What is the purpose for daytime running lights?

Question

supposedly its for "safety reasons" but how so?

Answer 1

It makes you more visible. And the list is endless of times and situations that it can help. Here are a few.

1. A car is turning right at an intersection, it is pulled over close to the curb and signaling right. If you are driving in front of it from the left, you can't see the him signaling as you zoom by and you think it is a parked car. His lights on means you can see it is not parked, but a moving car you need to be aware of.

2. It has finished raining and the highways are wet. Visibility is clear for everyone. Then you get stuck behind a big truck and you can't see a thing with wet spray hitting your windshield. You decide to pass him so you can see again. You have a better chance of seeing cars with lights on, and they should have them on, but they have no idea you are having visibility troubles.

It is an hour before sunset (or after sunrise) especially winter time. The sun is very low on the horizon. Those driving away from the sun feel it is still perfectly visible and the day seems normal so drive without lights. Yet going the other way you have a blinding light in your eyes, and can only see shadows, or cars with headlights on.

There are many, many others.

Answer 2

We've had mandatory daytime running lights in Canada for years, for all of the reasons mentioned above. The lights come on automatically when you start your car. With some cars the high beam lights come on, but at reduced power. This way you don't wear out your low beam headlights prematurely. With my Pontiac the daytime running lights come on during the day, and then at dusk or if I go through a tunnel the tail lights and dashboard lights come on automatically. I never have to touch the headlight switch.

Answer 3

Defensive Driving Course teaches that the purpose for lights is to be seen and to be able to see.
Tennessee has a law that states lights must be turned on when raining. Why? To be seen by oncoming vehicles to prevent headons, to see others as you pull up behind them. Rain is not dark enough for the need to see, but is for to be seen!!

Daytime Driving Lights fill the same purpose.
Thanks
Vic

Answer 4

It's for safety reasons particularly in that period during sunrise and sunset, and in times when the clouds make it really dark. Having your headlights on makes your vehicle more visible to others on the roadway. There have been many times where I've almost drove someone off the freeway because I couldn't see them since they didn't have any headlights on.

Also, vehicles that have DRL's have lower insurance rates (not by much, but they're lower)

Answer 5

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RE:
What is the purpose for daytime running lights?
supposedly its for "safety reasons" but how so?

Answer 6

Anything with a light on it during the day is more visible from a distance than something WITHOUT a light on it. Case in point: motorcycles are REQUIRED to have DRLs so they're more visible to other drivers.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

I think on dangerous strips of road they make you put them on so the light can reflect off of other things and it lights up shadows that you normally wouldn't see

Answer 9

The REAL reason is that some poor, pathetic losers out there want...more than anything else in the world...to look like one of those bug-eyed rap musicians. So they wear their pants down to their knees, put hood ornaments around their neck, install running lights and spinner hubcaps on their car, and drive around real slow...scowling like somebody crammed a pine cone up their *ss.

Answer 10

it actually dose make easier to see vehicles expicaly around curves