General Motors was one of the first vehicle manufacturers to make daytime running lights standard equipment. Canada, Sweden, Iceland and Greenland have required daytime running lights on all vehicles sold in those countries since the early 1990s. They provide enough light to make the vehicle visible even in the twilight time of day commonly observed in northern parts of the world where it stays light until 11 p.m. or later in the summer months. I personally like the idea of daytime running lights because I have owned dark-colored vehicles for many years and have observed many people who have pulled out of a side street or driveway without even seeing me unless I drive with my headlights on, even in daylight hours. The lower voltage through the bulbs also helps increase the life of the high-beam headlight bulbs.
Some manufacturers use the parking light bulb for the daytime running lights.
Now to answer Don s question. Honda only installs a daytime running light wiring harness for their vehicles that are for Canada. This means that daytime running lights cannot be simply plugged into the existing wiring harness. This leaves the aftermarket industry for a fix. Be careful when selecting a kit because many vehicles today operate the lights through the vehicle computer.