Is anyone finding that now people use DRL's they aren't remembering to put their main lights on in bad weather/darkness? Have seen several doing this since the nights started drawing in. Really dangerous as the rear lights aren't on at all of course.

Couple them with the other idiots who don't have either DLR's or lights on and the situation is even most than it was before the law was brought in.

Must admit to being one of the idiots; I just got used to things happening automatically!!

Don't your DRL's work together with your automated setting for your lights? Ours do.

A lot of people are using those add on led light systems that operate (from what I understand) on their own system. So you need to remember to actually turn on the head lights when it is dark or raining.

Not in rain, fog or poor light conditions. OK, of course, in tunnels and when it is really dark

I've added DRLs that turn on with the car and turn off when my lights turn on. It's all automatic and I leave my lights at that setting.

Some people (shudder) have manual light switches on their cars. They must be the locals because anyone on 120k has automatic lights.

Yes, that's what ours do. Dim down when the main lights activate, though they don't go out completely.

Others just opened the light sensor and covered it in black tape

From what I have observed during a recent trip to Switzerland, here is a law that is not being enforced!

Like most motoring laws, that don't yield high revenue in fines, in return for official man-hours invested (unless, of course, you're driving with no lights, whilst texting and swigging from a canny, doing double the speed limit).

It's surprising, given that this is Switzerland, how many people ignore/forget about this rule. Or maybe it's not so surprising when you consider what a bizarre and unnecessary piece of legislation it is.

Not a 'bike rider, then?

Got my A, but haven't ridden actively for years. But why is it considered dangerous for cars to drive without lights during the day?

It's an additional measure for visability which can actually work in poor light conditions with certain types/colours of cars or in sunlight for instance

I understand the advantages of driving with them on. I always did anyway. But just because something is a good idea does not mean we need a law to enforce it. Is it really so dangerous to drive without lights during the day that we needed a law? It just seems like the legislators had nothing better to do.

You can use that same argument with seatbelts...

Yes, I suppose that's similar. So presumably the law is justified by a statistical improvement in general road safety, rather than by a reasoned argument about particular situations where it would be dangerous not to have your lights on.

Has there been a statistical improvement in road safety as a result of the daytime lights law?

It's another small thing that people sometimes forget and gives just another opportunity to fine people thereby raising govt revenue while maintaining the low tax myth plus the one that it's all about road safety...

BTW if you car doesn't have DLRs installed and you tend to forget, you can ask your dealer to program "Scandinavian DLR" (or similar) which basically means that low beams and taillights turn on as soon as you start the engine. Problem solved.

I am, and generally rode with them off.

Now I have DLR installed on my Guuzis so I can keep them off.

I think it's a stupid law, as is the seatbelt law.

Tom

From a 1997 report in the Netherlands (http://www.swov.nl/rapport/r-97-36.pdf)

The best estimation is that full DRL in
the EU, corrected for the existing DRL usage (mainly in Finland, Sweden
and Denmark), would prevent:
- 24.6% of fatalities in multiple daytime accidents;
- 20.0% of casualties in multiple daytime accidents;
- 12.4% multiple daytime accidents.
Since only about 50% of all reported accidents in the EU occur when DRLeffects
apply, savings must be factored accordingly. Full application of
DRL across all EU countries would, therefore, yield the annual prevention
of :
- 5,500 fatalities;
- 155,000 registered injured persons;
- 740,000 registered accidents;
- 1.9 million accidents involving insurance claims

So the idea was trumpeted with great enthusiasm, but the reality is much less clear and various reports since have been unable to prove anything like the expectations above.

See this 2007 report:
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_s...s/drl_fema.pdf where they state:

In spite of the conduct of well over fifty daytime lights studies over thirty years, the
case in favour of daytime lights still lacks scientific foundation which is due to the
difficulties in achieving a reliable measurement of the effect of DRL 1.

Personally I have always been an advocate of DRLs and formally headlights in the day and always used them. I rode and motorbike in the UK in the 1970 always using the headlight. You'd be amazed how many times motorists told me my light was on - but at least they saw me...

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