Can anyone confirm if day time running lights are to become law next month.
For all new cars yes.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/daytime-running-lights.html
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
For all new cars yes.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/daytime-running-lights.html
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
i still really can't see the point in them... if you can't see a car coming at you, and extra light won't make a difference, especially when all cars have them, they'll be less use. they only sort of work now because they're something different on only a few cars
yes, but what i'm saying is, when EVERYONE has them, nobody will stand out. they only reason they work just now is because audis stand out because its not that common.
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
yes, but what i'm saying is, when EVERYONE has them, nobody will stand out. they only reason they work just now is because audis stand out because its not that common.
quote:
Originally posted by deezee
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
yes, but what i'm saying is, when EVERYONE has them, nobody will stand out. they only reason they work just now is because audis stand out because its not that common.
Its not about exclusivity and making your car different from other cars. Its about being seen in poor visibility. If everyone has headlights on in bad weather, do they stand out more or less than if they all drove down the motorway, in fog with no lights on?
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
yes, but what i'm saying is, when EVERYONE has them, nobody will stand out. they only reason they work just now is because audis stand out because its not that common.
quote:
Originally posted by deezee
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
yes, but what i'm saying is, when EVERYONE has them, nobody will stand out. they only reason they work just now is because audis stand out because its not that common.
Its not about exclusivity and making your car different from other cars. Its about being seen in poor visibility. If everyone has headlights on in bad weather, do they stand out more or less than if they all drove down the motorway, in fog with no lights on?
We put them on motorcycles in Ontario Canada in the 70's, cars in the 90's, before you get all bent and twisted wait and see how it works. I
plan on using them on the Locost even though I don't have to.
When half the vehicles were I live are large American 4x4 pickups I want to be seen.
In the 90's as a Toronto Police officer I was stopped by a police officer from Ohio, wanting to know why all the cars had their headlights on, I
told him about the daytime running lights and after experiencing them during his vacation he approved of them and they should be manditory.
He then told me GM cars in the states could be ordered with the daytime lights as an option.
When I tow a car on my trailer I have my dipped head lights on.
If I meet a car on a narrow (ish) blind bend then this gives the oncoming driver a little extra warning
that there's a reason I'm a little way out from the side of the road.
I also am an ex biker and always ran with dipped headlights.
I don't see a reason for lights in good visibility on ordinary cars.
Cheers
Paul G
Problem with our cars is that they are below the level at which the average dork perceives a car to be (much the same as bikers are apparently
invisible to most tin-top drivers).
In the first week on the road on two occasions I had cars coming in the opposite direction towards me down city streets restricted by parked
cars where the drivers did not realise I was there.
Also given that most Se7en type cars will be travelling faster than your average tin-top running lights are a good idea.
Mine are high viz led - the same as fitted to trucks as side marker lights and deffo make a difference.
Cheers, Pewe
quote:
Originally posted by deezee
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
i still really can't see the point in them... if you can't see a car coming at you, and extra light won't make a difference, especially when all cars have them, they'll be less use. they only sort of work now because they're something different on only a few cars
Surely that's the whole point. They highlight a car that you may not have otherwise seen. Loads of idiots drive in terrible weather with out putting thier lights on. Fog lamps, for instance, are for when visibility drops to 100yrds, not just for fog, but during torrential rain on a motorway, people don't bother even putting driving lights on, let alone fog lamps.
To be honest, its all regulations to make up for poor driving standards. Harder test and more restrictions would save more lives, but its too much money for the Government. Easier to insist car manufacturers cover the costs of compulsory features instead.
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Just to point out fog lamps are for legal use in fog and falling snow only , they are definitely not approved for use in rain and spray.
DRLs are a good idea but Dim-Dip was better
[Edited on 12/1/11 by britishtrident]
IN Canada, you don't have to have your headlights as the running lights. I installed those very cheap LED's on my car and it really stands out. By that I mean you can see it! The lights are a good idea, and when it's dark on cloudy winter days it is easy to see people.
When I was a lad riding big bikes we were encouraged to use headlights all the time. Then, after many deaths, they powers that be noticed that as you
go down our pot hole ridden roads and the headlight bounced up and down people would pull out of junctions because they thought you had flashed your
light to let them out!
Peronally I think lights should be for low visability situations esp. on bikes.
As I have over 40 years on bikes I can really appreciate the value of using lighting all of the time. I think that the headlight 'bouncing'
issue is a valid one and proper daylight lamps are a much better idea because they do not have a 'beam' so the light is diffused and
unaffected by suspension movement.
I have fitted some superbright LEDs in my toy car which really make a huge difference to visibility, even in bright sunlight. They are completely
different to headlights so no one can confuse them as a 'flash' if I hit a pothole. Also the LEDs consume very little current so there is no
effect on my tiny alternator (good for BECs too)
quote:
Originally posted by deezee
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Just to point out fog lamps are for legal use in fog and falling snow only , they are definitely not approved for use in rain and spray.
DRLs are a good idea but Dim-Dip was better
[Edited on 12/1/11 by britishtrident]
I was jut going off the Highway code and Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations, which makes no reference to specific conditions, only "when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet)" and "Used so as to be lit at any time other than in conditions of seriously reduced visibility" I'm not sure where it mentions only falling snow and fog? Although I'd be happy to be shown to the current law (I'm usually out of date by quite a bit)
I'm neither for nor against them, but certain configurations of front lights means DRL's can completely wash out indicators in bright
sunlight. Some VW's suffer from this. (Also, DRL's on four-by-saddos can be distinctly intrusive, being at the height they are.)
Might get interesting in a court case, too. The onus is on a driver making a manouevre to give a clear and timely signal. But if the indicator cannot
be seen because of DRL's, who's fault is it?
These daytime running lights will just kill a lot of bikers IMHO. Bikes use to stand out but they won't any more. No one pays any attention to
the bleeping from lorries or fork-lifts now they all have reversing sirens. Car alarms went through a phase of being ignored when they went off
constantly. I wonder who has lots of shares in automotive lighting companies.... MEP's maybe
Do DRL's have to be separate units or can I just wire my headlights to be on dipped with the engine running ?
What about rear lights ? do these need to be on as well?
As an aside it seems a lot of countries don't buy into this 'safety' measure. If you do a google you'll see some figures
suggesting it increases the accident rate, especially for motor/push bikes.
If memory serves the IVA states that the DRL's must turn off when the headlights turn on so I guess that means they have to be independent units.
Pure madness!
No need for rear lights.
quote:
Originally posted by PeterV
If memory serves the IVA states that the DRL's must turn off when the headlights turn on so I guess that means they have to be independent units. Pure madness!
There was a similar idea to DRL's about a hundred years ago... you had to have a man walking in front of your car waving a red flag.
Perhaps, given the number of cars on the roads these days, we ought to resurrect that one instead. Reduce accidents and cut unemployment at the same
time!
quote:
Originally posted by turnipfarmer
There was a similar idea to DRL's about a hundred years ago... you had to have a man walking in front of your car waving a red flag.
Perhaps, given the number of cars on the roads these days, we ought to resurrect that one instead. Reduce accidents and cut unemployment at the same time!![]()
quote:
Originally posted by RazMan
quote:
Originally posted by PeterV
If memory serves the IVA states that the DRL's must turn off when the headlights turn on so I guess that means they have to be independent units. Pure madness!
Not really mad as DRLs have a much wider beam spread so they would just dazzle at night. A bit like the difference between rear foglights and tail lights
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
brilliant, so i can drive with my fog lights on all day then![]()
i wonder if volvo engined se7ens ..........you can see where im going with this
quote:
Originally posted by mogman1969
i wonder if volvo engined se7ens ..........you can see where im going with this![]()