Vehicle manufacturers constantly try to develop new ideas to promote their products and get them in the hands of consumers. Some of the ways they aim to improve their vehicles is by increasing their fuel economy, making them more environmentally friendly, improving their aesthetic appeal, and making safety advancements.

The technology for daytime running lights first came about in the 1960's but vehicles weren't actually manufactured with the technology until about ten years after. Finland became the first country to pass a law requiring the use of the running lights during daylight hours and Sweden was the next country to follow suit. Countries located in the northern part of the world stand to benefit the most from this technology since they have the least amount of sunlight exposure. By drastically increasing vehicle visibility, countries closer to the north pole such as Russia, Scandinavia and Canada saw major safety improvements.

It wasn't long before countries all over Europe and North America began embracing the new technology. However, the United States didn't jump on board immediately, at least not by passing a law mandating the use of the lights. They did however begin to import automobiles that had been manufactured with the technology. General Motors, an established manufacturer, began producing Subaru, Volvo, and Chevrolet cars as the first vehicles made in the United States with daytime running lights.

The studies that have been conducted thus far show a marked decrease in the amount of accidents when daytime running lights are used. The overall accident number drops by 5-35% with the range being dependent upon the country location. Obviously countries situated in the far northern hemisphere stand to benefit the most from the use of DRLs. Left-hand turn accidents as well as many others have decreased due to the enhanced visibility from DRLs.

The four various models of DRLs available include low-beam headlights, dimmed headlights, steady burning lights, and dedicated DRLs. Countries in Europe prefer low-beam headlights which remain turned on once the car engine starts. Dedicated daytime running lights, which were primarily adopted by Scandinavian countries, operate autonomously of the cars main light system. On the other hand, steady burn lights are on continually without the ability to turn them off by hand.

Many people are concerned that running lights will exhaust their vehicle's battery or cause their fuel-efficiency to decrease. However, these are merely misconceptions, and in reality the strain that DRLs put on your car is barely detectable. A few actual detriments of DRLs is that the high-beam models can be overly bright and the majority of them cannot be turned off by hand. There are certain road and weather conditions such as excessive fog or sleet, where you need increased light intensity that the running lights do not provide. At these times, it's up to you to take the measure to physically turn on your regular headlights.

The United States still hasn't implemented any laws mandating the use or production of daytime running lights but they do acknowledge the added safety benefit that they provide. There's no doubt that daytime running lights increase driver's visibility and decrease the risk of an automobile accident which is why many countries across the world now mandate their use by law.