Do You Use DRLs

[mknox]

Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) are compulsory in Canada and can't be over-ridden like they can on US models.

I was quite involved in some of the discussions around DRLs back in the late 80's / early 90's when they became mandatory here, and there was quite a bit of controversy over their use. Personally, I am a big fan.

I've seen many US photos and videos of the Model S with DRLs off, and it made me wonder how many people use them.

Do you use the DRL option on your car?

 

[Geoff]

I love the look of the DRL's so I always use them. While I'm sure they increase visibility for others, I just think they are hot!

 

[Chris]

Yep mine are on all the time as well. Except for sting operations (let's see how long before the NSA pays me a visit after this comment).

But seriously, they look great, increase visibility and LEDs don't really drain the battery

 

[NigelM]

Funny, that it's one of the few things (in the U.S. at least) that doesn't have a default position every time you get in the car.

 

[Rastalew]

Agreed-- they do look awesome and when I see those catlike DRLs coming at me, I instantly know it's another Model S and blink my brights in salute. I don't see a downside, except that they are so distinctive, the only time I think I'd turn them off is if I didn't want to be noticed...as easily...

 

[dsm363]

I seriously don't understand why people of all makes in the US purposely turn them off anyway.

 

[strider]

I seriously don't understand why people of all makes in the US purposely turn them off anyway.

I think there is a long-running meme that having your lights on during the day makes you more "recognizable" to police. The idea being that a cop is sitting in ambush and when they look out on a sea of cars the ones with their lights on would "stand out" and attract attention and in turn the laser or radar. Nevermind that standing out also makes you safer as people won't be as apt to pull out in front of you but who said logic had anything to do with human behavior

 

[ElSupreme]

I have (until my Model S) always turned on full headlights whenever driving my car. I have stopped because turning on the headlights with the screen every time I enter the car is a hassle.

So I do use the DRLs. I wish I could force my full lights to be on whenever I was driving. But the DRLs do attract attention.

Strider has it correct. Lights make your car stand out. Even in the daylight.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I love those cat-eye DRLs; but, I too have spotted the occasional Model S with them turned off.

mknox, we may have seen Model S with no tech package?! Don't recall if there's a link there apart from Xenon vs Halogen...

 

[mknox]

I seriously don't understand why people of all makes in the US purposely turn them off anyway.

They've been "law" in Canada for over 20 years now, so you see very few cars without them here. Sometimes I am startled to see a car without them moving because I am so conditioned to thinking DRL On = Car On; DRL Off = Car Off.

My brother lives in LA and I noticed that his car (a Pontiac) starts with them on, but he can manually switch them off. He'd have to do it every time he starts the car if he wanted them off (he doesn't).

I take it from NigelM's comment that the Model S will "remember" where they were set. Maybe it would be better, from a safety perspective, if they worked the way my brother's Pontiac does.

 

[NigelM]

I take it from NigelM's comment that the Model S will "remember" where they were set.

It does.

 

[HHHH]

I used to turn them off in other cars, but ever since they became LED DRL's, the look has substantially added to the appearance of the car. Now that Audi doesn't exclusively have the lower headlight dotted LED DRL's sometimes you have to look twice to see if it's a Honda or Lexus product. I like that Tesla put them at the top of the headlight instead of the bottom, and how they wrap around the top.

 

[hileyms]

In Europe call cars since 2011 have to have DRL's. Do I have to purchase the Tech Package to have something that is a legal requirement in this part of the world?

 

[Liz G]

I love the look of the DRL's so I always use them. While I'm sure they increase visibility for others, I just think they are hot!

+1!

 

[mknox]

In Europe call cars since 2011 have to have DRL's. Do I have to purchase the Tech Package to have something that is a legal requirement in this part of the world?

I would think not. In Canada, where they are legally required, they come standard and can't be disabled. US-spec cars have a DRL button on the touch screen but in Canada, this button is not present. The DRLs just come on whenever the car is on. (BTW, the DRLs have nothing to do with the Tech Pkg. All cars have them).

One thing my Model S can do (that no other Canadian DRL-equipped car can do as far as I know) is allow you to turn the DRLs off when parked by simply turning the headlight system to Off. One you put the car in Drive or Reverse, they come back on automatically. The closest I ever had to this was a car that would not turn the DRLs on until it was put in gear, but once on, you could not turn them off again as long as the car was running.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

... (BTW, the DRLs have nothing to do with the Tech Pkg. All cars have them)...

Actually no. Just checked the Design Studio; here in the US, although the Xenon headlights have become standard spec recently (they used to be part of the tech pkg earlier), LED DRLs are part of that package now (not sure if that's always been the case):

 

[mknox]

Actually no. Just checked the Design Studio; here in the US, although the Xenon headlights have become standard spec recently (they used to be part of the tech pkg earlier), LED DRLs are part of that package now (not sure if that's always been the case)

That is new... and surprising to me. I realize DRLs are not mandatory in the US, but they are an important safety feature and I'm surprised that Tesla would remove them from the standard features list. They use the same LED strip that's used at a lower setting for Parking Lights, so it would just be a software selection.

I wonder if this is a miss-print because I just looked on the Canadian Design Studio and it shows DRLs as a Tech Package option as well... which can't be right here in Canada because they're mandatory.

 

[derekt75]

I answered "Always" even though my answer is only valid for my Model S.

The safety issue never really resonated with me. I'm sure there are studies that show that they save accidents, but I don't feel like they really help me see other cars, so I struggle to understand how they help others to see my car. I kinda feel like if someone can't see two tons of metal coming at them without running lights, maybe the solution should be for that person to stop driving rather than for the car to use running lights, but maybe that's a bit harsh.

In older cars, I wouldn't turn on my headlights because I thought there was a small (2%?) fuel penalty. (The power for the lights has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is by making the alternator harder for your engine to turn). Running lights probably have a smaller fuel penalty (0.5%?), and LED running lights probably use even less energy (0.2%?)

In Model S, I don't so much care about energy consumption because energy is cheap. Model S uses LEDs, which are more efficient than most other types of lighting. and lastly, the Model S running lights look really cool.
If I owned a new Audi I'd leave the running lights on because those also look really cool.

 

[jerry33]

The safety issue never really resonated with me. I'm sure there are studies that show that they save accidents, but I don't feel like they really help me see other cars, so I struggle to understand how they help others to see my car. I kinda feel like if someone can't see two tons of metal coming at them without running lights, maybe the solution should be for that person to stop driving rather than for the car to use running lights, but maybe that's a bit harsh.

There are lots of times when visibility is not good, but it's not night either. Cars without lights can tend to blend with the roadway--even when it's bright out. Also because most cars today have DRLs, the ones that don't tend to be overlooked. I always thought that just having the regular lights on was better than DRLs because you also got the side lights and tail lights (as originally implemented DRL were just regular lights but a low power which always seemed kind of silly to me because you're competing with the sun rather than the moon.) However, the current crop of LED DRLs are much more noticeable than the original low-power DRLs.

 

[Mr X]

DRL's add road presence, a cool look and make your car standout from all other cars on the road



i love mine on my ED, they are brighter and whiter than shown in the pics











Model S has one of the coolest DRL's and i shed a tear when i see one driving with the lights off

That is new... and surprising to me. I realize DRLs are not mandatory in the US, but they are an important safety feature and I'm surprised that Tesla would remove them from the standard features list. They use the same LED strip that's used at a lower setting for Parking Lights, so it would just be a software selection.

I wonder if this is a miss-print because I just looked on the Canadian Design Studio and it shows DRLs as a Tech Package option as well... which can't be right here in Canada because they're mandatory.

Nope not a miss print when i went for a test drive last month the Tesla guy said that LED DRL's are not standard anymore.