I'm going back to a 1984 Olds Cutlass... When things were nice and simple. Are DRL's mandatory by law? A lot of people still don't use them.
In the USA they are not mandatory. Personally I consider the whole concept stupid. If you can't see another car in broad daylight without be dazzled by a bright set of lights, turn in your driver's license. I have always looked far ahead while driving, and the glare from DRL makes discerning what is happening quarter or half mile out at times impossible due to the masking effect. There is no actual proof that they improve safety, if my understanding is correct. They are a symbolic nod to safety, nothing more than a fashion statement and basically an act of faith. The whole premise that they make you car easier to see is rather bogus too. What about around blind curves, over hills, and what about the sides and the rears of cars. A DRL should be on the rooftop and visible 360 degrees if one buys in to the concept and really wanted to do it right. I am grateful that Toyota has provided a way to turn them off. I am embarrassed to drive with lights on in the day.
I know in certain situations, they can be helpful as a car with a light on it CAN be more visible during the day then a car without them. Color of the car and surroundings can make the DRL car more apparent than one without, but I agree, most of the times not needed. In my 03 Matrix, I actually cut a wire to shut them off because it was killing my silverstars every 6 months or so and had to when I upgraded to HID. By the way, the LED performance in my 16 prius is light years better than that car.
I think they should be compulsory - I went close to collecting a car only this week, I was turning into an uphill section across traffic, my view was of the grey road with shadows from trees on a dull day, and only at the last minute I saw that there was a mid-grey car coming down the hill following the white car which was very noticeable - but the grey car was almost totally invisible among the shadows. I stopped in time, another similar car then came over the hill, with DRLs on - you couldn't miss seeing it. Back to rear DRLs - my 1980 VOLVO 244 had both front and rear DRLs which came on automatically and couldn't be turned off.
I added DRLs to our winter gray metallic Prius because too many close calls from people pulling out in front of us, like we were invisible. Now, they actually seem to wait even longer to let us drive by before turning out across our path.
There are some climates where there sun always shines and cars are all in vibrant semi fluorescent colours/ colors(USA) and contrasts are stark. This is great and you lucky people perhaps don't need DRLs. Sadly, there are places where the sun don't shine every day and an approaching car can blend into the background so as to be almost invisible. DRLs help pedestrians and other motorists see said near invisible cars thereby helping avoid potential accidents. I know some folks just won't get it, EVER - but they're just like the car version of the high viz jacket. Everybody's seen Muppets driving with no lights in marginal conditions because they know with their superior vision they can see everything already, so everybody else must be able to see them, right? Get over it, move along now. Apart from snipping wires they will (where fitted, of course), be ON when a driver forgets or omits to switch the headlights on! End of lesson.
