new DRL laws | GTAMotorcycle.com

new DRL laws

SunnY S

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great idea, auto head lights should have been standard years ago.

wanted this option on a vehicle I bought in 2015, and for some strange reason, I had to buy the auto rain sensing wiper system option to get auto headlights option at some ridiculous price.

still scratching my head over how some automakers think.


 
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I suspect the auto industry moves with the speed of a glacier with tooling changes and specs and contracts taking yrs .

I'll agree this is a good idea.
 
One of the stupidest laws ever.

There'll be even more people driving without lights, than there is now.

Lights/systems will fail, and people won't notice, because they've never ever had to turn the switch on.

I'm trying to train my children to turn the switch from auto to low beams, every time they get into the driver's seat.

That puts the front low beams, as well as the tail lights on, which makes the car more visible than just half power high beams.
 
We have had auto lights on our Saabs as far back as the 2000 model (first one we had, I am sure the feature predates that). Never had a problem with the system failing, ever. Maybe in the case of that 2015 car that maker combined the rain sensor with the light sensor, maybe that is why they combined them as a feature--or it could just be features combined for a trim level?

Really, cars could just have the lights on while "running/on" even during the day, the only reason why not IMO is bulb life but much of that goes away with LED etc.
 
One of the stupidest laws ever.

There'll be even more people driving without lights, than there is now.

Lights/systems will fail, and people won't notice, because they've never ever had to turn the switch on.

I'm trying to train my children to turn the switch from auto to low beams, every time they get into the driver's seat.

That puts the front low beams, as well as the tail lights on, which makes the car more visible than just half power high beams.

Not sure I understand your reasoning

Coming from a motorcylist where "see and be seen" is of utmost importance........ Did you read the article properly?

LED should be standard on every vehicle as LED prices aren't as crazy as they used to be. Brighter, safer and faster activating with no silly bulb replacement. (another stupid move by auto makers for the ones that don't),


The new law says the tail lights and side lights have to turn on automatically now with DRL. So why do your kids need to activate the switch now?


BEST part of this law is the dash board lights and Phantom vehicle problem. This happened to me on my 2012 vehicle that I just bought at the time and wasn't familiar with fully.

I was driving on QEW and got pulled over by OPP. It was night time, my stupid dash lights were on, but my headlights and taillights were not. Because my dash was lit up, I figured my headlight system was on too.

This is one of those brilliant laws right up there with the center mounted third brake light. *applause*
 
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Not sure I understand your reasoning

Coming from a motorcylist where "see and be seen" is of utmost importance........ Did you read the article properly?

LED should be standard on every vehicle as LED prices aren't as crazy as they used to be. Brighter, safer and faster activating with no silly bulb replacement. (another stupid move by auto makers for the ones that don't),


The new law says the tail lights and side lights have to turn on automatically now with DRL. So why do your kids need to activate the switch now?


BEST part of this law is the dash board lights and Phantom vehicle problem. This happened to me on my 2012 vehicle that I just bought at the time and wasn't familiar with fully.

I was driving on QEW and got pulled over by OPP. It was night time, my stupid dash lights were on, but my headlights and taillights were not. Because my dash was lit up, I figured my headlight system was on too.

This is one of those brilliant laws right up there with the center mounted third brake light. *applause*
"As of September 1, all new vehicles must have headlights and taillights that turn themselves on at dark and dashboards that stay dark if the headlights are off."

Yes, I read it properly. I turn the lights to low beam, every time I get into the car, not just at dark.

Besides, how dark is dark? What if it's foggy, raining, snowing, dusk? What if I'm partially hidden by another vehicle/object?

I keep seeing 10% of vehicles today running with no/wrong lights at night. I don't think that will change in the short term.
But I also see 40% of vehicles today running with no/wrong lights in situations where they should have them on.
 
I like it. Took way too long but at least it’s a step forward.

Best part is the dash staying off unless lighting system is actually on. Lot of idiots driving at night because they think their lights are on but you can’t see them from the back. Same goes for fog or other low light / visibility conditions.

Personally all my cars I’m just used to turning on the full lighting system every time I get in a car.
 
"As of September 1, all new vehicles must have headlights and taillights that turn themselves on at dark and dashboards that stay dark if the headlights are off."

Yes, I read it properly. I turn the lights to low beam, every time I get into the car, not just at dark.

Besides, how dark is dark? What if it's foggy, raining, snowing, dusk? What if I'm partially hidden by another vehicle/object?

I keep seeing 10% of vehicles today running with no/wrong lights at night. I don't think that will change in the short term.
But I also see 40% of vehicles today running with no/wrong lights in situations where they should have them on.

me thinks you've never owned a car with proper auto headlights.
 
I agree that it's about time this law came into practice as I too see way too many cars at night with their rear lights off. Why? Because people are idiots and aren't taught or never learn themselves how to operate the vehicle properly.

Sadly, many of the laws & rules are to protect those idiots from harming themselves and others. It's the lowest common denominator that's being appeased to.

You can either whine and complain about ideals or realize it's a lost cause and let the vehicles do the thinking for the idiots.

I wish we never had to put a law like that into practice in the first place but as things are in the world, it's a good move IMO.
 
Speaking of lights.
I would love to see Mennonite buggys required to have and use turn signals.
 
Not sure I understand your reasoning

Coming from a motorcylist where "see and be seen" is of utmost importance........ Did you read the article properly?

LED should be standard on every vehicle as LED prices aren't as crazy as they used to be. Brighter, safer and faster activating with no silly bulb replacement. (another stupid move by auto makers for the ones that don't),


The new law says the tail lights and side lights have to turn on automatically now with DRL. So why do your kids need to activate the switch now?


BEST part of this law is the dash board lights and Phantom vehicle problem. This happened to me on my 2012 vehicle that I just bought at the time and wasn't familiar with fully.

I was driving on QEW and got pulled over by OPP. It was night time, my stupid dash lights were on, but my headlights and taillights were not. Because my dash was lit up, I figured my headlight system was on too.

This is one of those brilliant laws right up there with the center mounted third brake light. *applause*
I can't figure out why it took so long. My light selection switch is on the turn signal stalk and it's easy to bump it into the wrong position. I would notice if the dash was out.

When my brother was a traffic cop he pulled over a car running high beams in the city and told the driver to switch the highs off. The driver turned the lights right off.

"No. Just turn the high beams off."

Driver turns the switch to on with high beams.

"NO. Just dim the lights."

Lights go full off.

"Here's your ticket."
 
me thinks you've never owned a car with proper auto headlights.
Subaru did. Low beam & tail lights came on when you started the car with the switch in the auto position.
All the others so far just do the headlights.
Chevy was shitshow as the brake light electronics were defectively designed.

Even still you need to check the lights, especially brake lights every once in a while.
Way too many people driving around today with one or no brake lights.
 
The last GM rental I had did this right (Impala, Malibu?), there was no way to switch the auto lights off. You either had auto or lights on, there was no off.

Wouldn't mind if they added a measure to discourage drivers from having highbeams on permanently as well. Probably more people drive around with highbeams on obliviously than there are without lights
 
Such a dinosaur law. What is the plan for the LED dashboards? They cannot be dark. Are they banned now? Why lights should be LED - there are many cars with the superior laser headlights.

Maybe it’s better to review the old headlight standard, so we will have the same headlights they have in Europe, with beam formation and such?
 
And it’s better to have a clause that dealers should put the lights back in Auto after service instead - I guess that’s the main reason for all those phantom cars on the roads.
 
Would prefer driver standards to be increased to the point where this stops happening - Baggsy isn't wrong in that it is possible to misconfigure auto lights - but this is definitely a problem and if we won't kick bad drivers off the road this is the next best thing.

Next is we need a mandatory warning for a burnt out light - with today's vehicles with LCD dashboards and bus driven everything, you'd probably only need a software update and no additional hardware whatsoever. Doesn't even have to specify which light, can be as basic as the DOT's mandatory TPMS.

Auto high beams would be nice too, but that's still an emerging technology and definitely does require additional hardware
 
... ** comes out of stone age **
Your lights turn on automatically?

Both my suby and volks were pretty easy to figure out, if it was nighttime and my lights weren't on, my dash would BLIND ME as it was at the brightest setting. Once i turned on the lights, the dash would dim down to make it driveable.
And otherwise daytime lights were pretty much always on.

I don't know why it has to be more complicated. We are talking about turning on a freaking light ahahah
 
Next is we need a mandatory warning for a burnt out light - with today's vehicles with LCD dashboards and bus driven everything, you'd probably only need a software update and no additional hardware whatsoever.
Not possible for LED lights.
 

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