Dear Consumer Reports

I suspect that this is where any crash reduction from daytime running lights comes from. I see many people driving in the rain or around dawn or dusk without their headlights on and they can be difficult to see.


As a motorcycle rider I personally don't like DRLs on automobiles. Running with my highbeam on is one of the few things I can do to make myself for visible and standout from the cars around me. If everyone is running DRLs my motorcycle will just blend in with the rest. I've had brain dead drivers pull out in front of me even with my headlight on highbeam, two PIAA driving lights on, wearing a white helmet, and a Hi-Viz yellow riding jacket.

My motorcycle jacket:

 

You are one seriously mean looking dude. We should go drinking one of these days, I like the Fear Factor look when I walk into a bar with another mean looking dude beside me

Back to topic, both my FJ and Prius turn on the low beams at reduced intensity for DRL. This has the effect of reducing glare and having much longer bulb life

My Prius has the Auto position on the headlight stalk, with the sensor on the dash. My FJ doesn't have auto headlights

 

Wow, Your MythBusters show is one of my favorites!! I thought you lived in the Bay area??

 

Interesting but that's not me. That is just the first picture of my jacket that I found searching with google.

HTMLSpinnr,

Yes, people that ride or drive with their highbeams on at night and refuse to dim them are annoying. I'm not one of them.

Headlight modulators are interesting and increase visibility but are quite expensive if you purchase a legal one. (Legal modulators require a sensor to prevent them from being used at night) I will most likely add on in the future though.

 

Oh

Ah, what the hell, I'll take you drinking anyway

 

I have come up behind a number of cars without any rear lights in low visibility (dark, fog, rain, snow) conditions. Often they have their headlights on dim (DRLs). I think that, in many cases, drivers whose vehicles have DRLs are less likely to turn on their headlights (and tail lights) at dusk, or low visibility conditions, than drivers with manual headlights.

I would like to see tail lights come on with the DRLs. A light gray car with no tail lights is hard to see in the fog.

Norm

 

Hi Boo,

While I tend to agree, that has not been my experience. My Saturn SL2 had DRL's, but that did not stop too poor drivers from taging both front corners in daylight crashes.

That is why there is really no alternative to good wet weather performaning tires. In the first instance, I was on the brakes and the ABS was pumping away for a good 30 or 40 feet, but because of the crappy firestone tires, it was 3 feet too far. With the Hydroedges that car would have stopped a car length shorter at least.

 

I hate to be pedantic, but it was ABS pumping away, not TC

I completely agree with your comment about poor/worn tires on wet roads. I replace my tires when 50% worn, to maintain wet weather traction. I had experiences with hydroplaning with worn tires that were still "legal"

A test by Tire Rack confirms this.

What Honest Abe Doesn't Tell You About Minimum Tread Depths

Especially with the pickup, much much longer stopping distances

 

I'd rather have side lane changing lights. Daylight for my Prius is not a big deal.

 

DRLs may not make sense to some, whose driving environment doesn't seem to pose a big risk of a head-on crash. Mine is different. The last 5 miles of my commute are a two-lane 55mph road with no shoulder. The locals like to do 60mph+ and plenty make use of the passing zones to go even faster. Worse, the heavy tree cover can reduce visibility of oncoming traffic even in broad daylight. So I flick on my lights by force of habit, in the same way that I fasten my seatbelt and for the same reasons. It's more than worth the power draw IMO.