[old dude]

I notice some on this thread recommend disconnecting the running lights.
My advice is not to do so for legal reasons.
The running lights are there for safety during the day and studies show they help avoid accidents. THis was pioneered in Canada and Sweden.
If you disconnect them and have an accident the lawyer on the other side will make a point out of this and go for punitive damages which may not be covered by your auto insurance.Theat would put your assets (and if you are under 18 your family's assets)at risk. No small thing, believe me.
This is no joke and I strongly recommend that you do not disconnect the running lights for these legal reasons.

 

[tony]

If you have an accident with your DRL disconnected, the person on the other side would have to:

A) know that the IS300 comes with DRL,
B) realize that you didn't have your DRL on when the accident occurred
and
C) prove that you didn't have your DRL on when the accident occurred

A is possible, but not likely, B is even less likely and C is basically impossible.

 

[IStheBest]

Most cars do not come with DRL's. They are not a safety requirement by law, therefore the lawyer would have a difficult time arguing that turning them off caused the accident. On the other hand, insurance companies do lower their rates a bit if the car has DRLs and disconnecting them may violate your coverage perhaps?
BMWs all have them built in, but 99% of dealerships automatically deactivate them for you for some reason.

 

[Leader]

Memo to "old dude" -
Nonsense!

 

[is300soon]

i dont think so.... if it were a law then all cars would have!!!!

i dont see that!

 

[sacremon]

Rather than needing as a defense, I think the DRL would come in handy on the offense in court.

Defendant: I just didn't see him, your Honor.

You: Your Honor, my car is equipped with DRL. How much more does one need in order to make oneself seen on the road?

 

[Ylw IS300]

I would love for someone to tell me that they can see my drl, which run at a very low wattage, over the Yellow paint!

 

[TEG]

Warning - don't buy an IS300 in gray or black. Someone might sue you and say it was too hard to see.

"Your honor - they could have bought one in yellow or red and then we would never have had an accident."

 

[sacremon]

I can't count the number of times someone has almost hit me, in broad daylight or at night. You'd think a Solar Yellow would be anything but invisible.

 

[hurricane]

That sounds like good advice old dude. But it sounds like no one will listen.

 

[old dude]

As a trial lawyer I can say you are quite naive; that is one of the first things any good lawyer would find out and the experts can tell even after the most serious crash that they were disconnected.
Plus your dealer may make note of it if they notice it and your dealer would be talked to early on.
So go ahead and be smug; it is not a wise thing to do.

 

[IStheBest]

btw.. White is the most visible color on the road, not Solar Yellow. (white carries cheapest insurance also)


[From TEG: But white cars are not very visible in fog or snow. ]

[ May 09, 2001: Message edited by: TEG ]

 

[AECIS300]

I hate to say this but Old Dude is right. I come from a long line of police officers in my family including my father. They are able to tell wheather the blubs themselves were on at the time of a crash. This is done in a lab and is done by taking what is left of the bulb fragments and analyizing (spelling)them for a gas residue that is left by a light bulb when it explodes. This gas residue is only left when the bulb is on at the time of the crash. This is how they are able to tell if your brake lights were working properly in a rear end collision when the bulbs have been destroyed by the crash or in a head on collision when the front end of the car has been destroyed. So using this same method I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to find out if you had your DRL's on or off at the time. It is a slim chance but remember that lawyers are paid to find this crap out. God forbid if there is a death in this accident and the blame will be determined in court by lawyers, then it comes down to how good your lawyer is and how good the other guy's lawyer is. I had my DRL disconected for a couple of days but I connected them back because I think the car looks nicer with them on , just a personal preference of mine.
Anyways I hope that helps.

 

[Leader]

With all due respect to "old dude" (who, as an attorney, should know better) and AECIS300, Daytime Running Lights are not a legal requirement in the United States.
So, saying that disconnecting them will expose you to increased liability in an accident is simply not true.
Incidently, the reason DRLs are not "the law" in this country (unlike Canada where they are mandatory) is because the data are contradictory and inconclusive as to their effectiveness. So, any argument made for their viability as a safety device could and would be easily countered by evidence to the contrary.
Sorry, but those are the facts. The rest is wishful thinking.

[ May 03, 2001: Message edited by: Leader ]

 

[hurricane]

Originally posted by Leader:
With all due respect to "old dude" (who, as an attorney, should know better) and AECIS300, Daytime Running Lights are not a legal requirement in the United States.
So, saying that disconnecting them will expose you to increased liability in an accident is simply not true.
Incidently, the reason DRLs are not "the law" in this country (unlike Canada where they are mandatory) is because the data are contradictory and inconclusive as to their effectiveness.

With all due respect to "Leader", I'll go with the trial attorney's advice. I know several attorneys, and have heard enough stories to know that the law often does not follow common sense.

 

[AECIS300]

With all due respect Leader (of what?)if you reread my post you will see I was simply answering the question of wheather or not they can find out if your lights are on or off at the time of an accident. But since you have taken upon yourself to address your post to me.....
DRL's are not madatory by law on cars in the U.S. but! in the court of law, in a case were a death has occured in an accident you can bet your arse that the prosecuting attorney will bring it up and if a jury of your peers decides that it was a major factor then you are screwed.

 

[Leader]

I've obviously ticked-off some people by stating the facts - and, I'm sorry, because that was not my intention.
Some people believe in DRLs as a significant safety feature; others find them distracting and annoying.
Perhaps instead of saying "with all due respect," I should have said "nothing personal." Those of you on the opposite side of this issue, who took my comments personally, have my sincere apologies.

 

[AECIS300]

No hard feelings Leader non on this side
I still love you.

 

[shadoh6]

I'm not a big shot lawyer or anything, but here's my .02

I drove around for a few thousand miles without my DRLs, but I put them back on because I figure any small thing that can keep me out of an accident is my friend. The legality of this issue however remains that DRLs are an optional safety feature that people can choose to use. Depending on who's at fault, the absence or presence of DRLs in broad daylight would not be something to rest a case upon. In auto accidents, it is often a variety of factors which combine by chance which lead up to an accident, and while the presence of DRLs may help to eliminate one of these factors, and therefore prevent an accident, their absence does not necessarily put fault on the DRL-less IS.

If someone could make up a hypothetical situation in which a DRL disabled IS would be found at fault where otherwise it wouldn't, that would be great!

 

[Leader]

This hypothetical situation in which an IS300 with its DRLs shut off is involved in an accident...and then the DRLs become an issue for punitive damages...is kind of like arguing who would win a fight between Batman and Spiderman. It makes for interesting conversation in a bar, but not at the bar...if you know what I mean.

Enough already. We might as well be arguing about "Neon Yellow antenna balls" as safety features. So far, those are only mandatory in Bosnia (I'm kidding!).