Do Daytime Running Lights Give You an Insurance Discount?

Last Updated on January 4, 2021

Daytime running lights are standard on many new vehicles. But do daytime running lights lead to insurance discounts?

Many insurance companies give drivers a small discount for having daytime running lights. Drivers can also indirectly save on car insurance if their daytime running lights help them avoid at-fault accidents.

Today, we’re explaining everything you need to know about daytime running lights and car insurance, including how much you could save with daytime running lights.

Most Companies Give Small Discounts for Daytime Running Lights

Most insurance companies award specific discounts for daytime running lights.

In fact, nearly every major insurance company in the United States currently offers some discount for daytime running lights, including Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and USAA, among others.

Other insurers offering a discount for daytime running lights include AAA, American Family, Amica, Country Financial, Esurance, MetLife, Nationwide, Progressive, Safeco, The Hanover, The Hartford, and Travelers.

Some car insurance companies offer a specific daytime running light discount. Others bundle it with other vehicle safety feature discounts. Insurers analyze accident ratings to determine premiums, and daytime running lights could reduce accident risk. If your vehicle is less likely to be involved in an accident, you could pay less for car insurance.

Other insurance companies offer discounts in some states but not others. GEICO only offers daytime running light discounts to drivers in Louisiana and New York, for example.

Contact your insurance company or compare quotes online today to get a discount for your daytime running lights.

How Much Can You Save with Daytime Running Light Insurance Discounts?

Don’t expect to save a significant amount with daytime running lights.

If your insurer offers a discount for daytime running lights, the discount is likely to be between 1% and 3%.

The average driver pays around $1,400 per year for full coverage car insurance, which means daytime running lights could save you $14 to $42 per year on car insurance premiums.

Tell Your Insurer About Your Daytime Running Lights

Not sure if you have a daytime running lights discount? First, make sure your vehicle has daytime running lights, and then tell your insurance agent about them.

Your insurer will not give you a discount for daytime running lights if you don’t tell them about the discount.

Contact your insurer and tell them your vehicle has daytime running lights, then ask about a discount. You could be paying 1% to 3% more for car insurance than necessary.

Daytime Running Lights Could Lead to Indirect Savings

The daytime running light car insurance discount may not be huge. However, daytime running lights could help you indirectly save thousands on car insurance.

Daytime running lights are proven to reduce the risk of accidents. Statistically, you’re less likely to get into an accident in a vehicle with daytime running lights.

Daytime running lights make you easier to see on the road. They make you more visible to other drivers, which could reduce the risk of an accident.

A single at-fault accident could raise insurance premiums by 40% to 80%. You can expect higher rates for 3 to 5 years after your accident.

If daytime running lights help you avoid a single accident, then you could save thousands on car insurance. Even if your insurer does not directly provide a discount for daytime running lights, you could still come out ahead.

What Are Daytime Running Lights?

Daytime running lights are vehicle headlights that switch on automatically whenever you drive your vehicle.

Typically, drivers only turn on headlights at night or in low-visibility conditions – like a rainstorm.

With daytime running lights, your headlights are on all the time, making you more visible on the road. Whenever you start your vehicle, your car turns on your daytime running lights. In fact, you may not be able to turn off your daytime running lights from the ordinary dashboard.

On most vehicles, the daytime running lights aren’t as bright or glaring as ordinary headlights. However, they still make the vehicle more visible.

Why Are Daytime Running Lights Important?

Daytime running lights are standard on most new vehicles. Some countries, including Canada and Sweden, require all vehicles to have daytime running lights. But why are daytime running lights important?

At night, your headlights and brake lights make your vehicle more visible.

During the day, your vehicle has no lights to indicate it’s on or moving.

Let’s say your vehicle has no daytime running lights. You start your vehicle and begin accelerating. A pedestrian walks in front of your car because your vehicle looked no different when it was parked or on: the headlights look the same, and there are no other lights indicating the vehicle is on.

Many northern countries require daytime running lights because they’re proven to reduce the risk of accidents in low-visibility conditions. If you’re driving through a snowstorm in the middle of the day, for example, then you might not think to turn on your headlights. With daytime running lights, your headlights are always on during the day, which means you’re more visible in all conditions.

Daytime Running Lights and Safety: Statistics and Facts

Some studies show daytime running lights reduce the risk of accidents, while other studies are less enthusiastic about daytime running lights.

Some researchers disagree with the value of daytime running lights.

In September 2008, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a report explaining the effectiveness of daytime running lights for passenger vehicles. The NHTSA concluded that daytime running lights “have no statistically significant overall effects” on most crashes.

Other studies have found that daytime running lights do reduce the risk of accidents. In 2010, researchers in Minnesota analyzed crash data between 1995 and 2002 to determine any correlation between daytime running lights and crashes. Researchers found that vehicles with daytime running lights “were associated with a statistically significant lower crash rate” compared to vehicles without daytime running lights.

There’s growing evidence in favor of daytime running lights – which is why many insurance companies now offer discounts for daytime running lights.

Final Word on Daytime Running Lights

Most car insurance companies in the United States offer discounts for daytime running lights (DRLs). You could pay 1% to 3% lower car insurance premiums for having daytime running lights.

Some car insurance companies offer specific discounts for daytime running lights, while others bundle these discounts with other vehicle safety feature discounts.

Contact your insurance company or compare quotes online today to receive your auto insurance discount for daytime running lights.