The SafetyMax Driving/Fog Lights Daytime Running Light products and product line

('Dealership' legal in Canada/for Canadian vehicles; also legal for the US do-it-yourselfer)

The AllQuality DRL-2007 Driving/Fog Light DRL product powering factory fog lights at full power on a 1998 Infiniti I 30 sedan [55 watt H3 bulbs]

The AllQuality SafetyMax DRL-2007 driving light or white light 'fog light' DRL controller offers maximum versitility and flexibility for today's do-it-yourselfer. Canadian customers just love the look that the Transport Canada compliant DRL-2007 conversion kit offers. Some US customers also purchase the DRL-2007 FLX module/kit just to gain daytime control over their factory fog lights. Also for vehicles without turn signals - such as golf carts, mini utility vehicles, etc.

Some people just like the look of their fog lights 'on' during the day, but are having to run their parking lights to get that 'cruising look' that they want. The parking lights needed to activate these lights is a waste of power, which is also a waste of fuel and adds greenhouse gases and pollution emissions to our environment unnecessarily. If you are going to run your driving / fog lights during the day, then it pays for itself over time to go with the SafetyMax Driving/Fog light line of DRL controllers. 

Note: Some vehicles (like the Infiniti above) are factory wired so that the driving lights will only come 'on' with the low beams 'on' (plus the ignition key 'on'). They switch off in a 'parking-light-only' mode, and shut off when the vehicle's high beams come on. 

So why is it recommended to use full power Driving/Fog light daytime running lights over other products that would power fog lights at reduced power?

For years, before DRLs came onto the scene, daytime lights on a vehicle were sometimes aftermarket full power fog lights, turned on manually by the driver. Now, newer vehicles that are equipped with driving/fog lights are factory wired where these lights only come on with the parking lights on. Other cars are wired so these lights come on only when the low beam headlights are on. In a day and age where some persons want increased safety and/or uniqueness from their vehicles, the independent control during the day of these driving/fog lights is sometimes desired by the modern do-it-yourself car customizer.

The DRL-2007 Driving / Fog Light DRL product powering factory fog lights at full power on a 2004 Chrysler Crossfire [55 watt 9006 bulbs] during daytime hours

We are about safety. The more visible your vehicle is during the day, the less likely someone will pull out on you where an accident can occur. Although any DRLs are better than no DRLs at all, the more visible your DRLs are to others, the better protected you and your loved ones are during daytime hours. Driving lights at full output just make more sense than lights who are power-starved for a little extra bulb life, with safety being sacrificed in the balance. 

With common halogen H3 and H1 driving/fog light bulbs costing in the neighborhood of $6 to $7 at Wal-Mart, the lower cost of this fog bulb as a white light DRL consumable is a small price to pay for the potential safety that is to be gained versus no DRLs at all.

For auto manufacturers, dealerships, and garages in the US, wiring driving/fog lights powered as DRLs is technically not necessarily legal as per FMVSS No. 108 S5.5.11(a). Some state fog light laws may also apply: check you local state laws. For the do-it-yourselfer in the US that has the technical capability to do so, wiring your own vehicle for driving/fog light DRLs is actually legal*.

By contrast, in Canada fog/driving lights utilized as DRLs IS LEGAL, and it is legal in Canada for auto manufacturers, dealerships, and garages to wire such lights as DRLs.

How can these be legal for Canadian manufacturers, dealerships and garages, but not for their US counterparts? Originally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was extremely worried about glare that these driving/fog lights may cause during the day to our aging baby-boomer population. There are also various state laws concerning fog lights, which differ from state to state. Hence, most factory fog light control systems only let these lights operate with parking lights and/or low beams on.

If you are a potential US consumer of this product, looking for the 'cool' look of fog lights as daytime lights or DRLs, you may want to install this product without the help of a stereo shop or garage, or consider using our low beam headlights or turn signal DRL products.

*Courts have ruled that the US Government can not be held responsible for your personal safety. So, if you have factory DRLs and want to put them on a on-off switch, or if don't have DRLs but want to wire your factroy driving/fog lights to be configured as DRLs, then these are your decisions. It all boils down to the fact that YOUR SAFETY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY,as a US citizen. 

What about new 2007 vehicles, like the Acura and Mitsubishi SUV’s that have what looks like driving/fog lights as DRLs from the factory?

These vehicles, where they appear to have fog / driving lights as DRLs, actually have dedicated DRLs using clear 28 watt turn signal/brake light bulbs as the actual DRL output bulbs. (We are sure about the Acura; we suspect Mitsubishi is following suit.) Chevy trucks first started this dedicated-type DRL light using 28 watt turn signal bulbs on their offerings around 1999, but the lamps themselves were in the grill, not below the bumper. Some do-it-yourself customizers like the white DRL—fog/driving lights look; also our product works on aftermarket fog lights, like those found at a local auto parts store.

As you can see from the stock photos above, this is a very cool look for the modern SUV. We expect more and more new vehicles will opt for 'under-the-bumper' DRLs in the near future.


 

What about 'Off-Road' fog lights, like on a 4 wheel drive vehicle? Are these usable as DRLs, and why would I want to use them as such?

The off road 100 W each fog lights shown on the truck above (mounted on the front bumper) are technically not legal to be used as DRLs in the US or Canada. These type of lights have been ruled as too bright for on the roadway usage: hence this is why they are designated as for 'off-road' use only.

100 Watt Fog Lights, like the ones mounted to the front bumper of the 4x4 truck above, are technically too bright for day DRL use.

We can never truly know or regulate what a customer does with our lighting controller once it leaves our store. We do, however, offer an extra relay kit for our DRL fog light controllers so that a 4x4 enthusiast won't be tempted to overload our controller and burn the device out internally.

An extra fog light relay kit for high output fog lights (over 80 watts each) is also available, and includes instructions. (NOTE: THIS EXTRA RELAY KIT IS NOT NEEDED FOR 95% OF ALL FOG LIGHTS OUT THERE).

This kit is rarely used. Fog lights over 80 watts are "KC Highlighter" type off road lights, and were never intended to be used as daytime running lights. A heavy duty fuse holder and fuse is also supplied (not shown). You will need one kit per every 2 lights that are over 80 watts (i.e. the truck above would need two fog light relay kits.)