Why do drivers have headlights on during the day?

reply to post by En4cer
Could you explain how judging oncoming traffic to be closer than it actually is could lead to more accidents rather than less? Surely motorists in the adjacent lane would be less prone to risk taking if they believe I am closer?

Also, I was looking into some of the research done on this topic and found that apparently headlights cause oncoming traffic to be more alert in general. It was found that driving with lights on cause others to drive in a straighter line, they stuck to the middle of their lane better than when the camera car drove with lights off.

Furthermore, although personal examples are perhaps the shoddiest kind of arguments, I can say that cars with their lights on grab my attention better and earlier than cars that don't. So I would turn my lights on during daytime even without scientific backing and I appreciate it very much while on the road if others do the same.



[edit on 7/6/08 by Symer]

There seems to be some disagreement about the methodology used by Government sponsored organisations regarding DRL. I was astonished to find these passages:

The Austrian Parliament bans daytime running lights due to deaths of pedestrians and cyclists and motorcyclists

Link

and

Therefore standard tungsten halogen headlamp bulbs can burn out in between normal service intervals, putting the driver at risk when illumination is really needed for a driver to see and be seen during the hours of darkness.

and

The conclusion is that the EU Commission is trying to impose DRL on the world simply because Sweden changed from driving on the left hand side to the right hand side of the road and is neglecting to consider the environmental damage and dangers to vulnerable road users

from Drivers against DRL DaDRL


However, I will maintain from personal experience and the experience of Targeted Individuals worldwide, two examples of which have been shown already, that there is a malevolent use of headlights to terrorise/sensitise individuals. It only needs a few people and then unwitting drivers probably follow along in a herd instinct.

I’ve been investigating motor vehicle accidents for almost 20 years. I usually handle at least one accident a day if not more. Many times I’ve had operators state “I never saw him or her coming” and the other vehicle involved just happened to be one with DRL which are on. My opinion is based on the fact that I have handled a few thousand accidents in my career and I am all for operator and vehicle safety. However on this particular issue I don’t feel it makes a difference whether you have your headlights on or not during the daytime. I’m sorry but I don’t buy the stats on this one. Just MHO.

Pros and Cons of DRL

I can't tell you how many e-mails i've gotten over the years that have made grave and scary pronouncements about gang related initiations useing bright headlight flashes and only one headlight and a miriad of other scenarios on the use of head lights. All have been refuted and many are listed in Snopes(urban legends)!

search.atomz.com... e-range=-1&sp-x=any&sp-c=100&sp-m=1&sp-s=0

Zindo

Truck drivers drive with their lights on for safety reasons. Translation: anything to get the idiot four-wheelers to actually look up from their newspaper and see an 80-foot long, 8-foot wide, 13 1/2 foot high, 40-ton truck about to hit your aluminum can with wheels is a good thing.

In all seriousness, the human eye is attracted to light instinctively. Headlights, even during the day, will make someone notice a vehicle more than if the lights are off. The same principle is used for police 'disco lights'. The bright blue is an instinctive attention-grabber, especially when strobing.

TheRedneck

How about the fools that drive on a bleek, grey, rainy day with grey or black cars and NO lights on. They blend right in to the pavement are are nearly invisable in the spray and mist of the tires from other cars!!

Zindo

reply to post by Heronumber0
Regarding the first quote about Autria 'banning' DRL: the article states that the deaths of pedestrians may not have anything to do with DRL. A spokesperson for Austria's Board of Traffic Safety mentions that the increase in deaths is due to the mild winter which caused traffic to be heavier than usual. Also, they did not ban DRL, they are simply no longer giving out fines to those who drive around during daytime without lights on.

Just thought I'd mention that in California, if you are riding a motorcycle you must have your lights on at ANY TIME. I got pulled over at noon once on a sunny day because I didn't have my lights on.

My 1996 Pontiac's headlights are on all the time as well. Daylight Headlamps are there for safety, for your car will be more visible if you are going through fog, downpour, etc.

On my car, there's no way to shut the lights off, only switch to lowbeam or highbeam. I found a trick though, if you pull up a little bit on the handbrake (not enough to actually apply the brakes) all lights on the car will turn off, including the headlights. Unfortunately, this also turns off inside lights like on speedometer and stuff, and also this disengages the ETS (enhanced traction system) but I doubt that does anything anyway and is probably just a gimmick.

Originally posted by Symer
reply to post by En4cer

 

Furthermore, although personal examples are perhaps the shoddiest kind of arguments, I can say that cars with their lights on grab my attention better and earlier than cars that don't. So I would turn my lights on during daytime even without scientific backing and I appreciate it very much while on the road if others do the same.



[edit on 7/6/08 by Symer]

I think that people driving with lights on during the day is actually a distraction and dare I say a waste of energy.

If I am driving facing oncoming traffic in the middle of the day and a car had his headlights on I find it hugely distracting and while drawing your attention to the car might be the
idea I cannot see how it can dramatically improve safety.
If you cannot see another car in broad daylight then you shouldn't be
driving imo.
In wet / cloudy / foggy conditions it is a good idea of course but otherwise I think it is unhelpful and irritating.

Does anyone else feel the same?

[edit on 7-6-2008 by pmexplorer]

I never thought about the lights on all day in my car, because mine are automatic, I don't have to turn them on or off.

Originally posted by Heronumber0

from Drivers against DRL DaDRL

Drivers against DRL?

That must be a fun bunch. Sounds like utter nonsense. Perhaps turn-signals are also a conspiracy?

Here in Alaska lights are required to be on while on a highway all day for obvious, to most, safety reasons. It is especially important for Motorcycles.

FYI- Red is the hardest color to see. That may explain your buses.

I travel often and rent many different vehicles. I'd say nearly half the new cars have either the option to set a sensor to turn lights on and off or they are on all the time. The more expensive vehicles mostly have the DRL's. I'm guessing you have mainly driven older cars or low end cars?

I think you are grasping at straws to even begin to think an automotive safety feature is a conspiracy. This is a BTS topic at best.

Not sure if anyone else has posted this but DRL's also do not allow anyone to hide in dark areas even at night. One cannot simply idle with the lights off, hidden from view, at least not easily. I think this is more likely a reason for making it mandatory than others.

In Canada, any new car sold must have DRL and they cannot be disengaged.

After reading more, I now understand. It is a combination of Environmental Activists and Animal Rights Activists. Do they have the Australian Government under their thumbs I wonder? They are taking control of ours I know. Do they have control of the EU as well?

The problem for animals may be legitimate, but the adding to pollution point is beyond ridiculous. I don't think DRL's are putting our planet at risk To people who actually drive it is obvious that DRL's make driving safer and they in fact save lives when it comes to motorcycles. I wonder what started this nonsense. Those involved must not even drive?

Most, if not all, new vehicles and late model vehicles come equipped with DRL's. And in most of these cars, the feature can be easily turned off. It is my understanding that all cars in Canada are required to have DRL's or have their headlights on during the day. Perhaps one of our Canadian members can confirm/deny this. I'm guessing that in addition to it being an added safety feature in America, cars are now automatically equipped with DRL's because of the possibility of the car being sold in either the US or Canada. Putting them in all the cars makes it easier than making special cars with DRL's only for Canada. At least that's my guess!

What bothers me about DRL's is that you will occasionally find an idiot who cannot tell the difference between DRL's and regular headlights. They will mistake the fact that they have DRL's for having automatic headlights. So at night time they will drive around with their DRL's instead of their actual headlights, which means that their tail lights are off and they have no clue!

A lot of the higher-end vehicles now come with automatic headlights. They sense the degree of light outside and automatically turn on your headlights (and tail lights) when necessary. Some of these vehicles will also turn on your headlights anytime you activate your windshield wipers, as it is a law in the US (or at least most states) to have your headlights on whenever your wipers are on as it provides increased visibility (by you and of you) in precipitation. The downside to this is when it is barely raining/snowing and even the lowest wiper setting is too fast. So everytime you flip on your wipers to clear your windshield, your lights pop on and then turn off after you shut the wipers off. To someone in front of you or heading towards you, it could appear as though you are flashing your lights at them.

Also, not all DRL's come in the form of headlights. Some, especially on many GM vehicles, are actually just the parking lights (or city lights). I prefer this feature simply because it prevents the above-mentioned idiots from mistaking them for having their actual headlights on.

But as far as a conspiracy... I just don't see it. Unless, of course, the headlight or vehicle parts industry is behind it all in an attempt to burn out lights in your car sooner and generate more sales!

Originally posted by Blaine91555
After reading more, I now understand. It is a combination of Environmental Activists and Animal Rights Activists. Do they have the Australian Government under their thumbs I wonder? They are taking control of ours I know. Do they have control of the EU as well?

The problem for animals may be legitimate, but the adding to pollution point is beyond ridiculous. I don't think DRL's are putting our planet at risk

To people who actually drive it is obvious that DRL's make driving safer and they in fact save lives when it comes to motorcycles. I wonder what started this nonsense. Those involved must not even drive?

If you had taken the time to read some of the posts, and watch the youtube videos, you will realise that the DRL's are not a conspiracy but the use of high beam lights against a gangstalked individual tends to be a technique that has been successfully used to make reasonably intelligent people to believe they are paranoid. I will give you another link to examine:

What is Gang Stalking?

Gang Stalking is a systemic form of control, which seeks to control every aspect of a Targeted Individuals life. Gang Stalking has many similarities to workplace mobbing, but takes place outside in the community. It called Gang Stalking, because the target is followed around and placed under surveillance by groups of organised Civilian Spies/Snitches 24/7.

Many Targeted Individuals are harassed in this way for months or even years before they realise that they are being targeted by an organised protocol of harassment.

What happens during Gang Stalking is very similar to what happened to many innocent individuals in the former East Germany or Activists and Dissidents in Russia. Many innocent people in the former East Germany would be targeted for these harassment programs, and then their friends, family, and the community at large would be used to monitor, prosecute, and harass them. In Russia it was used by the state to declare activist, dissidents or anyone they thought to be an enemy of the state as mentally unfit and many were institutionalised using this form of systemic control.

People have committed suicide or have been committed to mental institutions because of this harassment. This is why I decided to bring the topic up in the first place. No doubt some of the DRL stuff is innocent and safety oriented, which is still a moot point at best when research shows very little difference made when DRL's are used. However, other cases are deliberately to condition fear in an individual by overt following by a gang or attack by electronic means. The full beam headlights on during the day are only an opening tactic.

Gangstalking

reply to post by Rasputin13


Well thanks for that explanation, I have a GM so I never actually gave any attention to my lights situation until now, I have never had to worry about no turning the lights on or off as they are just automatically adjusted.

I think the more important question is why do people even bother giving other driver's their right of way at a 2(or 4) way stop at night, don't realize their physical gesture of generosity cannot piece through the blinding high beams of their headlights!!!!!!

Seriously!! You don't understand how many time this has happened to me, and often time I'm not aware they're letting me turn first, and then we have this 4-5 seconds of awkward pauses, then we would simultaneously go at the same time, then stop, just playing "redlight-greenlight" with each other...for another 4-5 seconds.....

Then by the end of it all you have two very confused driver...lol

[edit on 7-6-2008 by skyblueff0]

I know that here in the states that has been going for a few years now the
the supposed logic behind it is, it makes the vehicle with lights on easier to spot and thus reduces accidents

Hero- relax.

I deliberately turn on my headlights full blast day or night.
Why?

During the day, it seems unusual to many. Therefore I stand out and am better able to be spotted.

Reread the posting by TheRedneck. Seeing a blur of moving colors in the day - after seeing it your whole life, it's no longer unusual, and you can become desensitized to it. Seeing a blur WITH HEADLIGHTS, now the primitive human brain more easily says, HEY - what's that? Oh a moving vehicle! Better pay attention!

Sometimes doing things against the paradigm or the herd works in your favor.
In this case, it's the benefit of increasing one's own visibility and safety from crashes.

Some EMTs here in the States are trained to use their headlights at all times, for the selfsame reasons.