lights are dimmer than the 'night' lights, which you still have to turn on when it gets dark. Switching on the headlamps also activates the tail lights, which are not on with the 'day' lights.
I remember there was a study which proved that cars were more visible during the day with lights on, so that is why they started making them that way.

www.ibiblio.org...

In the following video, I could not count the number of cars with full beams on but it looks like approximately more than half of the cars have headlights on. Would this be a rough figure for the number of cars that are on the road in the East Bay area or is this an anomaly? If it is an anomaly to the usual rationalisation of use of Daylight Running Lamps has to be revised with a new explanation i.e. viz these persons knew that the individual recording the video would be in their area.

In other words, is this a gangstalking video or coincidence?

reply to post by Heronumber0


Several posters have stated correctly in regards to most manufactures are now equipping their vehicles with "daytime running lights" as a safety feature. My state has been trying to pass a law for years requiring drivers to have their headlights on during the daytime (Safety reasons). It always ends up drowning out in the assembly. In a way I’m glad it does because I can’t for the life of me see myself issuing summonses because someone does not have their headlights on in the daytime. I think some of my state assemblymen need to lose their limo chauffeurs, get back behind the wheel like the rest of us, and remember where they came from.



[edit on 7-6-2008 by En4cer]

reply to post by Heronumber0


I personally drive with with my side lights on during the day as a precaution against the increased onslaught of idiotic blind drivers that have appeared on our roads over the last decade.

All the best,

NeoN HaZe


[edit on 7-6-2008 by Neon Haze]

My car has DRL's, I am in no way affiliated with any gang's nor have I ever stalked anyone. Im not sure I understand what you are implying. But I can agree that gang's do have methods of stalking. But I could not imagine every car with their lights on in the daytime are stalking someone.

reply to post by Heronumber0


Probably just terrorists signalling to each other, lol
But seriously, I think it's meant to make you more visible for safety reasons. The downside is you lose some economy and in this day in age I'd rather save fuel even at the cost of a few pedestrians

[edit on 7/6/08 by styxxz]

In some European countries it is illegal to drive without your headlights on. They must be on at all times, even during the day. As others above me have stated visibility is the main argument. Motorists will judge oncoming vehicles to be closer if they have their lights on, decreasing the risk of an ill-timed overtaking manoeuvre and resulting head-on collisions. I believe this is the reason for London buses to do so. They're visible enough as is, but the psychological effect of judging an oncoming bus to be closer than it really is might prevent accidents.

Studies have concluded that the number of deaths in traffic would decrease by dozens if everybody were to have their headlights on at any and all times.

No offense to any of the posters who drive with their headlights on during the daytime as a precautionary measure but I tend to feel your efforts may be SOMEWHAT in vain. Yes every little bit helps but unfortunately it comes down to mathematics. Every year more and more drivers operate on our roadways increasing the number of accidents (Accidents have gone up every year in my jurisdiction over the past 15 years – so has the volume of drivers). Getting back to the headlights, the majority of drivers here don’t even yield the right of way for lights and sirens on emergency vehicles so I don’t find too much reassurance in having your headlights on in the daytime as an added safety feature. The state assembly and senate here promote the safety significance of this issue but are really drooling at the back end of it which is another way to generate revenue from drivers. I'm not saying don't do it. If it makes you feel safer when you drive than by all means do so. I just don't see the reality of it for now IMO.

reply to post by Symer


Statistics are often misleading. Some studies in this area show daytime running lights make it easier to see approaching vehicles, but harder to judge distance and speed, so this could actually add to the number of accidents. Because I always look for the money trail I ask who did the study and for whom? Was it a private firm contracted by the government or indirectly for the government? If it was then most likely the root cause is to place another law on the books which in return will generate more revenue for the state.

Originally posted by En4cer
Yes every little bit helps but unfortunately it comes down to mathematics. Every year more and more drivers operate on our roadways increasing the number of accidents (Accidents have gone up every year in my jurisdiction over the past 15 years – so has the volume of drivers).

Risk analysis and Risk assessment are two separate things my friend.

Yes it is logical to state that due to an increase in traffic there will be an increase in accidents..

It is however illogical to state that due to the increase in traffic that the chances of being in accident increase.

If having your side lights on decreases the chances I will be in an accident then I have no choice in the matter... unless I feel placing myself and my passengers in an increasing amount of danger is choice...

All the best,

NeoN HaZe

[edit on 7-6-2008 by Neon Haze]

reply to post by En4cer


Then what do you say to the numerous studies done in different countries that show a decrease in accidents with DRL on?

www.ibiblio.org...

Just a small sample. Check out the link for complete list.

North American Studies

Some DRL critics have attempted to undermine the unequivical results of international studies on the grounds that driving conditions in Scandinavian countries are not comparable to North American driving conditions. The following studies utterly refute this assertion

Cantilli, E. J.: Accident experience with parking lights as running lights. Highway Research Record Report No. 32. National Research Council, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC, 1970.
In the United States, a small-scale fleet study conducted in the 1960s found an 18-percent lower daytime, multiple-vehicle crash rate for DRL-equipped vehicles.

Stein, H. S.: Fleet experience with daytime running lights in the United States. Technical Paper 851239. Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, PA. 1985.
In a much larger fleet study conducted in the 1980s, more than 2,000 passenger vehicles in three fleets were equipped with DRLs.

One fleet operated in Connecticut, another in several States in the Southwest, and the third operated throughout the United States. A 7-percent reduction was found in daytime multiple-vehicle crashes in the DRL-equipped vehicles compared with control vehicles.

Aurora, H., et al.: Effectiveness of daytime running lights in Canada. TP 12298 (E). Transport Canada, Ottawa, 1994.
In a study in Canada comparing 1990 model year vehicles (required to have DRLs) with 1989 vehicles, a statistically significant 11-percent reduction in daytime multiple-vehicle crashes other than rear-end impacts was estimated. This estimate was adjusted to take into account the fact that about 29 percent of 1989 vehicles were fitted with DRLs. Collisions involving pedestrians, pedalcyclists, motorcyclists, and heavy trucks and buses were not included in this study.

Sparks, G. A., et al.: The effects of daytime running lights on crashes between two vehicles in Saskatchewan: a study of a government fleet. Accid Anal. Prev 25: 619-625 (1991).
In another Canadian study, crashes of vehicles with and without DRLs in a government fleet in Saskatchewan were compared with a random sample of crashes involving vehciles without DRLs. The estimated reduction in daytime two-vehicle crashes was 15 percent. When the analysis was limited to two-vehicle collisions most likely to be affected by DRLs--involving vehicles approaching from the front or side--the estimated reduction was 28 percent.

Society of Automotive Engineers Inc., Automotive Engineering Vol. 102 ; No. 8 ; Pg. 35; ISSN: 0098-2571 (August, 1994).
In 1994 Avis, Inc. announced the results of a traveler-safety study analyzing the incidence and degree of damage to cars equipped with daytime running lights; the study showed a significantly greater degree of damage to those without daytime running lights (DRLs). Those equipped with DRLs have their headlights on at all times and are more visible to other drivers. During the day, they are on at an 80% power level; in the dark they operate at 100%.

Damage severity in the non-DRL group (measured in terms of cost) was 69% greater than that of the DRL-equipped fleet. Only the non-DRL vehicles experienced damage in excess of $15,000. The Avis study involved 1500 cars with DRLs, and 1500 without, representing approximately 29,000 rentals in eight cities in Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington.

[edit on 7-6-2008 by TheComte]