Why do so many Tacoma owners drive with their lights on during the day?

I think it's a Texas law, if you drive slower than 85MPH on any Toll Road (Specifically Dallas North), you'll be pulled over, ticketed and then shot. In that order.

When I lived in that area, I always called it "Nascar Highway", because everyone was doing 100+MPH and would drive within inches of the car in front of them.

 

As far as I know every 3rd gen has DRL and they are brighter than the headlights visibility wise, so I’d have to disagree that turning on all the lights is always better. Like I said the headlights and tail lights appear so dim in the sun that they aren’t really adding any visibility at all. A bright DRL up front however, I agree is helpful.

 

I’ve lived in Beaumont, Montgomery, college station, Lewisville and Plano. Can’t say I’ve noticed a higher proportion of non-blinker users in Plano than anywhere else. I will say DFW has more aggressive drivers but that’s about it.

 

They dont use their blinkers because when you turn your blinkers on, some other ass hat will floor board it to make sure you dont get in front of them.

 

Maybe they are like me and don't listen to the POS Toyota radio.

 

I guess I'm very different because:

1) I use my blinker about 99% of the time. Even when no one is around.
2) If I see someone in traffic with their blinker on wanting to get into my lane, I slow down and let them in - especially during rush hour. I do it because they took the time to actually use the damn blinker.

 

Maybe, but I discarded the POS Toyota radio and I still have a Kenwood that hooked to illumination and is too bright at night on bright mode and too dim during the day with the lights on. I supposed turning off the factory radio altogether is a different scenario that yes, would make it to where one might not care about the brightness.

 

My 3rd gen does not have DRL

 

Am I the only one that having led drl on my off road have them off all time? I know… I have issues… I’m I weird mind always tells me “why do you need to have these on, then they will burn and you would have to replace them” so basically I don’t run them.. I turn them on around sunset and then lights on.. but not during day (Sunny) if it is raining is another story…

 

I leave my light switch set on Auto so it’s up to the sensitivity of the sensor on the top of the dash when the headlights go on.

 

You deserve a medal, after 30 years of driving Stemmons and North Central in rush hour I have for the most part only noticed the Hispanic folks in beat up ass work trucks let you in, the fuckers in the BMW's and Porsches tend to cut you off then hang you the finger. LOL

 

I covered people like you briefly! I can see the concern I suppose but I like the way they look and I think they add visibility so I prefer them on. Plus, I like auto headlights and you can’t run that without the DRL, so for me it’s a no brainer.

 

I've only been like this for the past 7 or so years. Before that, I was one of those douche's driving 110MPH on DNT, not using my blinker and causing havoc/terror while driving.

Now, I've slowed down (literally, I rarely drive faster than 65mph) and yield to 18 wheelers, commercial vehicles and company vehicles. I know they use the road to work. I'm just there to get from point A to point B. So I always let them in my lane or yield to them. Plus, I've realized that I'm not that important.

If I'm 5 or 10 minutes late getting somewhere, my world will not end. It's important I get there alive, safe and with an un-damaged truck!

 

I grew up in Alaska and now live in Washington… I have always had my lights on more for safety , front end and rear end. The habit stuck. Especially that’s days seriously people are such garbage drivers around this area the more visible the betters
Also, hot menu , and on bottom hot display and just hit day light switch for your screen if you want .. you can also adjust the dimness/brightness of the display while your lights on . Daylight mode just turns brightness way up so you can see it. The newer Tacos that have the bright led surround drl lights are pretty bright…. But I still think having tail lights on it’s helpful. Especially if your tail lights are stock… Toyota blew it when they designed the taco rear stick tail lights … I switched to Meso , not because “cool factor” but because they actually function much brighter and much better visibly I think as a safety be seen stand point . Just my 2 cents

 

If you don’t have automatic headlights, you can just leave them on all the time and they turn off when the car is turned off.

 

Hahaha funny the “I covered people like you” phrase…. Yeah…. At my age (not old) but I guess I finally matured and consider myself a grown up guy (34yo with 3 kids) I accept and kinda proudly face that I am indeed “one of those guys” haha I can’t have any light on if it is bright out there.. my brain won’t let me…

 

Yes, but he is bothered by that! LOL

 

Didn’t necessarily say that. I just don’t think doing this for tail lights is really worth the labor savings of not having to flip the light stalk. Of course, everybody is entitled to their own opinion of what is worth what. I’d rather have my DRL run during the day and have my radio in sync with lights operation than run lights all the time and have to manually change the radio setting day and night, simply for the visibility of lights on in the rear (since you still have lights on up front in a DRL truck) But that’s just me.

As for you and not having DRL, I find that unusual but maybe I don’t know all the years and trims as well as I thought I did. I thought all SRs and SR5’s have the amber DRL and all TRDs have the L shaped DRL or the elongated LED “track” if they have the 2020+ LED package. I was not aware of any 3rd gen Tacomas with no DRL at all.

 

Just piling on the same opinions here, but just to throw my vote in... Headlights always make you more noticeable, especially for peripheral vision. Grey cars especially can disappear into the road in peripheral vision in any amount of overcast light. Headlight bulbs last years, I don't feel like there's any reason to not have them on.

I bought my first Tacoma in 2009 I think? I turned the headlights on while I was leaving the lot and never turned them off since (though I sometimes have to turn them on again when leaving a shop because the mechanic turned them off), those orange marker lights are nowhere near as effective as the headlights (in my opinion at least).

 

You can turn the dimmer on in settings