There seems to be a growing trend among drivers to no longer use their headlights at night.
For some reason, people are mistaking their “daytime running lights” as a substitute for their actual headlights, but for the vast majority of vehicles on the road, this is a dangerously misguided belief on the driver’s part.
Daytime running lights generally operate at a lower wattage (are dimmer) and do not correctly illuminate the road or vehicle for night or inclement weather driving.
As the name implies, they are a safety feature that increases your vehicle’s visibility to other drivers on the road during the day.
Do not assume that they automatically activate the taillights on your vehicle (this is only true on some of the older domestic vehicles).
This is why all vehicles are still equipped with a manual headlight switch because the manufacturers think that drivers know enough to use their headlights at night and in poor visibility driving conditions (ie: heavy rain).
This is particularly true of Japanese import vehicles. It was a near invisible, dark-coloured Mazda I was sharing Highway 11 with one rainy night last week which has prompted me to finally pen this letter.
No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, please take 10 seconds to check your lights the next time you venture out.
I am guessing that a lot of you are going to be shocked to learn that you have been stealthily driving around at night without taillights.
On a final note, could the sales representatives at the car dealerships please take the initiative to inform their customers of the difference between daytime running lights and headlights before the vehicle leaves the car lot?
K.A. Daleman, Abbotsford
