# What happened to the lights? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012 "2000-03-22T02:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/1 "2000-03-22T02:09:00Z")
Didn’t car manufacturers try putting daytime running headlights on new cars there for a while? For safety? Do any brands of cars still have those? * * * Yours truly, aha ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/2 "2000-03-22T02:22:00Z")
My Camry has them. Freaked me out the first time I drove it and I couldn’t get them turned off. I’m thinking geez, these cars are supposed to be well-made and here’s a brand new one and the freaking light switch doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/3 "2000-03-22T04:15:00Z")
Yes, they did and do. Just for kicks, I checked the April 2000 CR (the car issue), which I just got last week. Daytime running lights are listed under both **Options worth considering if offered** and **Safety features to look for**. ---
**Author:** ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/4 "2000-03-22T04:48:00Z")
I believe they are required by law in Canada (on models manufactured after a certain year), but optional in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Roland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Roland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/5 "2000-03-22T06:51:00Z")
I’ll tell you…they should be required everywhere! I know here in Phoenix when the sun hits the horizon and you are driving down the freeway with the sun to your back you can hardly see someone behind you that doesn’t have their lights one because of the glare. I drive a '88 Chevy S-10 and manually turn the lights on just because of this fact. If someone glances in their mirror I think it’s more likely they will see you because you have your headlights on than if you don’t… ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/6 "2000-03-22T12:45:00Z")
I think all of General Motors new vehicles come with DRLs now. Having your headlights on is now the law in NY state if you have your windshield wipers on (rain, mist etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/7 "2000-03-22T17:13:00Z")
My brand new Saturn has daytime running lights which were standerd. I think most (if not all) of the cars that we looked at before buying the Saturn also came with them. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2000, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-lights/9012/8 "2000-03-22T20:06:00Z")
You can tell by the gleam in their daytime running lights that these are happy cars! * * * “I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy [The Kat House](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/home.htm) [Join the FSH Muscular Dystrophy Webring](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/fshwebring.htm)