lights on...during the day

[Chris]

Is it common in the United States to have your headlights on during the day?

Here in Europe it varies, in some countries it's obligatory to have them on 24/7. Not in my country, the Netherlands, but I'd say 70 - 80% of the traffic always have their lights on, but in some countries, like Germany or France, it's less than 20% by my guesstimate.

I always have my headlights on. It's not to see, but to be seen, and you don't forget to turn them on on well-lit roads during dusk or rain. It's also better to see traffic ahead if you want to overtake a vehicle on a two-lane road. The disadvantage is that motorcycles are less visible, because they used to be the only ones with their lights on during the day. But this is a minor problem, considering only a very small portion of traffic consists of motorcycles.

[rawr apples]

It's not mandatory in the US, but I see it a lot. It's a pet peeve of mine, waste energy. You can see other cars just fine without them on.

[mightyace]

Many states require lights to be on when it's raining, but otherwise no.

Starting in the mid-90s, new vehicles were equipped with Daytime Running Lights that were always on when the car was running.  Some of these implementations used high beam bulbs where the high beam was separate from the low beam.  But, somewhere along the line, that law/regulation got repealed or is not enforced.

I checked with a motorcycling friend of mine and it is required on them.  All motorcycles sold in the U.S. since the mid-1980s have lights that turn on when the cycle is running.

I generally only turn mine on in the daytime when it's raining, foggy or heavily overcast.  Otherwise, the increase in visibility IMHO is only marginal over vehicles without their lights on.

[DAL764]

Germany is on the way to making it mandatory as well, and IMHO, daytime use of lights is just complete and utter BS. Sure, even our largest automobile club says that it makes it easier for you to be seen and see others, but really, if someone can't see a car coming his direction, in bright daylight, without the other car having its lights on, he shouldn't be driving anyway. It's not like cars all wear camouflage colors and are hard to tell from their surroundings.

If the weather requires the lights to be on, obviously I will turn them on, but on a cloudless summer day when the sun goes up at 5am and down at 10pm and I'm on the road from 7am till 8pm, it's just an absolute waste of energy.

[Ian]

I know in a lot of areas especially in Maryland and Pennsylvania, they have safety corridors in which vehicles are required to have their headlights, which is pointless when on a clear and sunny day.

[Alps]

Daytime headlight use reduces my visibility, YMMV I suppose.  All it does is create glare and I have to look away.  I turned off my car's DRL and if it's a cloudy day, I use parking lights, which are much less obtrusive.

[SSOWorld]

I get a little perturbed at some states that require headlights while in a construction zone - WHY!!!????

[corco]

Many cars in the United States have DRLs despite no law because they are mandatory in Canada and it's cheaper to produce just one headlamp setting assembly for both markets than to have to do one with DRL and oen without

[Truvelo]

Another reason against daytime lights comes from bikers who feel they will be less visible if every other vehicle on the road has lights on during the day.

[Chris]

Sure, even our largest automobile club says that it makes it easier for you to be seen and see others, but really, if someone can't see a car coming his direction, in bright daylight, without the other car having its lights on, he shouldn't be driving anyway. It's not like cars all wear camouflage colors and are hard to tell from their surroundings.

well, that's the point I guess, weather is by far not always perfect. Try to see a grey car on a hazy day in the distance or rain. I'd rather have my lights on than someone oversee me, with a chance for a collision. Half the people on the road don't pay much attention to traffic anyway, and most of the rest is overconfident of themselves. They say 90% of the people think they are along the 5% best drivers.

It's a pet peeve of mine, waste energy.

lol, y'all drive 20 - 25 mpg cars, and are afraid of 0.1% more fuel consumption.  The airco is far more influencing on fuel consumption. You don't turn off your radio to save fuel, right?

[Scott5114]

My Cavalier automatically turns the lights on whenever I'm in Drive. But the DRLs are somewhat dimmer than the fullblown "headlights on" arrangement.

It's a bit irritating, though, as I often want to deliver food or other types of matter to a friend of mine after work, and would prefer to not have the headlights on, so as to avoid awakening her psychotic mom 

[florida]

It's a bit irritating, though, as I often want to deliver food or other types of matter to a friend of mine after work, and would prefer to not have the headlights on, so as to avoid awakening her psychotic mom 

Invest in a 1993 Toyota Corolla 

[Bryant5493]

I ride with mine on all of the time. Sometimes, a person might look, but not see you without your headlights on. They still might not see you with your headlights on, but every little bit helps.

It pisses me off when people don' turn them on in the rain. It's also helpful to turn them on in tunnels, as well, because visibility becomes limited.


Be well,

Bryant

[HalifaxTravaler]

Here in Nova Scotia Canada it just became law to turn your lights on during the day.If not equipped with DRL you must manually turn them on.I have no problem with DRL,but on vehicles other than GM's which mostly have the sensor which turns all lights on in dark conditions.A lot of  cars done and some even have the insturiment clusters lighting up when the car is started, so those people at night think all their lights are in when in fact they are not.So you have a situation of a person driving down a dark highway at night with no lights on in the rear of their car at all,i find that to be a huge pet peeve not to mention it could be a bit dangerous.

[golden eagle]

Only when raining or in a tunnel.

[Scott5114]

I work graveyard shift now, so whenever I drive anywhere, I turn the lights on manually upon starting the car out of habit... regardless of it is day or night! 

[corco]

On rural, two lane highways, particularly those with a lot of truck traffic I turn them on because headlights definitely make you more visible to oncoming traffic that probably wants to pass from a long distance