This is my choice about 40% of the time. The rest of the time it's full lights on.

I'm a proponent of DRL, however, was disappointed to learn that with DRL programed on, all the lights were on. As jw34 mentioned, the worst part was that there was no way to turn off the lights while parked with the engine running. Sometimes you got to have those lights off.

 

I ride a motorcycle 8 to 10 thousand miles a year. I put a large lightbar with two driving lights on the front and have it on all the time except at night when I select low beam. I've noticed a huge reduction in the number of times I get cut off or otherwise ignored. There's no way to measure accidents avoided, but I'm sure it has made me much more noticeable.

 

I think most of us agree driving with some sort of lights on during the day is a good thing. I just wish the DRLs on the R56 consisted of just the front lights and you had the ability to turn them off with a switch or something easy.

 

Way to take things out of context there, your little quotes fall under the heading of "When driving in darkness", eg. When driving in darkness, don't drive with only your parking lights on.

If you want to chance it and drive with your lights off because you're too cheap to buy some new bulbs every 4+ years, that's your choice.

My only beef with traditional DRL's is that you get people driving around at dusk and in poor weather with only their headlights on, it doesn't do much to light up your car from all the other directions.

From years of riding and having been hit by plenty of motorists I can tell you the first words out of everyone's mouths is "Oh I didn't even see you"...

 

Behind the fog light lens there are two bulbs. The top one seems to come on when you turn the lights on. Why can't that be the DRL? That would make some sense. Personally I don't feel the MINI has DRLs. What is has is a programmable setting to "turn the lights on when the car is on". This is lame. I still set this to on and I have Xenons. It does help people see you.

 

I've always felt that in order to get your license you must take the weekend MSF course. You'll notice bikes after that course even if you never go near another bike. I advise everyone to take it.

 

I also think it was quoted out of context. In any case, I think it was only stating a recommended practice (which is the case for much of the handbook) rather than describing what is legal. Here is the online handbook (and pdf).

I didn't find anything on this topic in the Vehicle Code, but I did come across on this very curious section that must be out of date or superceded by DOT regulations.

 

There were two references to "parking lights" in the handbook. One was under driving in darkness, and the other driving in fog. There were not references to daytime running with parking lights.

However, the online Vehicle Code PDF (almost 1,000 pages) has this:

 

LOL I really don't care. I think Robin found what I was going to look for next, the Vehicle Code book. I never did understand why it's so hard to understand why "Parking" lights are called parking lights, and how you shouldn't run them exclusively during the day.

As far as your accidents with motorists, sorry to hear that. I've been on a motorcycle exclusively for the past 8 months as my only mode of transportation in the San Jose area (yay for lots and lots of cars and terrible drivers). Good luck and be safe on your ride.

 

Something's confusing me. I had a loaner R56 one night, and saw the lights come on as I turned on the ignition. They were barely dim enough to see with on the country road I drove, though. I had to physically HOLD the brights on to get any reasonable light, and that was because the brights wouldn't stay on using the usual forward detent position.

After I returned it, I realized that the DRLs must have been on and these are what I saw go on in the parking lot. So--question is, why would they have been so dim if all the lights go on with the DRLs? And why wouldn't the bright light control have worked in the usual position? I don't have the car now to test it, as it was a loaner, and the dealer said they were all right when I reported the problem, but it doesn't match up with what you all are saying.

Hubby and I both breathed a real sigh of relief when we got home that night...

 

It sounds like you had the parking lights on. They're the upper half of the fog lights. If your headlights weren't on, that explains why you couldn't keep your high beams on either. Did you try turning on the headlights using the **** on the end of the turn signals? The car may have had the parking lights on when it was last used. If they're left on they go off when you stop the engine and will automatically come back on when you restart it. That's the only explanation I can up with because the DRLs on R56s are just like your normal headlights.

 

I simply leave the switch on all the time

 

I don't know--that might have been it, but my husband and I both thought the regular headlights were on based on what we saw in the parking lot. Frankly, neither of us had the "duh" moment of looking at the stalk . We did have SOME light, just not enough to make it safe to go very fast. I'll have to try to see if I can duplicate it with my own car. As I said, it was a very low-mileage dealer loaner, and we just thought it had a defect not previously found by other borrowers.

 

From the rear, having the rear fogs on all the time has helped on a number of evenings in stop and go traffic, when the SUV driver behind me was too busy on his phone to stop in a normal fashion. The rear fogs are really bright and will light up signs behind the Mini at least a quarter mile away. Does nothing for daytime running, but they sure look cool!

 

When I was learning to drive my mom made me turn on my headlights at all times, now its a habit to just cut them on when I get in the car. I just do that instead of DRLs. I don't have xenons so bulb life isn't that big of an issue for me. Plus you have to have headlights on with wipers so I don't have to worry about getting a ticket for that. I do notice that in Richmond a lot of other people have DRLs though.

 

My feeling exactly. Had them programed to come on then changed it.