Transport Canada doing something about one of my pet peeves

[fast Ed]

Since the advent of daytime running lights combined with the electroluminescent instrument clusters on the newer cars, we see many people driving around at night, in the rain and fog, or other poor visibility conditions with only their DRLs illuminated. They don't realize their main lighting isn't on, and in the case of most vehicles it seems that they don't know to put their headlamps to the auto setting. Invariably their car is also some shade of grey that blends in with the dark & wet road surface almost perfectly ...

Transport Canada has recognized the danger of this and has a law coming into effect for 2021:

Vehicles driven in the dark without lights, or “phantom vehicles,” are a serious safety risk. Some drivers think a lit-up dashboard means their lights are on, which may not be true. It’s also important to use proper lighting in bad weather.
Transport Canada is introducing a new lighting standard to help vehicles and drivers see, and be seen.

New lighting standard

As of September 2021 the Canadian Vehicle Lighting Regulation will require that all new vehicles sold in Canada have one of the following:

tail lights that come on automatically with daytime running lights

headlights, tail lights, and side marker lights that turn on automatically in the dark

a dashboard that stays dark to alert the driver to turn on the lights

This standard will apply to all new vehicles (cars, trucks, SUVs, 3-wheeled vehicles, motorcycles and heavy trucks).


Not a moment too soon I say, this occurs much more than it should with so many oblivious drivers on the road.

[RedSN]

I guess when they introduced DRLs they assumed people weren't so dumb as to not turn on their lights at night.
But it only makes sense that if daytime running lights on the front of the car make it safer, so would lights on the back of the car. It's about time.

[Stephen06GT]

Long overdue.

[ZR]

+1 on long overdue.

[Armen]

Excellent.

[Laffs]

It's a good idea and does eliminate a problem, but I hate tailoring laws to stupid people instead of punishing stupid people for breaking the law.

[Uncle Buck]

About time

My daughter's 1999 Vitara tin can has auto headlights but my loaded 2014 Grand Caravan doesn't. Go figure...

[ZR]

It's a good idea and does eliminate a problem, but I hate tailoring laws to stupid people instead of punishing stupid people for breaking the law.

On the same page with you on that part. After all, we already have laws on the books about lights and when you need to use them. Similarly, we also have laws in place to deal with habitual driving around with high beams on in the city crowd as well, just need to enforce it folks.

[RedSN]

It's a good idea and does eliminate a problem, but I hate tailoring laws to stupid people instead of punishing stupid people for breaking the law.
It's not so much "tailoring laws" as it is just hooking up the tail light to an existing system. This should of been done 30 years ago when DRLs were introduced.
I have zero issues with improving this existing regulation and expanding it to include tail lights.

[Armen]

Agree. The system was flawed from the inception. Turn on the car at night and have headlight and dash light action due to DRL's, it's no surprise people would forget that they haven't actually turned on a switch. Throw in the auto headlight function and it gets even more convoluted.

[92redragtop]

About time...my previous 2001 Volvo S60 had this so this should have been in all cars a long time ago.

[G-ForceJunkie]

Agree. The system was flawed from the inception. Turn on the car at night and have headlight and dash light action due to DRL's, it's no surprise people would forget that they haven't actually turned on a switch. Throw in the auto headlight function and it gets even more convoluted.
I'm not that old, but I recall my early cars required the lighting system to be activated before dash lights came on. I think the reason this is more of a problem now is because dash lights are on all the time, even when the lighting system isn't (other than front DRLs), so there is less of a 'clue' for drivers to turn their lights on. In my current Focus, the dash lights are absurdly bright at night if the exterior lights aren't turned on (which dims the dash lights).

[Bksrt8]

Probably doesnt need to take until 2021...are they waiting until somebody dies from this stupidity before they change things? Thats what it usually takes. Good news tho for sure.

[fast Ed]

If it's a fairly recent decision, they need to give the auto manufacturers a realistic amount of time to make the changes to the vehicles ... that can't happen overnight for a small market like ours. It should have had action on it years ago, many vehicles have had the electroluminescent clusters for 6 or 7 years at least.

[Darkhorse]

autoheadlights is the savior.

There are a lot of cars that have the dash illuminated regardless if the lights are on, so it's not that hard to not really notice they are not on, especially in a city setting where there are a lot of street lights.

In the country should be obvious and I feel like car guys notice more than regular people. My in-laws were very guilty of this, but now the headlights come on automatically.

I also use that feature.

[fast Ed]

autoheadlights is the savior.

There are a lot of cars that have the dash illuminated regardless if the lights are on, so it's not that hard to not really notice they are not on, especially in a city setting where there are a lot of street lights.

In the country should be obvious and I feel like car guys notice more than regular people. My in-laws were very guilty of this, but now the headlights come on automatically.

I also use that feature.

As long as people remember to (or know to) put the switch in the auto position, it's all good. I can't count the number of higher-end SUVs I've seen driving with only DRLs, where the driver obviously doesn't have the switch set correctly. Put it on the auto setting and leave it FFS!! :stickpoke:

[Darkhorse]

As long as people remember to (or know to) put the switch in the auto position, it's all good. I can't count the number of higher-end SUVs I've seen driving with only DRLs, where the driver obviously doesn't have the switch set correctly. Put it on the auto setting and leave it FFS!! :stickpoke:

Until the service dept moves the dial and you don't know to turn it back. :)

[G-ForceJunkie]

As long as people remember to (or know to) put the switch in the auto position, it's all good. I can't count the number of higher-end SUVs I've seen driving with only DRLs, where the driver obviously doesn't have the switch set correctly. Put it on the auto setting and leave it FFS!! :stickpoke:
I don't use auto headlights because I find there are many conditions where the lights should be on and the auto system won't turn them on. (Eg. Bright foggy or snowy days, lots of times at sunrise/sunset, etc.).:shrug:

[Armen]

I don't use auto headlights because I find there are many conditions where the lights should be on and the auto system won't turn them on. (Eg. Bright foggy or snowy days, lots of times at sunrise/sunset, etc.).:shrug:

In that case it would be just like regular... Turn them to the ON position from AUTO, just like you would turn them to ON from OFF when it gets dark or the weather turns poor in the daytime.

I always have mine in AUTO. And when the weather turns foggy or snowy or intense rain... I turn them to the ON position. Sometimes even if it's a very cloudy kinda darker day, I will turn them to the ON position.

[fast Ed]

For drivers that are aware I certainly agree ... autolamps aren't foolproof by any means. However the people that can't figure out their lights aren't on at night, are usually the same ones that can't figure out they should be turning their lights on in the situations you mentioned ... so many drivers are oblivious to anything that's not 10 feet directly in front of them.

[Bksrt8]

so many drivers are oblivious to anything that's not 10 feet directly in front of them.
This could not be more true....nothing to do with lights but heres an example....when i had my f350 i was passing a Ram 2500 with those HUUUUUGE, stupid looking tow mirrors that stick out 6' off the door on each side. My truck had tow mirrors too but theu were power mirrors and they were always retracted, anyway....as im going past, hes in a turning lane going left and rather than just turn the god damn wheel left...he turns right first and then left and puts his truck outside his lane as i go by. Well the mirrors smacked eachother. Mine wasnt in the best shape but it had signals on the mirrors that had amber lenses and he broke mine....naturally his truck was fine and mine was in such bad shape i really didnt care anyway but then he trys to tell me that he didnt turn out of his lane!!!! My gf (ex now) chimed in and said he did so and he kind of admited that maybe he did and didnt notice. I said i know 100% you didnt notice and im really not concerned because im sure it wasnt your intention to do that.....if i thought it was malicious id be pissed and youd be on the ground.

I think the vast majority of people get in thier cars and stop using their brains. Theres literally so much going on that it boggles thier minds. Maybe humans in general are just too stupid to operate things of that complexity?

[5.4MarkVIII]

good news hopefully they crack down on the idiots who turn on their 4 ways when it rains and snows next

[fast Ed]

hes in a turning lane going left and rather than just turn the god damn wheel left...he turns right first and then left and puts his truck outside his lane as i go by. I've seen lots of people do that too, another one on my pet peeves. Either learn how to make a left turn correctly, or slow down to a speed where you don't feel the need to make the corner a bigger radius to survive the attempt. They end up with the RF wheel over the line in to the next lane, then wonder why you've honked at them. LOL

[Bksrt8]

Id have been more understanding if maybe he had a trailer but he didnt....and honestly even if he did....theres no need for the right then left turn practise that i see constantly...you drive a car not a rig, just turn the fuckin wheel one way lol

[92redragtop]

In the rain tonight could barely see the lines on the highways and still saw at least 3 cars with their lights not turned on (no rear lights).

[Harbinger]

Since the advent of daytime running lights combined with the electroluminescent instrument clusters on the newer cars, we see many people driving around at night, in the rain and fog, or other poor visibility conditions with only their DRLs illuminated. They don't realize their main lighting isn't on, and in the case of most vehicles it seems that they don't know to put their headlamps to the auto setting. Invariably their car is also some shade of grey that blends in with the dark & wet road surface almost perfectly ...

Transport Canada has recognized the danger of this and has a law coming into effect for 2021:

Vehicles driven in the dark without lights, or “phantom vehicles,” are a serious safety risk. Some drivers think a lit-up dashboard means their lights are on, which may not be true. It’s also important to use proper lighting in bad weather.
Transport Canada is introducing a new lighting standard to help vehicles and drivers see, and be seen.

New lighting standard

As of September 2021 the Canadian Vehicle Lighting Regulation will require that all new vehicles sold in Canada have one of the following:

tail lights that come on automatically with daytime running lights

headlights, tail lights, and side marker lights that turn on automatically in the dark

a dashboard that stays dark to alert the driver to turn on the lights

This standard will apply to all new vehicles (cars, trucks, SUVs, 3-wheeled vehicles, motorcycles and heavy trucks).


Not a moment too soon I say, this occurs much more than it should with so many oblivious drivers on the road.Saw a few today on the 401. One day they will cause a serious accident

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[stangstevers]

There’s always a few each morning on the 401 but I remember back in the 90’s people still managed to forget lol

What I don’t get is most cars have automatic lights, why turn off that option?

[fast Ed]

DRLs were a country-wide mandate from Transport Canada since 1990 model year.

[fast Ed]

No, that didn't start until the early to mid 2000s I think, mostly on Japanese cars then other manufacturers followed suit. I remember first seeing this happening more often with the Civics from that era. You would pull up beside and see that their instrument cluster was brightly illuminated, making them think their lights were on.

[bluetoy]

Another law to replace intelligence.

[RedSN]

It’s not another law. The law is to have your lights on after dusk.
The regulation is that new cars are to be equipped with automatic lights.

This is a good thing.

[RedSN]

Yes, I guess you are right. Simpler, cheaper, more reliable is better.

New cars now to be equipped with manual choke, manual timing advance, manual gear shift, manual crank windows, manual door locks, crank start, unassisted brakes and/or steering,

[RedSN]

^^^no, see post #37.


Simpler, cheaper, more reliable is better.

[fast Ed]

Yes, I guess you are right. Simpler, cheaper, more reliable is better.

New cars now to be equipped with manual choke, manual timing advance, manual gear shift, manual crank windows, manual door locks, crank start, unassisted brakes and/or steering,

So basically a Fox Mustang ... :sarcasm:

[Intmdtr]

About time

My daughter's 1999 Vitara tin can has auto headlights but my loaded 2014 Grand Caravan doesn't. Go figure...

Ya my 15 town and country had auto lights but my 17 grand caravan doesn’t. They say it’s not an available option on the dodge vans....

[83 5.0]

Another issue they might want to consider is the turn/brake lights on some of the new cars are too low in the bumper, not at eye level, and some Turn/brake lights blend in to the other lights, making them harder to distinguish.

Low-mounted rear indicators obscure visibility
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/sc-motormouth-autos-1208-20161208-column.html

http://www.carproblemzoo.com/kiamotor/sportage/turn-signal-problems.php

[fast Ed]

Yes, I noticed that on the Kia SUVs as mentioned in the link you posted. Seems very silly to do that in the name of style when you have perfectly good lights up higher that could also be turn signals.