If your car comes with LED DRLs, would you turn it off so LEOs (and other motorists) have to look harder to see you, especially at dusk?
If your car comes with LED DRLs, would you turn it off so LEOs (and other motorists) have to look harder to see you, especially at dusk?
Mehhh, to me that isn't too much off a compromise... many cars don't have them to start with.
Regardless, Safety is more important to money than me...
so I would go to minor extents such as you say, but I wouldn't "black-out" at night per-se to avoid getting caught. Maybe a tail-light cut-off, but that is it.
(Suspend any thoughts of FLIR or night-vision assistance)
I had normal DRLs. I disconnected the DRL box for that reason. I drive with my fog lights on during the day in normal cummuter traffic and switch them off for longer trips to make it harder for LEOs to see me from a distance. Plus, now that I upgraded to HID high beams, the DRLs no longer work. This does NOT mean I drive at night with my lights off. That's just stupid.
I have halogen DRLs that I disconected just cus I think it looks dumb driving with your lights on during a bright sunny day. I agree it makes it harder for a Leo to notice you from a distance so that's just a small bonus to me.
I always have my lights on way after dawn and before dusk and overcast or rainy days. So I don't think I'm compromising anyone's safety just by not using any lights on a bright day, especially when a lot of vehicles don't have DRLs.
But it annoys me that a lot of people are too dumb to remember to turn their lights on when they should be on... early morning when the sun is barely up, same at dusk, rain, even heavy rain, dark day with rain, pulling out of a gas station at night, I see it all the time and flashing lights does nothing to make them realize. Even see people on the highway at night with no lights. Or they have drls and don't realize they aren't nighttime lights.
Last edited by The Stigs Cousin; 11-04-2011 at 10:43 AM.
My truck had DRLs. It was disabled the same day I got the truck home. I just spent a month driving my GFs car with DRLs. The amount of times I got cut off or some idiot pulled out in front of me during a bright sunny day should be enough proof, they don't do crap for safety. So to answer the question...yes. Too bad I couldn't quickly disable them on her car too.
My next truck will have a set of hornblasters and I will replace my stolen PA.
I always switch off DRLs on our cars when cruising on the highway. Headlights on when it's dark, of course
I drive a very small car and constantly had people not seeing me and pulling out in front of me. I also have pop up headlights and don't like to have them on unless I need to see. mind you these are not fog lights or the like, they are a yellow color wide beam DRL they blind at night if not turned off due to beam pattern. but incidences of people pulling out have almost stopped completely. and I can leave my headlights down thus reducing target area. so for me it makes way more sense to have the DRLs as I would much rather even get a ticket than get smashed.
might be my imagination but I could swear I get targeted less with the DRLs on as well, maybe the style makes it a bit harder to visually estimate speed? ( can't really stare at the front of the car with them on actually lol )
just my two cents....
I don't consider DRLs to be safety equipment so, yes I would absolutely kill them. In any lighting conditions where they would matter, I've got my lights on anyway. I do agree that some folks seem too ignorant or lazy to turn their lights on at appropriate times. DRLs might help them, but maybe they shouldn't be driving to begin with.
Bookmarks