Day Time Running Lights!

[Scooby074]

Its not a slippery slope argument to have certain minimum requirements to drive a vehicle on public highways.

Do you have MVI's in Kentucky? If so, the Government (oooh boogeyman) has set a minimum set of requirements for a vehicle to be allowed on the road. Would you like to be on the roads with guys running their cars minus the front brakes? Or perhaps ones with broken steering?

Winter tires.. for WINTER.. is just part of these rules. Makes sense dont it? Snow tires for snow?

Remember driving isnt a right.. and the government is well within their powers to set the rules we citizens have to abide by to travel the roads. Be it in licensing, health requirements or vehicle safety equipment.

 

[JasG]

Lots of claims thrown out but I have seen little in the way of facts. Below is what I have found and I see little harm in having a set of lights on. Around here so many hills and road lined with trees I over time have gotten to a point I run with lights on all the time. I feel there have been fewer times some one pulls out and created a near miss. Still have people who will cut you off, or not stop, they tend to not even look. I just took a trip with the family and did most of my driving around dusk and the number of people running with no lights even after dark is amazing.

It just makes you stand out that little extra IMO that can make a difference.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv19/05-0178-W.pdf

In Australia bright yellow DRLs should be permitted
on motorcycles but should continue to be disallowed
on other vehicles. These would be far more effective
as DRLs than headlights and have the potential to
reduce fatal motorcycle crashes by more than 13%.

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811029.pdf


http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809760.pdf

Conclusions
The effectiveness of daytime running lamps, based on the simple odds, was analyzed in the preceding
sections using data from FARS and NASS/GES from calendar years 1995 to 2001. FARS and
NASS/GES data show that during the period of the study 1995 to 2001, DRLs reduced daylight two
passenger vehicle opposite-direction crashes by about 5 percent. DRLs have also been shown to
reduce fatal opposite direction crashes between a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle by 23 percent.
The results for two-vehicle daytime opposite-direction crashes are statistically significant at the p < 0.10
level, although one would prefer a statistical level of

 

[WilliamBos]

It makes total sense. But for folks that may not see much snow, it is real easy to argue against it.

Its not a slippery slope argument to have certain minimum requirements to drive a vehicle on public highways.

Do you have MVI's in Kentucky? If so, the Government (oooh boogeyman) has set a minimum set of requirements for a vehicle to be allowed on the road. Would you like to be on the roads with guys running their cars minus the front brakes? Or perhaps ones with broken steering?

Winter tires.. for WINTER.. is just part of these rules. Makes sense dont it? Snow tires for snow?

Remember driving isnt a right.. and the government is well within their powers to set the rules we citizens have to abide by to travel the roads. Be it in licensing, health requirements or vehicle safety equipment.

 

[Domush]

Not that I care one way or the other on DRL, so long as I can override them when desired, the studies people are quoting are all older and less complete than the most recent NTSB study (included as a link by JasG, but interestingly left out of the quotes):

The analysis found that DRLs have no statistically significant overall effects on the three target crashes. When combining
these three target crashes into one target crash, the DRL effects were also not statistically significant. When examined
separately for passenger cars and light trucks/vans (LTVs), DRLs in LTVs significantly reduced LTVs’ involvements in the
target two-vehicle crashes by 5.7 percent. However, the remaining DRL effects on these three target crashes were not
statistically significant. Although not statistically significant, DRLs might have unintended consequences for pedestrians and
motorcyclists. Particularly, the estimated negative effects for LTVs were relatively large and cannot be completely ignored.

Emphasis is mine, but clearly shows not everything is rainbows and laughing babies with DRL mandates.

 

[JasG]

Not that I care one way or the other on DRL, so long as I can override them when desired, the studies people are quoting are all older and less complete than the most recent NTSB study (included as a link by JasG, but interestingly left out of the quotes):



Emphasis is mine, but clearly shows not everything is rainbows and laughing babies with DRL mandates.

I don't think anyone is saying they are a perfect solution or have an effect in all condtions, yet in many cases they do have a positive effect.

 

[oldyellr]

Winter tires.. for WINTER.. is just part of these rules. Makes sense [doesn't] it? Snow tires for snow?

Wow, what logic.. Mandating something by calling it the same name as the season. So, are you also for mandating mud tires on all dirt roads during and after rain? MUD tires for MUD! Should make for quite the garage full of tires.

No, "winter tires" are a specific tread and rubber designed for snow and ice and cold temperatures. They carry this symbol:

Many people used to think that so-called "all season" tires were okay for year 'round use, but they're quite dangerous in winter conditions. We call them "no season" tires. But you'll always get people who try to circumvent safety regulations such as DRLs and winter tires just to assert their "freedom".

 

[cqaigy2]

This isn't about DRL, but i hate it that i turn on my defrost and my air conditioner turns on. Was that the government that did that?

 

[oldyellr]

This isn't about DRL, but i hate it that i turn on my defrost and my air conditioner turns on. Was that the government that did that?

Not the government but science. The a/c dries the air so it will defog or defrost more effectively.

 

[chopped]

This isn't about DRL, but i hate it that i turn on my defrost and my air conditioner turns on. Was that the government that did that?

I pull the AC relay under the hood at the end of the summer. I agree why waste gas and money when you dont really need it..
On the DRL yes pull the park brake one click and they go out. Also DRL are good if you wish to drive with no tail lights.(at night)

 

[Scooby074]

Dmush. your going far, far off into a tangent to try and prove that the gubbment is trying to control your life... obesity, sports etc etc.. im not even going to bother debating that. This is a thread related to DRL's and lately MVI's. Both auto safety related.

Fact is, mandatory inspections pull a lot of defective cars off the road and serve to point out deficiencies to their owners so the owners can get them fixed. They have 14 days to address the defects to be exact. How many soccermoms have any idea what is going on underneath their car? Heck, how many even change a tire? Do you think they have a clue that their ball joints are loosening? Brake lines weeping? No. That is preciously the kind of stuff MVI picks up and addresses.

Unsafe cars are a risk to the other drivers on the road. If you want to build the Domush Expressway where cars with defective brakes can rule the road so long as " they are driving to their equipment's abilities I have no issue with it." as you said, have at it. However on the real roadways paid for with real tax dollars, my fellow citizens expect vehicles to have a minimum of problems for both their own safety and everyone else.

And garages ABSOLUTELY care if the car is legal after you leave. The mechanics especially. Its their license and lively hood on the line. A car that leaves with defects and a valid inspection will cost the garage and the mechanic in both fines and loss of license when this is discovered. Locally several mechanics and garages have lost their license for a year for inspecting unsafe vehicles.

 

[Bird]

This isn't about DRL, but i hate it that i turn on my defrost and my air conditioner turns on. Was that the government that did that?

Many years ago, folks didn't turn on their air-conditioner for months at a time, and as with anything not used or turned on, when they did want to use it, it wouldn't work. It's been too long ago for me to remember just what all the problems were; seals, dryer, compressor clutch, or exactly what. But the manufacturers determined that the air-conditioners would cause a lot less trouble if they were cycled occasionally. And that was why your air-conditoner came on with the defrosters; government had nothing to do with it. Now, as I said, that was many years ago, I don't know about now.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Many years ago, folks didn't turn on their air-conditioner for months at a time, and as with anything not used or turned on, when they did want to use it, it wouldn't work. It's been too long ago for me to remember just what all the problems were; seals, dryer, compressor clutch, or exactly what. But the manufacturers determined that the air-conditioners would cause a lot less trouble if they were cycled occasionally. And that was why your air-conditoner came on with the defrosters; government had nothing to do with it. Now, as I said, that was many years ago, I don't know about now.

I agree. It helps keeping it healthy.

Chris

 

[JerryK]

I agree. It helps keeping it healthy.

Chris

Yup, it was when they switched to the new type compressors [ remember when they used to look like a starter/generator unit ]. They said it would keep the compressor seals lubed...

 

[Diamondpilot]

Using things from time to time is key to any piece of machinery lasting a long time. I have owned 5 F-150 4x4's, 2 GM 4x4's, 3 Powerstroke 4x4's, a Mountaineer 4x4, a Nissan Titan 4x4, and few other I have forgotten about and never had a single issue with the 4 wheel drive on any. Not a hub, nothing other than a T-Case issue in one of the GM 4x4's where a shift fork broke off internally.

The key to this I believe is I use my 4 wheel drive weekly and if it has not been used in say 10 or so days I run it though 4 high for a 1/2 mile or so then shift it into 4 low and maybe go 100' in forward, then reverse.

My father told me this technique and he has owned well over 15 4x4 vehicles and has never had any issues either where others seem to have issues all the time with 4x4 not working when they seem to need it.

Chris