I still do that whenever I drive my car, day or night, for a commute, an errand, or a trip. I got in the habit when driving a truck and I never stopped. I turn on the all the lights during the day when I drive vehicles that have DRLs too.
I figure it’s just as important to be easy to see from behind as it is from the front.
Yeah anecdotal but went to the store. Waiting at the stop sign, gray day, gray asphalt, gray MRK with no lights on going about 50 mph. Glad I looked twice and saw the grill and waited for him. Either Ford isn’t with the DRL program or he had somehow shut them off.
I was unable to access the study, but there exists the possibility that whether DRLs are effective or not depends very highly on the driving environment. In rural areas in the “plains states” they’re probably useless. You can see fifteen miles down the road anyway, and dense traffic with difficult intersections all over isn’t common. But in NH, where constant hills, curves, and treed roadsides mean that you can often only see what’s coming seconds ahead, and where half of the year has much shorter daylight hours, I believe they make a huge difference.
I believe a large part of the problem is that political organizations make decisions based on a very limited view of the variety of environments in the country. What works in D.C. doesn’t necessarily work in NH. “Jersey Barriers” may work well in Jersey (or NYC, or DC) but mandating them in the middle of the divided Everett Turnpike through Manchester prevents water runoff causing puddling in the lanes, make snow removal more difficult making the road more dangerous in winter, and bounces any car that slides off the edge right back into traffic (there used to be grass berms for them to land in). Jersey Barriers are terrible in this environment.
The grooves that wake up dozing drivers have created other problems in NH. Countless complaints have been filed by residents who were tired of being awakened that loud rumble in the middle of the night by trucks brushing those grooves. NH is reconsidering their use.
However, as I’ve said before, I support the theory behind DRLs but believe they’re a wrongheaded approach. The cars’ headlights, taillights, and running lights should simply be illuminated whenever the engine is on.
I don’t have DRLs but always use my “all lights” on highways and when it’s cloudy/somewhat dark.
I always drive with my lights on, regardless of the weather or time of day. I have for decades.
What I do on gray days when its not dark enough to trigger the auto on. I lay a small piece of cloth over the sensor on the dash. Then the car thinks its night and turns the lights on and I don’t have to remember to shut the lights off again when I park. The book says not to do it but can’t see why not. Sometimes it can get fairly dark or rainy before the lights actually come on otherwise.
Are you saying that on your vehicle the lights won’t come on manually in the daytime?
DRLs come on all the time, but the automatic on (twilight sentinel) is triggered by the light sensor on the dash. If it is just gray out, it’s not dark enough to trigger them on. I can always turn the light switch on to turn the lights on, but then you have to remember to turn them off again. If I just cover the sensor the car thinks its night time and will shut the lights off again when I park. The Pontiac is more sensitive than the Acura though, even though I’ve set the sensitivity all the way to high. It still can get pretty dreary before the lights turn on. Of course the drawback is that the dash lights also dim with the headlights on.
You didn’t answer the question. Can you turn your lights (not DRLs) on manually during the day, or will they only go on after twilight?
Yes I can, any time.
That would seem like the easy solution to me. That’s what I do.