Nearly Identical State Law Signs between 2 neigboring states

[hbelkins]

Is that why there's such an epidemic of people driving in the rain with no lights on these days?  They really should change that, DRLs don't cut it!

My DRLs are my low beams.

[cl94]

Is that why there's such an epidemic of people driving in the rain with no lights on these days?  They really should change that, DRLs don't cut it!

My DRLs are my low beams.

In many cars, they are. Either way, DRLs are legally "headlights". The law says nothing about what type of headlights.

[MikeTheActuary]

(daytime running lights don't count)

And why shouldn't they?

Because they do not turn on the rear lights (just as important as the headlights in fog and rain).  The object is to be seen, not necessarily to see.

The New York law, for example, does not discriminate between DRLs and "normal" headlights.

However, the law in many other states isn't actually "headlights on when raining"; it's "all required lights on when raining".

I spot-checked a few states' statutes and saw that generally, when they added the "when raining" clause, they added it to the law that requires lights at night (sometimes during twilight), in fog, etc.  Since DRL's don't trigger the taillights (which fall under the "all required lights" clause), they aren't sufficient for complying with the law in those states.

[cl94]

(daytime running lights don't count)

And why shouldn't they?

Because they do not turn on the rear lights (just as important as the headlights in fog and rain).  The object is to be seen, not necessarily to see.

The New York law, for example, does not discriminate between DRLs and "normal" headlights.

However, the law in many other states isn't actually "headlights on when raining"; it's "all required lights on when raining".

I spot-checked a few states' statutes and saw that generally, when they added the "when raining" clause, they added it to the law that requires lights at night (sometimes during twilight), in fog, etc.  Since DRL's don't trigger the taillights (which fall under the "all required lights" clause), they aren't sufficient for complying with the law in those states.

All publications put forth by New York are very specific in saying "headlights", however, buried deep in State Vehicle and Traffic Law is a provision stating that vehicles built after Jan 1, 1952 must have 2 red taillights on when windshield wipers are in use. Of course, someone could probably challenge this in court by citing the driver's manual or the signs posted at the state line if they're an out of state driver. Why signs don't just say "lights" is beyond me, as specifically saying "headlights" implies that taillights are not a requirement.

[vdeane]

It probably didn't matter before the DRL era, so they opted for a way that was easy for the public to understand, and of course, nobody in government cares to change now that the way they're doing it is obsolete.

In any case, my DRLs are noticeably less powerful than my low beams.

[UCFKnights]

Is that why there's such an epidemic of people driving in the rain with no lights on these days?  They really should change that, DRLs don't cut it!

My DRLs are my low beams.

You sure? I haven't actually seen a car (i.e, sedan, not motorcycles or other vehicle classes) with the low beams were the DRLs. My car (Honda Accord) has the high beams running at a reduced brightness as the DRLs, which is common if there is no dedicated DRL lights. Infact, I thought it was banned to do so because of concerns with glare and reducing the visibility of turn signals during the day.

[cl94]

Is that why there's such an epidemic of people driving in the rain with no lights on these days?  They really should change that, DRLs don't cut it!

My DRLs are my low beams.

You sure? I haven't actually seen a car (i.e, sedan, not motorcycles or other vehicle classes) with the low beams were the DRLs. My car (Honda Accord) has the high beams running at a reduced brightness as the DRLs, which is common if there is no dedicated DRL lights. Infact, I thought it was banned to do so because of concerns with glare and reducing the visibility of turn signals during the day.

My Civic's DRLs are different, but the bulbs and the brightness is identical. The biggest problem with how cars are nowadays is that turning on the main headlights dims the instrument panel, which can make driving difficult if it is raining while still bright.

[7/8]

My Civic's DRLs are different, but the bulbs and the brightness is identical. The biggest problem with how cars are nowadays is that turning on the main headlights dims the instrument panel, which can make driving difficult if it is raining while still bright.

My 2010 Dodge Caliber does this and it annoys me for this exact reason.

Is that why there's such an epidemic of people driving in the rain with no lights on these days?  They really should change that, DRLs don't cut it!

I like how the 2003 Toyota RAV4 handles this problem (because I see this all the time): The dash is black writing on a lighter background during the day, and when it gets dark out, you can't read the dash anymore. This forces you to turn on your full lights, which lights up the black text to a bright orange.

[1995hoo]

My Civic's DRLs are different, but the bulbs and the brightness is identical. The biggest problem with how cars are nowadays is that turning on the main headlights dims the instrument panel, which can make driving difficult if it is raining while still bright.

My 2010 Dodge Caliber does this and it annoys me for this exact reason.

In my 2004 Acura TL, there's a "MAX" button directly above the rocker switch that adjusts the dashboard lights' brightness. "MAX" acts as a toggle between full daytime brightness and whatever dimmer setting you've selected for when the headlights are on. So if you turn on your lights during the day due to precipitation, sun glare, driving on a two-lane road, whatever, you just have to hit "MAX" to make the gauges and navigation screen fully visible again. So simple it ought to be standard in all cars that dim the dash lights when the headlights go on (though you won't hear me calling for the feds to require it).

[mrsman]

My Civic's DRLs are different, but the bulbs and the brightness is identical. The biggest problem with how cars are nowadays is that turning on the main headlights dims the instrument panel, which can make driving difficult if it is raining while still bright.

My 2010 Dodge Caliber does this and it annoys me for this exact reason.

In my 2004 Acura TL, there's a "MAX" button directly above the rocker switch that adjusts the dashboard lights' brightness. "MAX" acts as a toggle between full daytime brightness and whatever dimmer setting you've selected for when the headlights are on. So if you turn on your lights during the day due to precipitation, sun glare, driving on a two-lane road, whatever, you just have to hit "MAX" to make the gauges and navigation screen fully visible again. So simple it ought to be standard in all cars that dim the dash lights when the headlights go on (though you won't hear me calling for the feds to require it).

It would absolutely be nice to have a feature like that.

Most of the cars that I have driven, the dash doesn't light up at all unless the headlights are on.  I've been trained to sense that if it was too dark to see the dash, I need to turn on the  headlights. 

Now on my latest car - the instruments light up without headlights, I frequently drive at night w/o headlights w/o realizing it.

[Brandon]

My Civic's DRLs are different, but the bulbs and the brightness is identical. The biggest problem with how cars are nowadays is that turning on the main headlights dims the instrument panel, which can make driving difficult if it is raining while still bright.

My 2010 Dodge Caliber does this and it annoys me for this exact reason.

I have a 2011, and all you have to do is twist the dimmer switch next to the light switch on the left stalk to increase the brightness.  It has a few settings: 1) Off, 2) Variable dimmer (twisting it will make the panel lights brighter), 3) Bright panel lights, and 4) Dome light.