Driving with Lights during the Daytime
Published on February 4, 2025
Using Lights While Driving in the Daytime?
Every light on the outside of your car is there to help others see you. One thing that drives me nuts while driving in low light hours is the lack of lighting on cars. Mostly people who either forget to turn lights on, or people who assume that because they can see fine, lights are not necessary. Every motorcycle I’ve owned had lights that were permanently on. There was no way to turn them off. Why, to make me more visible. Cars on the other hand, especially older cars, require you to turn the lights on. During winter months when people are driving to and from work, many cars are almost invisible because their lights are off. Dark colored cars are the worst.
Not mandated in the US, Daytime Running Lights (DRL’s), typically a white strip of LED’s or reduced voltage high-beam headlights that illuminate when headlights are off, are a big step in the right direction, and many auto manufacturers have added them. General Motors petitioned to have DRL’s mandated after Canada required their use, but the petition was denied in 2009. GM eventually added DRL’s to its entire lineup apparently to reduce manufacturing costs. Many countries have mandated DRL’s for many years, but apparently here in the US, requiring us to do anything causes feelings of overreach by our government.
The only issue with DRL’s as I see it is that many people don’t notice the difference between DRL’s and headlights. Realizing that your DRL’s are not headlights does not override your feeling of normality in the daily commute. While still better than nothing, in many cases the taillights are still not illuminated causing a false sense of security for people thinking they are driving safely.
I understand that this is a fading problem as most manufacturers have auto-headlamps and DRL’s in their lineup, but the number of cars, new and old, void of any illumination in low light conditions is concerning. I spend a fair amount of time driving my 1994 Bronco and always have my parking lights or headlights on. Like it or not, I feel safer doing this.
With backup cameras, seatbelts, airbags, and many other safety requirements we have mandated in the US, why can’t making vehicles more visible be one of the easiest to pass?
Prove me wrong….