Comments on: A Brief History Of A Popular, But Useless "Safety" Feature

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:17:22 +0000

Rick, I also welcome your point of view in this forum, however I’m going to need you to step it up:

(a) Calling someone foolish doesn’t advance your argument
(b) >Can you see a car more easily when
>its lights are on or off? Case closed.
oh really?
(c) Calling someone a whiner: refer to (a)

You’re going to have to do better than that.

By: Jim Walker (2)

Jim Walker (2) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:54:05 +0000

Rick while we welcome all comments here, the fact that you can see a car better with lights on is not the issue. The issue is whether those annoying lights actually serve any purpose except to add eye strain to the motoring public. As far as your waisted energy comment is concerned, I’m not a green person, I could not care less if my car gets 12 mpg or 50 mpg except for the cost of fuel. One thing I might add though is, does your state have a motorcycle safety campaign? Something like “Start seeing Motorcycles”? Motorcycles have had “DRLs” on them for as long as I can remember yet it’s still a problem “seeing” them? What to me is foolish is the fact that people like you think that adding lights to every car on the road will make people better drivers! An awesome example would be, DRLs or not you CAN’T read a book while DRIVING down the road. DRLs simply are not the answer. Like I said, while we welcome all comments here please think rationally about what you are thinking before you say it! Have a great day and if we meet on the road please don’t try to blind me with those silly DRLs you are probably using!!

By: Rick P

Rick P — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:34:46 +0000

This is the most foolish argument I have ever heard! Can you see a car more easily when its lights are on or off? Case closed.
It could not be more obvious. You people find something important to whinge and whine about…like the need for brake lights.

It would be interesting to know how many of the people here complaining about “wasted energy” of headlights drive V-8’s.

LOL

By: Frederick P. Moore

Frederick P. Moore — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:14:40 +0000

This practice of daylight headlight use or running lights is assinine. The law in New Hampshire only mandates lights on for the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, or when visibility is reduced to 1,000 feet or less due to precipitation or fog. All these fools accomplish who fall prey to this myth gain is bigger expenses to replace prematurely burned out lights, annoy the hell out of other drivers, and obscure the vehicles without lights on that are sandwiched between them. Further, if the state law mandates the parameters for use outlined above, why should a vehicle be “rejected” at state inspection for having a burned out running light. My wife’s car has these silly daytime lights and a sensor that automatically throws on the full headlights. I’ve seen these headlights come on while passing through a tree shaded area with the sun still well above the horizon. I know that when it comes time for me to purchase my next vehicle, I’ll walk right past any vehicle that has these ridiculous and costly features!!!

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:04:37 +0000

Mandatory DRL helped kill off GM’s market share.

By: Jim

Jim — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:58:42 +0000

>By Dave on Oct 14, 2008

>By pete on Dec 11, 2007

>I like the idea of removing the headlight
>switch and having the headlights on when
>the motor is running.

>Pete, I don’t like the idea of backing into >my driveway at night and being forced to >illuminate my neighbor’s living room >through their picture window. Or parking at >the beach at night and being forced to >disturb people on blankets. In short, I >don’t like the idea of being forced to be >rude.

No headlight switch? It seems to be a popular thought that the brighter your lights are the more your visable or the more scared you are.

How about the take the switch out because people are to stupid to use it any way right? Now lets do away with lowbeam lights and add another set of highbeams after all we dont need lowbeams anyway right?

You DRL lovers need to start taking responsability for your own driving and quit relying on “safety” gimmicks safe you butts out there on the roads. You will be alot safer if you start taking responsability for your own driving.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:50:21 +0000

By pete on Dec 11, 2007

>I like the idea of removing the headlight
>switch and having the headlights on when
>the motor is running.

Pete, I don’t like the idea of backing into my driveway at night and being forced to illuminate my neighbor’s living room through their picture window. Or parking at the beach at night and being forced to disturb people on blankets. In short, I don’t like the idea of being forced to be rude.

By: Jim

Jim — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:47:48 +0000

I beleive in minimal lighting. Lighting is simple really here, let me break it down for you.

Full headlights:
Night time
Raining
Fog
Snow

Marker lights:
Dusk and dawn when YOU can see to drive
Possibly when its very cloudy.

High Beams:
Country roads
Occasional Intersate
Day time to warn people a head

No lights are needed:
Clear sunny day

Simple enough for you people? You act like using lights is hard. You even want the goverment to turn them on permanantly so you don’t have to try to figure out how to use them. That has got to be lazyness.

By: Fleet Admiral

Fleet Admiral — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:20:29 +0000

It’s american stupidity that is giving you this reason to complain.

You want to see how DRL are done right? LOOK at a GERMAN CAR, in GERMANY. Not the ishty bastrdized american version that is forced to comply with stupid us regulations.

You will notice they have a separate SMALL 5w bulb in the high beam housing. NOT the high beam and NOT the low beam xenon or halogen which wastes much more energy.

These small 5w bulbs are just the right touch on the eyes to let people know your vehicle is on. If you look at a VW Passat from 2001-2005 you will notice this with their headlights on. Somehow they slipped them into the country, avoiding the “parking light” crap that we use. The parking lights(turn signals) do not illuminate when the headlights are on, and there is that 5w bulb in the high beam.

Only the 2001 version uses that small 5w when the headlights are off, but the newer ones they forced you to use the low beam at 70% power, and some of us took out a relay to disable that crap since it leads to burnt out bulbs sooner.

Some of us Audi drivers also swap our headlights for the euro code versions that have the drl and disable those stupid turn signal parking lights when the headlights are on. Since in Europe they use a different feature where you turn the signal stalk on, and it lights up your signal if you’re parked on the side of the road when your car is off.

Next I’ll bet someone is going to make a crack about REAR DRIVER side fog lights, such as equipped on all Audis and is wired for on most other euro cars. Most of us use them to keep tailgaters at bay during the day.

By: anatoly arutunoff

anatoly arutunoff — Sat, 24 May 2008 23:08:48 +0000

The most annoying thing about lighting today is that the turn signals are so close to the headlights that they’re difficult to spot–I remember when the turn signals/parking lights were several inches to over a foot from the headlights and they were unmissable then