The history behind using headlights during the day time came from two lane highways in Europe. When you want to pass a slower vehicle from behind, the faster vehicle had to move to the opposing lane to pass, which would be unsafe should another car coming could cause a head on collision. The faster driver would turn on his headlights to show opposing traffic that he is approaching, and not just another car traveling in the same direction. Well, I believe GM got the idea that if they put automatic DRL on all their cars they would be seen as a safety conscious company. Along the way, all auto manufactures followed suit. But, the German cars had a way to program their cars so that DRL does not operate in the default mode. The Honda Fit? I am not so sure. To keep the DRL on all the time is a waste of energy and wear and tear on the lighting system, however small. Yes, I am a conscious consumer, but I am also sure 99% don't feel that way. When I am using a 2 lane highway, I would manually turn on my headlights. There are laws in certain European countries that require headlights be turned on at all times.

To eliminate the DRL from operating, I pulled out #25 fuse in fuse box A, which disconnects the power to the DRL. The information can be found in page 425 in the owner's manual that you can download from the internet.

 

I thought there was a study done in the U.S. that showed that cars with headlights on during the day were less likely to be in an accident.


Although the study was obviously done before all cars had their lights on.

 

I am sure assumptions could be misleading when there are so many variables that come into play when an accident occurs. First consider who paid to conduct the survey and on what grounds the report came to that conclusion. I could say older cars (w/o DRL) are less safe therefore are more likely to cause an accident, and younger drivers who cannot afford a newer car are less experience drivers, therefore cause more accidents. So, it would be extremely difficult to pin point exactly if DRL results in less accident. In the USA, most highways are divided, and therefore, DRL is of no use. I would say having them could be an intimidating factor to a slower driver in the fast lane. Move over, dude. If all cars were painted day glow orange, they would cause a lot less accidents because they would be very noticeable during daylight hours. So, we should have only one car color, day glow orange! I am glad that in the USA, no one is forced to use DRL because the DOT has not concluded that they reduce accidents. I suspect using a portable device while driving causes more accidents than not having DRL, yet we don't ban using them while driving.

 

Unless LED I turn mine off too. Ugly

I run regular headlights when its darkish.

 

I just did a quick search. The data seem pretty clear that DRLs reduce accidents.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1382112/
There have been many studies, both in the U.S. and elsewhere.


It's not like they looked at accidents in cars with vs. without DRLs because that would, as you said, involve differing pools of cars and drivers.

 

This study was done in 1995, 21 years ago, and it made reference to little countries with basically 2 lane roads at the time. Such refernce would not applicable to the USA. Note that Germany does not have mandatory DRL, a country with well constructed autobahns and not so well constructed freeways in the USA. If you re-read my synopsis, you will note that I did pointed out why DRL was used in the first place, that is to allow a car in the opposing direction see that you are on a collision course with him, and not a car going in the same direction as he is. This is very necessary if you are driving on a 2 lane highway. If you are looking at a car say 1/2 mile away, it would be difficult for you to determine whether it is coming at you or going in the direction. If you see the car's headlights, then the car is approaching you! When I drive on a 2 lane highway, I keep my headlights on, but not when I am am driving in town. Nothing beats being a safe driver. In 52 years of driving, I have never been in an accident. It is not because of DRL, but because of careful and cautious driving. If this report is so conclusive about saving lives, DOT would have made DRL mandatory as they have with airbags and TPMS.

 

There have been a lot of studies. It's not just about two lane roads in Europe where people pass in the opposite lane.


It's not at all easy for the DOT to enact regulations.

 

They were able to enact airbags, center brake lights, and TPMS as mandatories. They came after DRL. Does that tell you which is more important? Now, I hope DOT does not make backup cameras mandatory (I think they will). Those cameras give a distorted view of what is behind and they do not provide peripheral view, which I find just as important when I am backing up. I only glance at the display to see if there are big objects behind me. Otherwise I depend on my years of experience of backing up using mirrors and direct visual contact.

 

It's a done deal, as far as I know ....Starting with 2018 model year vehicles, backup cams are mandatory in the US ... I use the backup cam on my Fit for an initial view peeking out between 2 SUVs/pickemup trucks (which is usually what I get parked between), but am all about swiveling the head for the final determination that all is good to go. Not a fan of DRLs, but haven't been motivated enough to pull the fuse...yet

 

For the record, the car manufacturers lobbied against airbags and other safety improvements starting at least as far back as the early 70s. It was literally decades after that that airbags became mandatory.

So no, it's not easy for DOT to create new rules requiring things that are perceived to impact the bottom line.

 

i think the biggest benefit for DRL is when dumbarses drive in the rain without their headlights on.

 

Sorry, now that I have it, I couldn't live without my back-up camera. Wide angle for peripheral vision when parked in an SUV canyon, close up for parallel parking. Of course, I still look around, but it does a better job than me.

And I agree that DRLs have proven their worth for very little worry about a bulb burning out.

 

backup cameras are definitely nice for its wide angle for sure. much better visibility for cars approaching ur spot while backing out.

 

OK, we disagree. Fortunately, it is not by law to have DRL on. Therefore, I have them off. For those who wants them off can do so by pulling a fuse in the fuse box. It is that simple.

 

Backing up using the mirror instead of turning your head is very dangerous because you have no peripheral vision using the mirror. You won't see a pedestrian until he's right behind you and you run him over.

 

First of all my primary opinion is....
If you want to turn your DRL's off...turn em off....

My personal opinion is.....
I think the "wear and tear and energy used" is so absolutely minimal...and since evidence exists that using your DRL's "may" improve your safety?
It clearly makes sense to me just to use them.

I mean...if you avoid one single accident...or even fender bender because somebody noticed your DRL's? Then that makes up for a lifetime of whatever expense using your DRL's may create.

In the meantime...having them on...has never bothered me.

 

DRL is mandatory in Canada but not in the US.
TPMS is mandatory in the US but not in Canada.

So, in Canada we must have DRL and in the US you must have TPMS. Yeah, I'm talking about two different issues here, but both are arguable as far as what value they bring to the car owner versus the cost. I'm in Canada and I don't really have a problem with DRL which according to studies is considered to be more of a value to countries the further north they are because of the poorer light conditions.

 

I read something back in the '90s, that the GM DRLs took half a HP to run.

And, because of that, GM got the OK to do EPA gas mileage ratings WITH THE DRLs OFF.

It's not as much as an issue these days with LED DRLs.

 

One thing no one has mentioned is that it is harder in daylight to see a car that is painted black or gray or any color that "blends in" with the road. My Fit is gray so I'm glad that I have day time lights. I have had several occasions that I was going to make a turn and saw nothing, and suddenly there is a car with dark paint. Those cars didn't have day time lights, thus harder to see. You'd think that in daylight you'd see those cars, but...

 

For the record: I left the DRL in place. No big deal about replacing a burned out bulb.