Does anyone else drive with their lights on during the day as I do? The last 15 months I have driven with them for safety. I find it really helps since so many drivers- particularly SUV's and the ultimate driving machines - don't look when they lane change, turn or back up. Since we are so small the the HID"s really add a measure of visible safety, I feel. It has helped me to be more"visible" to others on numerous occasions. Any body else do this? The only down side is maybe premature use of the HID's but if it keeps me from getting run over I'll do it.
cruise with attitude but safely

 

Does it make the life span of the HID's significantly shorter?

 

i do this for safety also. the hid bulbs will probably last longer than the car, so turn em on forever if u want to.

 

You guys... I'm going to burst your bubble here.

Do you realize what happens when you turn on your headlights? Yup, your tails also come on.

Think about what is more likely: someone not seeing the WHOLE front of your car, or someone confusing your brakes and tails because they shouldn't be on anyway? You're just increasing your chance of being rear-ended without much benefit.

 

the rear parking lights and the braking light are tremendously different (esp in 04/05). there is no way that someone would mistake a red ring for a brake light. if they're that stupid, they would have hit u anyways.

as for the front of the car, silverstone is pretty close to asphalt color.

 

It happens more easily than you think.

There have been two different times I've followed cars with their headlights on during the day and almost hit them. When you see red lights that shouldn't be there, eventually you stop focusing on them. Of course if you asked me to watch a car and tell you if it had brakes or tails on, I could easily tell. The real issue is the split second that reaction time is going to be increased.

You don't have to believe me, but I speak from experience.

 

Well there is your problem. Eventually you stop focusing on them? I don't even pay attention to brake lights. I mean sure they are there for a reason, but for gods sake if your anything of a decent driver you pay attention at all times to how fast and where cars are around you. People get rear ended most of the time because the person in front of them is stopped with there foot off the brake sitting there. If anything the parking lights will keep that from happening.

 

I always run mine and over the last 5-1/2 years there have been many times when the big SUVs with drivers on the phone still didn't see me.

 

It has been proven that you can only focus on a given object for a specified period of time. After that, your brain starts to project what you assume will still be there and your vision relaxes. It's difficult to explain, but there are many optical illusions that make use of this. This is why I don't want my reds on when they don't have to be.

As for what you're saying... I do agree, brake lights aren't needed most of the time. In normal driving conditions, you can use visual judgement of whether or not the car ahead of you is slowing. In emergency stopping situations, you will compute "brake lights = stop" long before you could compute the car ahead of you looks to be slowing.

 

I normally have my headlights on in morning when i'm rushing to work, well i can just imagine myself driving 240Km\h and there a guy who doesn't notice me switches to the fast lane (120km\h road limit) ..... it helps me being noticed when i'm speeding and there is no fear of someone mistaking my tail lights for brake lights unless they are racing with me