Why do the Swiss drive with their lights on during the day???

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Is there something I'm missing here? I was driving back from IKEA today in lovely sunshine at about 3.45 and noticed that every car had their lights on.... is there some law I am missing saying car lights must be switched on at a particular time of the day (regardless of conditions???). Any reason why??

2
I am always bleating on about people not bothering to find out the Swiss rules of the road, and here is another example.

Answer: because they like it that way.

3
That doesn't tell the op anything.

No there is no law AFAIK. But last I heard, you are encouraged to do so as it increases visibility. Not for the driver, of course, but to other road users. Over short distance it doesn't make much of a difference, but oer long it does.

This of course excludes mandatory usage in tunnels etc.

I've had to endure years of my father commenting "you do know your lights are on..." on visits.

4
That and beside the fact that many cars have them on as default.

5
It is recommended :

http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/741_11/a31.html

5 Die Abblendlichter oder die Tagfahrlichter sollen bei Motorfahrzeugen auch tagsüber eingeschaltet sein. 3

Also in many EU countries, it is mandatory all year around, and some only in the winter months.

Plus:

As a result of European Union Directive 2008/89/EC coming into force on the 7 of February 2011 all new passenger cars and small delivery vans through out the EU will have to come equipped with daytime running lights.

also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime_running_lamp

6
It's the law in some countries (Canada has had it for years). Just a quick google check pulled up this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime_running_lamp

Looks like you will see it more and more.

7
This is what I was taught as well - and find it to be true myself. The cars with the lights on ARE more noticeable than those without.

I want to say that "the majority" of new cars in the US tend to have "Daytime Running Lights" as part of their default package these days, specifically because it does help improve how well they're seen by others.

Also though, there are places I've lived where it is the law to have lights on when it's raining and such, having them on all the time helps mitigate the "doh!" factor of forgetting to turn them on in the on-again-off-again spring showers.

8
To answer the thread title question ..... "because it's safer".

Lights serve 2 main purposes:

- to illuminate the road (the way ahead) in dark conditions;

- and to help other road users see you (your vehicle).

Put simply .... "see and be seen".

If looking (roughly) towards the sun at a light coloured car, in bright conditions; or at a dark coloured car on a wooded, shady stretch of road, the car is easier to see if lights are on.

As a motorcyclist I have always used a headlight during all daylight conditions -- in fact on my current bike there is NO switch to turn the light off - it is permanently on.

I have also driven in Sweden, where it is law, and that is why Saab's and Volvo's, are always manufactured to have the corner lights permanently on.

Remember it costs you nothing to switch them on, but could cost dearly not to.

9
The main reason is because of the frequent unexpected solar eclipses happening in Switzerland

10
If I turn my headlights on, my dashboard display is much dimmer and almost invisible in bright daylight. Therefore I leave them a resounding OFF during the day.

11
Driving back from IKEA, maybe they were all Swedish employees

Or more likely they had been through a tunnel and couldn't be bothered to turn them off!

12
Not sure it makes cars more noticeable, we didn't notice it for about 5 months after moving here, and I cycle on the road everyday and can't say it makes any difference compared to the same in England.

13
What's a dashboard display ? Don't you have a heads-up system or talking system?

If I have any light flashing wildly red, I normally spot it in my peripheral vision.

14
Usually there is a way to make the dashboard lights brighter for day run lights. You should check your manual to be sure (well, if you want to use your headlights during the day. )

15
Reminds me of my travels in Egypt. I have been a few times in taxis between the Sinai and Cairo during the night, and noticed that the Egyptians do not use headlights as we do. Usually they will drive with them off, preferring to give a blinding flick of the high beams when they see you coming the other way to let you know they are there.

16
Just a word of warning relevant to single light/2-wheeled powered and man-powered bikes:

Watch out for "stunned rabbit syndrome" (similar to "lamping") - I've had motorists look directly at me (and my light) and still attempt to drive at me/into my path from side road junctions.

This is because (I believe), that when a "light" is steadily approaching in a straight line, with no lateral movement relative to them, that they end up seeing through and beyond the light, without it registering it in their mind as another vehicle. If/when I see them trying to pull out, I just wiggle/weave from side to side a bit, and they usually fully realise my presence and stop their manoeuvre - but not always guaranteed.

On a motorbike, you shouldn't flash (high beam) them, as this could confuse and lead them to believe they can go. However, speaking personally, I have noticed, in dark conditions, that I notice pedal cycles quicker and easier if their front and back lights are of the rapid blinking variety.

17
My AOH, who, when in Switzerland, still is unable to speak any of the national languages, has become so much Swiss that she shuts her car engine down at red traffic lights even in the USA (!). And she drives with headlights on even in full sunshine over there because she saw in Switzerland that it does make sense.

However, the Jeep Cherokee we drive in the USA has exactly the same problem as PaddyG's. You can't see the clock, gas gauge and quite a few other displays at daytime with the lights on, because they are automatically dimmed. I still haven't found a way to prevent that. The car was made in those years when no one cared about headlights in daylight. The manual gives no clues. I'm afraid we would have to modify the wiring.

P.S.: Of course we do have a Heads Up Display, but we usually keep it switched off because it interferes with the periscope for the torpedo launcher.

18
I have driven for 22 years with the motorbikes light on so people have a better chance to see me. I automatically put the car light on so I am more visible too.

NOT I might add the 'foggies' as most people seem to do here as well !

19
No, there is no law and there also will be no federal law, but it is highly recommended to have the lights on always. Recommended by the traffic-security and accident-fighting authorities. The Germans wanted to have it as law Europe-wide, but France and the South Europeans stopped the idea. In Switzerland, the anti-light German-speakers in combination with the Romands and the Ticinesi have a majority and so also here stopped the proposal.

I am personally in favour of cars having the lights on in bad light, but not really during sunshine

20
Except that this here is neither a law nor a regulation