DRLs are NOT headlights, dammit!

You think those puddles of light 5 yards in front of your nose are your headlights?!?! You’re a moron. And you’re a moron with no markers in the back driving in the dark.

Learn to operate your freaking vehicle properly.

That is all.

-Rob

Concur.

And there’s lots of imbeciles who don’t have any lights on at all, driving in the dark. I suppose they aren’t aware that their headlights have to be set to “auto-on” to turn on when it’s dark, and can see by the light from street lights.

We see this all the time at our roadchecks. No lights. No taillights. No awareness. No operator skills.

And they are surprised when a citation is issued.

Some DRL setups, and even some without them, light up the dash/instrument illumination lights. This can trick the ignorant, unwary - or clueless - into thinking the headlights are on. It happened to me when driving my then-new 2005 Toyota Tacoma home from the dealership at twilight.

My current car (2009 Corolla) has DRLs which are actually the high beams on reduced power, but it doesn't light up the dash or the tail lights. When the dash is difficult to see I turn on the headlights. The headlights are also automatic, but don't turn on until it is fairly dark.

Some cars, Nissan Rogues in particular, have very bright DRLs, to the point I think they probably provide decent frontal lighting.
This compounds the driver's confusion when you flash them for having no lights on.

I've taken to giving a flash & cycling the lights off/on & hoping they figure it out.

Crazy to see newer cars than mine that you k ow have auto lights & they're set to 'off'

Hell, I'd just be glad if they would go faster than 42 in a 55 zone. Don't care what lights they have on (or off).

Hint: When a tanker truck is passing them in the slow lane uphill, it would be kinda cool if they moved out of the way.

Idiots.

Preach it

I've ranted here about this topic before, so I won't repeat the whole rant. But... DRLs by their current methods are a stupid, STUPID idea, and this "arms race" the auto manufacturers seem to be engaged in ("Oooh! We can make our DRLs even MORE gaudy and obnoxious! Let's DO IT!") is an abomination.

Motorcyclists now get lost in the sea of too-bright DRLs, motorists don't have a danged clue that their headlights aren't on (ran across an example just last week, just before dawn), and [most] manufacturers can't seem to get a handle on a) lighting up the back end as well, or b) turning the danged DRLs off when the regular headlights are on.

Oh, and Hyundai? May you be roo-roo'd with a cactus -- TWICE -- for putting no fewer than FIVE PAIRS of DRLs on your new minitruck/mini-SUV.

Be listening, Toyota, for you're next on the rant list for this craziness:

I can't believe that "cyclops" is legal under FMVSS* 108. I haven't finished reading it yet (and it's no easy read), but running that darned thing on-road is danged ridiculous.

- - - - -
* Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

 
I've come to just running my headlights all the time. It increases front and rear visibility in the daytime. In my Tacoma, after I've killed the engine and open my door, they go off, then automatically back on when I start up again.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
I've come to just running my headlights all the time. <snip> In my Tacoma, after I've killed the engine and open my door, they go off, then automatically back on when I start up again.

Yeah they go off automatically in my Ford Edge, too. As soon as the battery runs out. Don't ask.

This is a daily frustration for me, too many idiots around here drive around with no lights on when it’s rainy or foggy or getting dark.

My favorite are the silver or gray cars that drive 80 mph down the highway in the pouring rain and fog with no lights on and they are invisible.

Goes to, read the owners manual, which the average adult male in America is incapable of doing. 1) pride, no man ever needs to be instructed how to do it right, and 2) illiterate. The makers don't help with massive amounts of fluff and even whole chapters on "how to drive" or "plan your vacation." The book is how to operate and maintain it. It doesn't need three volumes.

Things are changing and simple instructions are all we need. Case in point, headlight dimmers - which used to be a button on the floor. But, no, stalks added functions, so when I bought a 99 Forester I had no idea how to get the lights on bright or dim. The previous Dodge van pulled back, the Forester would just flash and it wouldn't stay on high. I thought the switch was broke. Nope. Push forward. That was all it took.

When I got a F150 15 years newer it did the same. Okay. But, it doesn't have DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, which, BTW, are NOT required by DOT last I checked. Canada did, the makers just wholesale changed over for a North America product set and here we are.

So, for all who agree with the OP's rant over them, have you read your owner's manual? Ever? You might find a few other tweaks in there to use. At least your car has all the chips in it. Future models are likely getting them trimmed and the makers might slow down on coming up with New! features most of us abuse anyway.

I'll keep my O5, real door locks are nice. No breaking the glass to get to the hood latch to open the hood to jump start the car. As for folks not knowing which position to put the headlight switch to - Auto works pretty good on the wife 12 Buick - Im gonna suggest those driving in DRL's are better than their Uncle back in the MidEast. Working security checkpoints in Egypt you quickly learned that folks would drive 85 with NO LIGHTS AT ALL. Saves gas and you don't burn them out.

They say the wrecks of two vehicles traveling at 170 mph approach speeds are explosive.

I used to rent a lot of cars while traveling on business.

When the auto feature for headlights started showing up in cars, I found that the car rental places put them in the auto mode, probably because people had trouble figuring out where the light switch was in cars they weren't familiar with.

So, I put my personal cars in auto mode also, simply because that's what I'm used to.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I've ranted here about this topic before, so I won't repeat the whole rant. But... DRLs by their current methods are a stupid, STUPID idea, and this "arms race" the auto manufacturers seem to be engaged in ("Oooh! We can make our DRLs even MORE gaudy and obnoxious! Let's DO IT!") is an abomination.

Motorcyclists now get lost in the sea of too-bright DRLs, motorists don't have a danged clue that their headlights aren't on (ran across an example just last week, just before dawn), and [most] manufacturers can't seem to get a handle on a) lighting up the back end as well, or b) turning the danged DRLs off when the regular headlights are on.

Oh, and Hyundai? May you be roo-roo'd with a cactus -- TWICE -- for putting no fewer than FIVE PAIRS of DRLs on your new minitruck/mini-SUV.

Be listening, Toyota, for you're next on the rant list for this craziness:

I can't believe that "cyclops" is legal under FMVSS* 108. I haven't finished reading it yet (and it's no easy read), but running that darned thing on-road is danged ridiculous.

- - - - -
* Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard

A lot of things in the Federal Standards seem to be ignored these days- look at the proliferation of flashing brake lights on oh so many new vehicles these days.

Are the flashing brake lights an actual feature or is it people riding the brake pedal ever so slightly? I've noticed it a lot on newer vehicles, but it doesn't seem consistant. The Jeep Mojave I was behind this morning did it twice while slowing for traffic, but didn't do it while stopping for a red light.

We had a 2017 Silverado that had a dealer-added flashing brake light. One of those deals they add to rake a few extra shekels out of a customer’s pocketbook.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Are the flashing brake lights an actual feature or is it people riding the brake pedal ever so slightly? I've noticed it a lot on newer vehicles, but it doesn't seem consistant. The Jeep Mojave I was behind this morning did it twice while slowing for traffic, but didn't do it while stopping for a red light.

I've been seeing it more & more. They brake & you get 3 or 4 flashes of the 3rd brake light then it goes solid.
From the ones I've seen, it's only the 3rd brake light that blinks, but it always goes solid after a few.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
I've been seeing it more & more. They brake & you get 3 or 4 flashes of the 3rd brake light then it goes solid.
From the ones I've seen, it's only the 3rd brake light that blinks, but it always goes solid after a few.

That's what I've seen also.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
I've been seeing it more & more. They brake & you get 3 or 4 flashes of the 3rd brake light then it goes solid.
From the ones I've seen, it's only the 3rd brake light that blinks, but it always goes solid after a few.

That's what I've seen also.

Took my boss to the airport earlier this morning.
Newer Chevrolet Traverse, did exactly this, couple blinks of the 3rd brake light, then constant on.

Several Motorcycle aftermarket tail lights do this, to get the attention of the driver behind them, some offer different programable patterns.