why do army vehicles drive with their lights on?

Question

i've seen them on the road many times, even in the day, and they always seem to have their headlights on.

Answer 1

Convoy regulations dictate lights on, you may also notice that the front and rear vehicles of a convoy have flags, usually mounted on the front bumper but up on the turret for Armoured Vehicles - Blue for the lead vehicle, green for the last vehicle. Any vehicles with red flags are carrying ammunition or other hazardous materials. Tanks, other armoured vehicles and Tank Transporters also have flashing amber beacons.

Answer 2

In Canada, all vehicles have what is referred to as 'day time running lights.' These are headlights which light as soon as you put the vehicle in drive. Research over the years has shown that the eye can see the vehicle with the lights on much faster than a vehicle without. Try this next time you are on the freeway. Out of the cars coming towards you, which ones do you actually see first? The ones with lights on or the ones without? Since we already know the answer to that...think about the safety factor. It's easier to spot a problem and deal with it if you can see the problem coming sooner rather than later. It has nothing to do with wanting to be cool, it has everything to do with wanting to be safe. Common sense when you think about it.

Answer 3

For safety reasons. Its a military regulation to drive with headlights on during both day and night. Even then, some civilians can't seem to see a 5 ton truck that you try driving through, under, or around, or run into the back of.

The worst drivers being Iraqis.

Answer 4

Vehicles have better visibility with the headlights on. At certain countries, such as Malaysia & Singapore, motorcycle on the road, headlights must be on the whole day. This is for safety reason.

Answer 5

They know, like many of us properly trained drivers, that having the lights on, especially on the highway, makes the vehicles more visible. Military vehicles are dark coloured, and don't show up well on a dark road, so anything that calls attention to the fact a vehicle is there ultimately saves lives.

Answer 6

Grendel's got it dead right. Been there, done that, too, many,many times.
Being an authoritarian organisation, the Army can have their vehicles driven as they wish, thank you very much, so convoy rules dictate lights will be on for conspicuity.

Answer 7

Because the government pays for them so the people who are driving them dont give a damn... more likely to be for safety, as far as i know Volvo cars always have lights on

Answer 8

because it is the only way our break lights work if you do not turn on the lights the break lights will not light up when you hit the breaks. Wow just looked at all the other answers and yes higher visibility is part of the reason that is why on base all vehicles have to have there lights on but with most tactical vehicles they the break lights do not work with out the head lights on. we were driving about 6 hours in hmmwv's and the soldier in front of us could not figure out how to turn on his lights it almost caused a dozen accidents because my driver could not figure out how to deal with it and every time a car got behind them that almost hit the vehicle because there were no lights. Convoy rules do say the they have to have the lights on, but most of the time we get out of the convoy rules by only sending a few vehicles out at a time because convoy rules really suck.

Answer 9

They do this when they're driving in convoy. It's just so they can see each other in the traffic, that's all - nothing to do with safety. (An army on the move has to keep together.)

Answer 10

Lights on for safety. Its a rule with trucks.