since toyota didn't put DRL's in the v (don't understand that one) are some of you using your headlights during the day, for safety reasons, and how are you using them?
no, i don't believe drl's increase safety in most situations and greatly increase fuel usage around the world.
I guess people can get used to either way. For many years, headlights on at all hours has been mandatory here and in many countries around me. I have been driving in Belgium last 2 summers and get monster scared when someone comes 'charging at me' with headlights off as that to me, means the car is off.
There is never a time I do not want the other drivers to see me, so there is never a time I have my headlights off. The Gen 2 is set to turn off the headlights after you turn off the car once the driver's door opens. Gen 3 defaults to 30 seconds after either front door opens. Every oil change I have to turn my headlights on again, the mechanics can't leave them alone.
When you have the headlights on, at least in the Gen II, it dims the dashboard display, and makes it harder to read. That to me is a safety hazard, plus it annoys me when cars have their lights on unnecessarily. If you can't see a car on the road in the daytime, you shouldn't be on the road. Dusk, tunnels, fog, etc. are exceptions. If the DRL's are at 50% of normal headlights, I could agree to using them. I think 90% is standard however. I think a lot of overhead street lighting is also unnecessary, I almost had a serious accident once because of glare on my windshield meant I couldn't see a stopped truck just past the intersection. And don't get me started on people who 'upgrade' their headlights to crazy bright levels, to the detriment of all oncoming drivers.
I always drive with headlights on. I just leave them on at all times since they turn off as soon as my gen 3 door is opened.
The only point I see of DRLs is for the forgetful people who don't turn their lights on when it gets dark (or other scenarios where headlights are useful like heavy overcast, fog, etc...). That can easily be remedied by auto light sensing headlights.... If it is bright out, you can't really see the DRLs anyway. So, in all the cars I've ever driven without DRL, I never turned on my headlights unless the need arises... can't say everyone as diligent as I am though....
Mine are on 95% of the time, a bit less than Jimbo's. Most of that 5% is the result of forgetting to turn them back on after being turned off for non-driving reasons, such as an extended door-open event (hiking/biking/skiing preparation), lights-off requirement (ferry loading), or because the shop mechanic does it by reflex. Easily fixed with a dial setting on the Gen3. Rain and drizzle too. Here in the Pacific Northwet, these exceptions exceed the non-exceptions. There are a lot of non-ergonomic lights out there, hampering vision and wasting energy and seriously polluting the night sky. At a minimum, please expand your headlight use to include daytime rain and fog.
I been in the habit of turning them on right after the engine starts for over 40 years. Some habits are hard to break. I personally feel that I can spot vehicles more readily if they have their lights on. We have very few divided highways or limited access highways where there is little added value to DRL's.
I live in rural minnesota and the locals typically don't use their headlights until it is very dark. Never in the rain or fog. They don't seem to understand that they cannot be seen without their lights on. DRLs should be mandatory.
about 30 years ago, greyhound bus co, hired a safety committee to come up, if possible, to reduce their accident rates. they came back with, "leave the headlights on all the time" and that was the beginning of the DRL's why toyota put them on the top of the line plug in, and the compact prius c, and removed them from the prius v it just doesn't make sense.
