Auto's and daytime running lights ?

[ted s]

In Canada (at least in Ontario, I am assuming the rest of Canada as well, but I could be wrong), all motor vehicles registered have daytime running lights (headlights always on, no defeat) I have noticed our US visitors vehicles do not.. my question.. why not ? The vehicles are mostly made at the same plants.
Something I have always pondered.

[just strum]

In Canada (at least in Ontario, I am assuming the rest of Canada as well, but I could be wrong), all motor vehicles registered have daytime running lights (headlights always on, no defeat) I have noticed our US visitors vehicles do not.. my question.. why not ? The vehicles are mostly made at the same plants.
Something I have always pondered.

How can we sneak up on you if our lights are on. As soon as we run out of countries, the plan is to attack Canada.

Older models don't have automatic "running lights", in fact none of my cars (four) have running lights. I can and often do turn on what I refer to as parking lights and sometimes my headlights long before dark, but only if I am a good distance from the Canadian/American border.

[ted s]

:rotflmao:

[marnold]

Basically because Canadian law requires it and U.S. law does not. More and more models are adding them. My 2002 Windstar has them but my 1995 Olds Achieva does not.

[Justaguyin_nc]

I think most US cars have this feature now.. but also a button command to disable it..

[Robert]

Why in earth's name would there be a button to disable a safety feature like that! :eek:

[just strum]

Why in earth's name would there be a button to disable a safety feature like that! :eek:

I already explained that - you don't believe we are going to sneak up on you, do ya?

[Justaguyin_nc]

Well, besides sneaking up on ya...

If you can't turn them off..well you can't sit parked with your gurl with the air or heat going..

Or at a Drive-in.. Turning the radio to hear the movie.. rolling up the windows and enjoying the AIR or HEAT.. you don't want people comming up to your window to do bodily damage cause your headlights are blazing.... so..you leave your headlights off.. button disables..;) it's over riden next time you startup though.. so the saftey feature is back..

[ted s]

We have that covered up here, apply parking brake, light = off.

[duhvoodooman]

Why in earth's name would there be a button to disable a safety feature like that! :eek:
It's that whole "land of the free" thing. Ain't nobody gonna make us do nuthin'!! :reallymad: ;)

[Justaguyin_nc]

We have that covered up here, apply parking brake, light = off.

Parking Brake? .. Well, we got Automatics in the states these days.. just put it in park.. :rotflmao:

to be honest..I never touched mine..lol.. gotta give that a try.. those things actually work?? :thwap:

[ted s]

Careful Justa, if you've never used it, it might seize up on ya'. That would be a big PITA, don't ask me how I know.. :thwap:

[just strum]

Careful Justa, if you've never used it, it might seize up on ya'. That would be a big PITA, don't ask me how I know.. :thwap:

Ditto.

[luvmyshiner]

Hey Strum, tonights the night. We're taking Canada. Spread the word.

Oops, wrong forum.:messedup:

[tot_Ou_tard]

Hey Strum, tonights the night. We're taking Canada. Spread the word.

Oops, wrong forum.:messedup:
Got'cha, but turn down your d@mned amph as well!

Ya' gotta be quiet as well as dark!

[just strum]

Ok, we go in and tell them we will only take their geese (they won't put up a struggle) and then when they are not looking, we steal their natural resource - BEER and a couple flannel shirts - then run like hell.

[Justaguyin_nc]

wait a minute guys...my parking brake is stuck!!
Darn those Canadians!! :reallymad:

[just strum]

wait a minute guys...my parking brake is stuck!!
Darn those Canadians!! :reallymad:
:rotflmao:

[luvmyshiner]

Quick Justaguy, we need every available man . . . use some Kroil on it!

(And Tot thought we weren't reading his posts:D )

[Tone2TheBone]

LMAO @ Justa. The Canadiens will be easy to take I'm in.

Rob - who needs car lights in the daytime hello??? That's why they call it daytime!

;)

[tot_Ou_tard]

Quick Justaguy, we need every available man . . . use some Kroil on it!

(And Tot thought we weren't reading his posts:D )
:rotflmao:you'd be the first :rotflmao:

[Justaguyin_nc]

dagnabit...I'm out of Kroil!!
I tried spitting on it..it just freezes!!
Dang it's cold up here..

You guys go on without me..I will be there in spirit.. "Sings..America America..cough cough cough"


psssst..I live in the south.. you keep the flannels..just send me some beer..;)

[tot_Ou_tard]

Let's do this for just'a!!!

All together now..

lights off?

check
check
check
check....


brakes kroiled?

check
check
check
check...

Know your flannel size?

check
check
check
d@mn!!!:thwap:...I gotta run home guyz, I'll try to catch up with ya!...

[ted s]

:D :rotflmao:
you guys are kill'n me here. Wait, I have an urgent message from our diplomats..

3H5hKZznc14&feature=related

[Justaguyin_nc]

:D :rotflmao:
you guys are kill'n me here. Wait, I have an urgent message from our diplomats..

3H5hKZznc14&feature=related

Wait .. guys.. don't invade!! :pancake:

That clip actually made sense to me.. (told ya Im in the south!)
we could learn from them!!:poke:

Besides.. if we get them mad..
they will turn off their headlights and no more Northern Lights!!

Oh wait...they cant...lol.. invade invade!!!

[just strum]

Be prepared because shortly after the invasion one of them will be standing up in front of the UN stating "It's not fair, they broke the rules of engagement, they turned their lights off!!!".

[PAPPY]

Hey this lights on thing is not funny. My Mom and Dad taught me a long time ago to be respectful to the deceased even if I don't know them. Always before the way we tell a funeral was happening was that all the cars had their lights on so I will always pull over to the shoulder of the road and wait for the hearse to go by to show respect to the deceased. Well back around the first of November on opening weekend of deer season while driving downtown I met a long line of cars with lights on so I pulled her over and stood outside in the cold with my hat off and waited for three hours for the hearse to come by. I say it should be against the law to have lights on in the daytime unless your dead and on your way to the cemetary.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I say it should be against the law to have lights on in the daytime unless your dead and on your way to the cemetary.
Turn off your lights & you might increase your chances ;).

[Bloozcat]

Maybe it's just me, but if you can't see another vehicle in broad daylight without it's lights being on, what are you doing operating a motor vehicle in the first place? And here all of these years I was under the impression that one had to have 20-20 vision, or vision corrected to at least 20-40, to get a drivers license. Silly me.

Sounds to me like another case of "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you". Thanks, but I don't recall asking them for help. :whatever:

A few observations...

I read a report recently that concluded that daytime running lights actually decrease the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. Granted, it's not by a large amount, but any system that adds an additional burden to the electrical system of a vehicle causes more drag on the engine.

On my way home from work recently I witnessed the aftermath of an accident at a busy intersection. The driver of one car had run the red light and hit another car. Both cars were equipped with - you guessed it - daytime running lights. Apparently, the daytime running lights did nothing to make the driver at fault a better or safer driver. Nor did they afford the victim of the crash anything of use to prevent the accident from occuring. And isn't this the real issue here...creating responsible drivers instead of dancing around the issue by creating superfluous, "safety" remedies to prevent accidents?

I don't want to sound reactionary here, but there's usually some financial benefit to some party somewhere in a story like this. I wonder if GE or Sylvania had anything to do with daytime running lights? Running the headlights continuously, even at lower power, has got to cause some premature headlight burnout. Follow the money trail?

Maybe it is just me... :rolleyes:

[marnold]

Maybe it's just me, but if you can't see another vehicle in broad daylight without it's lights being on, what are you doing operating a motor vehicle in the first place? And here all of these years I was under the impression that one had to have 20-20 vision, or vision corrected to at least 20-40, to get a drivers license. Silly me.

Sounds to me like another case of "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you". Thanks, but I don't recall asking them for help. :whatever:

Under varying conditions, especially early or late in the day where I wouldn't need lights to see where I'm going, my black compact can disappear pretty quickly. We've got dense fog here today--1/4 mile visibility tops. I didn't need my lights to see where I was going, but I sure needed my lights for other people to see me. Guess how many people actually had their lights on.


On my way home from work recently I witnessed the aftermath of an accident at a busy intersection. The driver of one car had run the red light and hit another car. Both cars were equipped with - you guessed it - daytime running lights. Apparently, the daytime running lights did nothing to make the driver at fault a better or safer driver. Nor did they afford the victim of the crash anything of use to prevent the accident from occuring.

I don't think your argument holds much water here. Just because daytime running lights did not stop that accident from occurring, it does not follow that therefore daytime running lights have no value whatsoever. It's like the study I read arguing that cars with anti-lock brakes are just as likely to get into accidents as those without. What the study failed to do is remove accidents where anti-lock brakes are irrelevant. For example, if someone rams into the side of my car or smacks into me when I'm stopped at a stoplight, my anti-lock brakes won't help me in the least. Despite that, I'm never going to buy a vehicle without them. If I have to slam on the brakes I want to know I'm going to stay in control of my car.

I do agree with your basic premise that sometimes the government tries to regulate things that really don't need regulation.

[Robert]

I hope this doesn't turn into a politics discussion. I can tell you from my experience though. In Sweden, daytime running lights is mandatory. When I moved to Alberta, Canada, I learned that older cars don't need to have their lights on in the daytime.

What happened was that I often didn't "see" a car coming if it didn't have their lights on. My senses were set to "moving automobiles always have lights on" so the result was sometimes I noticed the oncoming car too late and almost had accidents. For me, the benefit of daytime running lights is obvious and clear. If it can help save lives, then that is all the argument I need.

There is a list of research studies of this topic at http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/DRLs/studies.htm - you may want to take a look at this.

[Bloozcat]

And isn't this the real issue here...creating responsible drivers instead of dancing around the issue by creating superfluous, "safety" remedies to prevent accidents?

My arguement boils down to this point. We were all taught to use our headlights in low light conditions, in fog (low beams), when it's raining, a half hour before dusk/after sunrise, et. al. Good training, some common sense, and just plain self preservation ought to be enough motivation.

While that accident story was anecdotal, I used it to illustrate a point - passive safety features like this are no substitute for good driving habits. I'm not saying that daytime running lights have no value at all, but just how much is as anecdotal a proposition as my example. It's awfully hard to quantify.

I just get sick and tired of band aid fixes for problems that are really caused by a lack of personal responsibility. But since it's not PC to blame the irresponsible for their actions, we all have to put up with the blanket fixes.

EDIT TO NOTE: I stand corrected. Apparently, there are studies that show a reduction in accidents related to DRL.

Robert: I'd say it's a societal/human behavior issue more so than a political one. At least it is to me.