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Re: Daytime running lights



>>>>> "P" == Phil Lachance <phill@chromat.synapse.net> writes:

P> Paul Lu <CindyLu@Mindspring.com> wrote:
>> Some people like myself: Thank God don't have to worry about, IMHO,
>> STUPID DRL getting into my eyes in the day time.

>> Oh, I hate that stupid DRL. It's worse than the 55 mph speed limit.
>> Let it NOT become law! I will hold onto purchase of STS until GM
>> drop the push for DRL. Just me, but I am not alone.

P> Not to debate whether it is actually safer with running lights but I
P> don't recall seeing any figures saying if safety has improved.

P> Some idiots here in Canada drive at night with only the daytime
P> running lights on.  They see that their lights are on and seem to
P> think the headlights are on, in reality only the running lights are on
P> and nothing else.  So they see less, and other cars don't see them!!!
P> Really alot safer... 

Some idiots drive with no lights on.  This cannot be helped.  Well,
actually on my car, all running lights also come on, and the DRL is
the low beam at 90%, and the dash lights are on, so I guess it can be
helped.  Those people with no running lights will also have no dash
lights, so they don't usually do that for long.  In the city, you
don't normally notice your own lights anyway, unless you are on a
sidestreet, as teh ambient light is too strong. You are also assuming
that their electrical system is functioning (I've told two people
within the last couple of months that brake lights were
non-functional, for instance).

I believe that Transport Canada has numbers, and so does the Swedish
counterpart.  Of course, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics, so
your opinion may vary unless you know their testing procedure.  5
years of first hand experience tells me it works, more so in some
situations than others.  Of course, there are still a good number of
cars without DRL (89 and before) on the road, so you can't expect
every car to drive with headlights on.  What it does do is give you an
earlier indication of a car's presence than you might otherwise have
had.  I've found them quite useful for spotting oncoming traffic in
cottage country in various lighting conditions.  So far, it has just
reduced the drama in those situations.  In the city, they don't really
provide much benefit.  Since a great percentage of Americans live in
cities, the effect of the DRL changeover may be less, plus the fact
that the southern states tends to have a lot of cars on the road for a
lot longer time.

Jeff Goss


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