Turn your god damn headlights on when it’s raining

I'm in the camp that think cars headlights should basically work like motorcycle headlights. If the car is running, the lights are on. There's basically no reason to have them off in general use, it only makes you more visible, even in nice weather.

Don’t all new cars have daytime running lights? I thought that was now standard. Hell, I thought it was required.
- Most newer ones have the “auto” feature, which typically involves a daytime light of some kind). Some people just turn it off.
- Canada requires it, US does not.
- There are a lot of cars where the daytime running lights are just little outer Halos and not actual headlights. I fucking hate these because people think their headlights are on and don't realize that the back of their car is completely black at night because the back lights are not on only the front daytime running.
  I don't know what the fuck manufacturers were thinking with that, just fucking turn the lights on if the car is in Drive simple as that
- My dad's 2018 Rav doesn't and I was shocked.
That’s a requirement for cars sold in Canada, though I still see cars with their lights off frequently.
- Since 2021 only
Some countries have mandatory daytime running light (like Canada). I had an inspection on a 25+ years old car and had to Mumbo-Jumbo some relays in there to have my fog lights turn on when the car's running but back to manual if my headlights were on.
I drive a school bus and we're required by law to have our headlights and running/clearance/identification lamps on at all times. So why in the fuck do buses even have a switch for that shit that we have to remember to flick on every time we start the bus?
....they do, nowadays. This is clearly a truck, and probably older.
- They definitely don't in the US. Most have automatic lights, sure. Maybe in the coming years we'll catch up to other countries in that regard

Put your god damn phone down and stop taking pictures with it when you're behind the wheel of a semi when it’s raining.

Sorry. Had to be said. Drive safe friend.

Totally. I don't know if semis are as susceptible to hydroplaning as cars, but I had an awful hydroplaning incident 15 years ago that still scares me. Regained control after what felt like hours of fishtailing.
- Semi driver here. No accidents but I have definitely hydroplaned in a fully loaded truck. Load was around 45k putting the total vehicle weight at around 75k.
  I felt the hydroplaning start and I clenched hard enough to shit diamonds.
It's like you heard "don't use your phone when driving" on the news one day and thought "okay, that's because the act of physically holding a phone means you're driving unsafely, understood newsperson!"
This is absolutely nothing like texting or fucking around on instagram. Stop trying conflate doing something that takes literally no braincells and is no more distracting than anything else you do in the car to being completely distracted and non-functional while texting, browsing the web, or watching TikTok videos.
- You have to open the camera on the phone and take the photo. That is distracting. That is time your eyes aren't on the road. That might involve actions that are touchscreen use and more difficult since it's not based on feel.
  You're too quick to dismiss this.
I came here to say this, I get the point for the post but OP isn’t making the road safer by doing this.

Is there ever a reason to not have them on?

Folks need to realize that having headlights on in the rain isn’t meant to help you see, but to help others see you.

This goes for signals too. Don't turn it on when you're already turning
- Signals??? You mean the turn reminder? Because i use it to remind people i already started turning a second ago.

As a Canadian, we have auto daytime running lights on all the time but then people think they don't need to turn the actual headlights on which are brighter and turn the rear taillights on so they are still invisible from behind.

For the life of me, I can't figure out the thought process behind DRLs.
Let's create a separate set of headlights that are always on for safety and visibility... They won't be quite as bright as actual headlights, but they are bright enough that you might think you have your headlights on. Oh, and no tail lights for some reason!
Even my 2013 with headlights that turn off automatically when they are in the ON and the car is shut off, still insists I'm supposed to use the AUTO mode which only activates in low light.
Nothing about about it makes any logical or safety sense. There is zero reason whatsoever that the standard for 30 years hasn't been for all standard lights to be on whenever the engine is running, with the specific option to turn them off if desired.
- Headlights are designed to illuminate the road in front of you. DRLs are designed to be seen by others.
  Headlights deliberately avoid sending light up or sideways towards the eyes of other drivers, so they often aren't very visible during the day. DRLs send light in all directions and are bright points or strips of light, so they stand out more without blinding other drivers.
  If your DRLs aren't very good, that's a different problem. Older ones with incandescent bulbs weren't. They do have a purpose that headlights aren't great at, though.
- I would agree if cunts didn't pull out on me all the time in broad daylight. Driving a vehicle with DRLs drastically reduced this.
  I think the lights trigger a response that gets them to look up from their phone momentarily.
  DRLs aren't for better visible in inclement conditions, it's in the name. Daytime Running Lights.
  DRLs are usually lower power draw the the bulbs last longer. Driving around with your headlights on all day just means you're replacing headlights more often.
  There's also the heat generated by lots of LED assemblies. It's nice to have lower power DRLs.

"No, I can see just fine, it doesn't matter thay my car is the color of a wet road, I don't need headlights".

Why don't auto manufactures legally have to make them linked to turning on wiper blades? I've never understood this?

why don't your politicians pass a law that makes them mandatory to be turned on at all times?
it has been like that in the EU for fuck knows how long.
whether it's raining, snowing or sun shining, you turn on your lights.
newer cars (read almost 10 years old by now) have special front leds that are always on as that meets regulation.
personally I have an almost 10 year old car and it automatically switched between he daylight running lights and the normal headlights
older cars simply have to have their headlights turned on all the time.
- I've always wondered this. Why are the on just when it's raining? Why not all the time? What is the justification for operating a car on the road without lights on?
- The corolla I had 20 years ago had auto lights. It was not a fancy trim. Literally the base model with a standard transmission. I don't get why other manufacturers are so far behind.
- Let's not act as if this is a good solution. Constantly running your headlights fucks them up. Plenty of cars on the EU roads with one headlight not shining, really dim ones etc. And the LEDs you mention do fuckall since they aren't even close to the required intensity, they are lit up to satisfy the law and nothing else.
- why don't your politicians pass a law
  I'm gonna stop you right there chief. We don't pass useful laws here. We only pass laws on congress dress code and play speaker of the house shuffle. Maybe you were thinking of some other country.
Daytime running lights are mandatory in Canada, unfortunately your politicians are unable to pass useful legislation if it can't be played for votes

Person being unsafe with camera use while driving complains about others being unsafe while driving.

Passenger seats are a thing
Person violating dot rules and just risked their commercial license.
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/driver-safety/distracted-driving/mobile-phone-restrictions-fact-sheet

Was this picture taken as the driver? While driving? ...what appears to be a school bus?

Having worked on these school buses it's possible that this is a special needs school bus. The bus monitor may have been the one taking pictures. I've taken photos before, especially when there are aggressive drivers, or safety hazards on the road to report to non emergency and emergency services.

But my lights are on auto!

It's really dumb that automatic windshield wipers dont also turn on the automatic headlights.
- On many cars, they do.
- Automatic windshield wipers sounds like it would annoy the hell out of me. Possibly even more than how cars never seem to have a wiper speed suitable to the rain level I end up driving in.
- For some cars* On Hyundai's the lights come on when the rain sensor is triggered or the wipers are on.
- Where I live it's mandatory to drive with you lights on during the day.
It's your responsibility, not the car.

It’s my constitutional right to do whatever I like. -Republican coal rollers.

Yeah, they used that argument when seat belts became legally required and when they banned drinking alcohol while driving.
I wish I was joking but you can look up the news clips on YouTube...

Don't use your phone to take pictures while driving.

https://lemmy.world/comment/4473563

Just turn them on when your car is on, no matter the weather or time.

How we haven't made that an automatic feature for all cars boggles me.

Shit, I'll compromise, only when it's in reverse or drive, the lights should be on.

Became a feature in Canada in 2021! Mandatory auto headlights became the minimum required by law.

Not sure if it's your truck or not but rain x can go a long way for your visibility. Also agree with headlights being on.

One of the brands of hydrophobic car wax at can tire is great too. I put it on the glass after washing, razoring, and claying it. It lasted so damn long and I didn't even use the wipers until snow started. I also fully cleaned off all the mold or mildew gunk off the house windows and applied the same wax almost ten years ago and it has stayed crystal clear to this day. The first time I cleaned it, it went back to how it was after a year or so.

I fucking hate shit like this. Also, possibly even more, if you're going to drive a car, fucking maintain it. I have been behind a shitbox rattletrap that lost its rear passenger wheel that I was thankfully far enough away from it to be able to avoid it before it hit my car

And I'll whisper back, no

Get off the road, then.
- Classic Internet hot take, but.. no u. Seriously though, that truckers window is super gross and would have a much better view if he cleaned his vehicle, maybe apply some rainex. You can't expect the world to accommodate your negligence. I'm sure this comment will go over just as well as my last one, but I've already cashed out my imaginary Internet points, so I'm good.

Yeah: they should have their lights on, but treat those windows, boss