Nothing worse than driving in foul weather and being only barely able to make out the figure of a vehicle behind you. I always drive with my headlights on - rain or shine - it's a good habit which may have already saved my life for all I know.

In Canada all new cars must have them, but there's no laws against driving without them.

DRL really work on sunny days when you drive into dark area of shadow. If the other driver wears shades your lights are the only thing he can see http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/...sun_smiley.gif

I have always driven with my headlights on at all times. I figure anything that might make someone notice me better is a good thing. There's just to many people who aren't paying attention when they drive, at least with my lights on I'm a little more obvious.

From the other side it's sure a lot easier to see and judge the distance to an oncoming car when their lights are on, there are just to many situations where bad light, glare or other obstructions to vision occur not to take all the help you can get.

As for it being forced on you by the car doing it, I see way to many people with older cars who don't turn their lights on in the evening until they can't see the road. At least if their DRL are on I can still see them coming.

Robert

MRDI - Oh, brother. Locking your kid in the house 'til he's 18 will also ensure 'safety'.
I suppose it's PC - "if you're against DRLs, you're against kids."

I have heard DRL provides greater visibility. Does that translate into greater safety? I haven't done the research. The 3rd tail light makes absolutely no sense to me unless the guy behind you has tunnel vision.
No airbags! Always use your belts, and use them correctly. LEARN TO DRIVE, TRUST ONLY YOURSELF, AND DRIVE DEFENSIVELY!!!

BTW - Do stock motorcycles have the DRL, or do bikers use their brights? Bikes always seem to have a light on - but ALWAYS WAY TOO BRIGHT!!!

Hmmmm..... Anything to help others see me... How about we all get red and blue strobes like cop cars? They are visible from such a long distance that the accident rate would surely fall to zero!

Ah, the cops would love that. After all, where's the best place to hide a tree?

Here in gloomy Seattle where my dark silver 911 blends in with the gloom on days like today....I think they are a good idea so the soccer moms in Suburbans on the cell phones dont run me over. In Arizona or Southern CA I would think differently.

I wonder if Big Brother will do a study on fatality rates for cars <u>without</u> DRL's. With everyone else driving around with their lights glaring, non-DRL equipped cars will be even harder to see!

I'm against mandatory running lights. Even with seatbelts, the option exists (and I go nowhere without them fastened). I would expect lights to be within my control also. Next they will add the loud beeping noise if you go above 65 mph.

They should focus on the people that don't use their lights at night. I see plenty of them out there.

"loud beeping noise above 65mph"

All the used Japanese imports coming into NZ make a binging sound above about 110kph. Most people disconnect it very quickly.

Cam

I think they are great (DRL and 3rd brake lights):
- I can see the idiots who wouldn't otherwise turn on their headlights when it is raining or snowing.
- I tend to look far ahead. I can often see that 3rd brake light though the interior of the car(s) in front of me giving me some advanced warning.
-Chris

But not on 911's okay?

Be Safe, Be Seen! http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/...sun_smiley.gif

I'm against kids, but not against DRLs. I've had two cars so equipped so far. No kids, though. Thanks, Trojan!

I think there's a lot of emotion in this thread directed at stupid drivers - and this makes sense. How this applies to DRLs I don't really know, but I guess I can see it. Look, DRLs are a good thing. It bothers you that "Big Brother" is telling you what to do as far as your lighting systems go? Well...

The NTSB and FAA govern a large portion of the operational procedures for flying an aircraft, privately or commercially, and you know what? The accident rates are substantially smaller in that form of transport. It doesn't hurt that pilots aren't flying around in Caravans dropping kids off at soccer practice while talking on the cell phone and putting on makeup, but that's beside the point.

(I'm sorry. Did I just mistakenly stereotype someone? Damn. I'll try to keep it down over here.)

Granted, pilots are better trained in their craft, but to be perfectly honest, state-enforced safety procedures make a difference. And people who are committed to safety in travel don't *mind* these procedures.

DRLs are a great idea. They make your car a tiny bit more visible during the day, and CMSLs do the same thing. Thank god for those, actually - sometimes, with an SUV in front of you, that's all you can see of the vehicle in front of them.

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2
1987 Escort 5-speed 1.9 RIP
The Porsche Owners Gallery

How about forward motion beepers like some service trucks have when backing up? Or maybe even flashing lights on top of the car like emergency vehicles? Point is (as was mentioned before) once these things become common place they will tend to be ignored since everybody has them...sorta like crusin down the road and sayin Wow! there's a Mustang or Camaro...as opposed to my commute today....Hey that's a Testarossa! (Also had an earlier model Porsche beside me...(Of course I gave the driver a honk and a thumbs up!)

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Howie
79SC

I've got daytime running lights on my new GMC pickup and really like them. I'm a contractor and drive this truck around all day. It has definitely reduced one of my pet peeves; people pulling out in front of you from a side road when you are almost on top of them. That has definitely improved with the running lights. Probably saves their lives because if I T-bone a little tin box I beleive the results would be bad. Roy Eames

I agree with alot of you that dont like having to be told you have to use them. But on the otherhand, if you are completely honest, you have to admit that a vehicle that has Daytime running lights is alot more visible, we've all noticed them and thats the point of having them in the first place.

Michael Marshall

And also I think you need to know english to drive safely... Yah I know most things are color coded or generic symbols, but still important to be able to communicate.

How do some of the immigrant drivers get licenses? Is the driving test in 50 languages these days?

In my non-pc opinion I think it is necessary to be able to communicate with other drives in cases of emergency or collisions where information needs exchanged.

Then again I strongly believe in a national english language being enforced too. Hey, this is a melting pot go ahead and try to blend... Otherwise you get tossed out of the pot like a turd in the bathwater http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/smile.gif



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Adrian Pillow
1979 911 SC
1966 VW Microbus
PCA - Peachstate Region

I think many foreign speaking people, when in an accident, get a certain disease or phenomenon: the "no-speake-the-enlish" syndrome. They speak English perfectly fine, but figure it's better to pretend not to speak English and get away with crap! So they wack your beautiful p-car, and then give it the "I no speak..." verbage to confuse the issue. I hate people like that...

They know English: don't let them fool ya!
-Z.

At all times I drive with my lights on bright, fog lights on, and blow the horn continuously. So far I haven't been hit but some people keep pointing their fingers up in the air as I drive by...what does that mean??
http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/pint1.gif


I got tired of wrapping the car in bubble wrap before going out......

LOL

Chris

The trick is to barely engage your emergency brake...one click or so. That shuts the DRLs off.