What are daytime running lights?

If you are shopping for a new vehicle, you might have come across the word, Daytime Running Lights (or DRLs), but do you know what that means? DRLs are lights on the front of a car that stay on whenever the engine running. Daytime running lights, unlike headlights, are faint and do not illuminate the road ahead. This is a relatively new feature.

The objective of daytime running lights is to make your car more visible on the road so that other drivers can see you. Your headlights and taillights are both lighted at night, making it easy for other drivers to see you. However,  most drivers turn off their lights during the day, making it difficult for their vehicles to be noticed by other divers easily.

Do daytime running lights make a difference?

DRLs were first introduced in the 1970s as a safety feature, and their popularity has only grown since then. Their popularity and use, on the other hand, have been hotly contested for decades.

Daytime running lights have grown increasingly popular in northern nations where there is less light (especially in winter). It’s no surprise that Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and Canada were among the first countries to mandate DRLs on all vehicles. Multiple studies undertaken in various countries since the 1970s have demonstrated that adding daytime running lights reduces accidents.

DRLs, on the other hand, are less popular in other nations. For a while, numerous US states outright prohibited the use of these lights. In the 1990s, GM lobbied for DRLs to be standard on all vehicles in the United States. Although there was some opposition, federal laws eventually enabled cars with daytime running lights to be driven on US roadways.

When daytime running lights became popular in other European countries, there were equally mixed attitudes in the UK. Daytime running lights are compulsory on all new automobiles starting in 2011.

Considerations about safety

Despite the fact that daytime running lights are designed to make the road safer for all vehicles and pedestrians, many detractors say that they have the opposite effect.

The brightness of DRLs is a major source of concern for many drivers. Despite the fact that each country sets its own brightness guidelines, some groups believe that these are excessively high, and that certain DRLs are allowed to be as bright as headlights.

Other drivers may be blinded by these bright lights. Daytime running lights should, in theory, be less bright than your headlights, but this isn’t always the case. DRLs on larger cars are also more likely to be mounted higher up, potentially shining straight into the eyes of other drivers.

Another prevalent argument is that of geographical location. Many DRL critics live in the United States or the United Kingdom, and they believe that they are unnecessary in northern countries. Because there is more sunshine during the day in the United States and the United Kingdom, DRLs are obviously less useful. Certain groups have advocated for a ban on daytime running lights because of the possible safety dangers they pose.

In actuality, there is some validity to the notion that DRLs aren’t required in some areas. According to certain research, daytime running lights in Nordic countries are three times more successful than in the United States at reducing accidents. Nonetheless, there is no evidence that daytime running lights are in any way detrimental.

When safety and fashion collide, the result is stunning.

Let’s talk about style now that we’ve demonstrated that daytime running lights won’t make you any less safe. DRLs are a terrific way to give your vehicle a trendy touch.

There are a variety of solutions available, but we at Seaways Kenya,  prefer LED DRLs. They have a sleek appearance and utilize less energy than standard lights.

If your automobile doesn’t come with DRLs as standard, you can install them yourself with the help of a DRL kit. In case you want a car that comes with DRLs straight from the manufacturer, contact us via call or Whatsapp on 0709925000, or email [email protected] and our sales agent will get you a car that meets all your needs.