Are daytime running lights necessary?

Daytime running lights come in different designs. They have become a common feature on many of Ugandan cars but are they necessary?

What you need to know:

Whereas daytime running lights are mandatory in much of Europe and the US, in Uganda they have become a fashion statement, writes Jude Katende.

Technology is perhaps one thing that unites car makers and makes work easier as well as cutting costs.
Car makers always pick up brilliant ideas that are perhaps copied with authorisation from the originators or disguised as new innovations.
Mercedes Benz introduced side mirrors with turn signals or indicators. Soon it became a trend and now it has become a permanent fixture on most cars.
However, some car makers resist the temptation to join the frenzy. They stick to their innovations and make them a trademark on the market.
One such carmaker is BMW that has popularised daytime lights that keep improving by the day.
Daytime running lights also called DRLs maintain a bright stature even during sunny days.
You have perhaps seen that eye-shaped line that runs across headlamps or at the rare side of the car that keeps a bright shine, especially during the day.


Well, welcome to the world of daytime running lights that are not entirely new but have been popularised in Uganda by high end cars such as BMW, Ford and Audi, VWs and Range Rovers, among others.
Such cars have over the years been popular, especially in Scandinavian countries where daytime visibility is bad due to bad weather and winter seasons.
Before then, there were fog lights that allowed safe driving but the preference now has entirely shifted been daytime running lights. There were also the sport lights.


How they distinguished
Daytime running lights are easy to identify as they run through the headlamp and are either designed as a thin line, curve, or dotted small lines.
For BMW, the illumination is in a ring form. However, the designs differ according to manufacturers.

Do used cars have them?
Considering that Uganda heavily relies on used cars, it is important to know their safety features.
Used cars have daytime running lights but it depends on the year of manufacture as older versions may not have them.
Daytime running lights are a recent safety feature but are not mandatory in Uganda, although in some countries they have been prescribed as a key consideration for car manufacturers. Since 2011, daytime running lights have been mandatory for all new cars and small delivery vans within Europe.
However, some used car parts have been redesigned to meet current standards and cars that were manufactured as late as 1990.
Currently, such lights may not yet be popular on the Ugandan market but are available and searchable through the internet.
The internet is a good hunting ground and chances are you could get lights in a differently designed in a way that fits all or a particular make of cars.
They are a good safety feature as they improve visibility for oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

The downside
Perhaps the downside might be a result of human error. The fact that they are called daytime running lights they are specifically for daytime purposes however, some motorists use them in the night yet they are not bright enough during darkness.

Improve safety
Numerous studies done worldwide since the 1970s have tended to conclude that daytime running lights improve safety. A 2008 study by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analysed the effect of DRLs on frontal and side-on crashes between two vehicles and on vehicle collisions with pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Function

When to use DTLs: Daytime running lights are used for proper visibility, especially during bad weather conditions.