Daytime running lights

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Mon 28 Jun 2010 00:37
Daytime running lights - wazza

Is it true that all cars next year should have daytime running lights? If so when are they to be phased in?

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Mon 28 Jun 2010 12:17
Daytime running lights - TheOilBurner
From the horses mouth:

tinyurl.com/25oq4on

7th Feb 2011 for cars and light commercials, August 2012 for trucks and buses.
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Mon 28 Jun 2010 12:24
Daytime running lights - TheOilBurner

This is the specific regulation:

tinyurl.com/2c7ytj6

It's unclear whether this applies to vehicles built or sold after 7th Feb 2011, or just new designs of car seeking type approval. i.e. it might only apply to new car designs as they pass through the EU type approval process.

I've no idea whether existing designs have to re-seek type approval or not, so it's possible that if a manufacturer never updates its car then it won't need DRL until production is stopped and a new model introduced. That could be wrong, of course!

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Mon 28 Jun 2010 15:05
Daytime running lights - SlidingPillar
Daytime Running Lights for all new vehicles from 2011 to increase road safety

Article is headed as above and is largely codswallop. What about cyclists, horses, pedestrians and anything else one might find in a road? From then they become less obvious, and in terms of personal injury, come off worse in any entanglement with a vehicle.

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 01:21
Daytime running lights - Bilboman

I predict the following occurrences shortly after DRLs become mandatory:

Increased rear end collisions as drivers forget to switch "proper" headlights on at night time - and even for those "blessed" with automatic lights-on, the darn things don't work in fog, so we're back to square one.

Hurried retro-fitting of DRLs to keep up with the Joneses, now that lack-of-DRLs is a truer indicator of a car's age than the (now personalised) number plate.

An initial dip in accidents eventually levels off as all roads become a sea of DRLs and drivers once again have accidents of the "looked, but didn't see" category. (Imagine all vehicles were painted with ambulance-style battenberg markings!)

The roads get swamped with tasteless and stupidly-designed DRL bling. While factory-fitted DRLs go off when normal lights are switched on, most boy racers will ignore this and wire them to stay on permanently, perhaps even with the car parked. Flat batteries all round, probably a blessing for the rest of us.

Further down the evolutionary scale, some morons will try to clever things with foglights, 250 W halogen add ons, strobe lights etc. DRLs will appear in radiator grilles, wheel arches and the ubiquitous HGV driver's model Christmas tree.

Final stage of DRL evolution: cars are festooned or even tattooed with DRLs spelling out "Wayne loves Shaz", "Millwall Forever" or "Limited Edition Turbo GTi 16v".

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 08:50
Daytime running lights - oilrag

You could select messages to display with one of those rotary washing machine type knobs on the dash. Road safety messages perhaps.

If tailgated you could select - "back off - I`m a fruit bat for the brake" or "camera initiating"

You could also set "feeling weak - hands cold and headache" to get extra space around you on the road.

"are you in cars approaching? - or am I passing through the asteroid belt" would be flashed onto the front display - to cause the micro second hestitation neccessary to give you priority on a single track `face off`.

oilrag

Edited by oilrag on 29/06/2010 at 08:53

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 09:30
Daytime running lights - Andy P

Why not just paint the whole car dayglo yellow or cover it with electroluminescent paint? I mean, you wouldn't want to miss that large moving ton-and-a-bit of metal.

IMHO if you can't see a car without DLRs you should visit an optician at the earliest opportunity.

To me, the headline shoudl read "Daylight running lights to be introduced to create more posts in bloated European Parliament."

Edited by Andy P on 29/06/2010 at 09:32

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 14:05
Daytime running lights - davecooper

Some countries have had DRL's for decades. There must be accident data from these that supports the use of DRL's. I can't believe we would go down this route if there was evidence that they didn't prevent accidents.

A Canadian Cousin of mine once told me that the reason they used DRL's was because of the long straight roads over there. Although I cannot remeber exactly why this was a problem, I think it had something to do with losing oncoming cars in dips and heat hazes. I'm sure someone will correct me though.

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 15:09
Daytime running lights - Paul G1pdc

"Hurried retro-fitting of DRLs to keep up with the Joneses, now that lack-of-DRLs is a truer indicator of a car's age than the (now personalised) number plate."

.

hahahahaha....

my 10 year old volvo V40 came fitted with DRLs as standard, but in the handbook it shows hows to disable them. (various combinations of knob and lever waggling turns them off) now it looks like I should turn them back on to keep up with the jones hahaha...

Paul.

v40 phase 1. year 2000 (his)

and as of 3 weeks ago v40 phase 2 year 2004....(hers)

both fitted with DRLS AND BUMPER ORANGE SIDE LIGHTS.....when ford took over volvo the new models v50/C30 etc all had this feature removed....

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 15:11
Daytime running lights - Old Navy

The Canadian scenario is exactly the reason that many locals in rural Scotland use daytime headlights. Along with tourists from the continent driving on the wrong side of the road, and the lethal design of the A9.

Edited by The Driver on 29/06/2010 at 15:17

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 16:47
Daytime running lights - Andy P

Some interesting stuff here:

www.dadrl.org.uk/

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 17:06
Daytime running lights - Armstrong Sid
There must be accident data from these that supports the use of DRL's. I can't believe we would go down this route if there was evidence that they didn't prevent accidents.

You could be on very dodgy ground there. Would that be in the same way that there is "evidence" to show that speed humps and cameras reduce accidents and make everything safer?

As we've all seen, statistics can be made to demonstrate whatever you want them to demonstrate

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 17:27
Daytime running lights - Sofa Spud

I've always liked the idea of daytime running lights - even in the days when they were only seen on Volvos and Saabs.

I can't see there's any disadvantage to them except they mean 2 more bulbs to fail.

The VW Golf Mk 6 looks really good with its DRL's on.

After all, there was criticism of high-level 3rd brake lights when they first came out - now they've been a legal requirement on all new cars and vans for many years.

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 17:45
Daytime running lights - Paul G1pdc

On my volvos the DRLS use (2x) 5w wedge bulbs at the front, and (4x) standard brake bulbs at the rear, plus the number plate bulbs (2x at the rear) and (4x) bulbs on the side bumpers...

thats 12 in total....thats why I turn them off, for the summer months...

not forgetting that the dash is always illuminated by bulbs...just changed 3 on the v40 phase 2. last weekend and 1 on the phase 1.....only £2.60 each from the main dealer...

hahahaha......

paul

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Tue 29 Jun 2010 17:50
Daytime running lights - Bilboman

Why stop at DRLs? Why not fit all cars with horns permanently wired up so that every city in Europe becomes like Cairo?

It strikes me that the DRL debate is part of a much much wider issue, the ongoing "Cold War" between two classes of motorists: those driving the latest, fastest, biggest, strongest, flashiest, most gadget-equipped vehicles on planet Earth - and the rest.

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Wed 30 Jun 2010 10:10
Daytime running lights - Paul G1pdc

Bilboman

HAHAHA,,,,car horns....made me remember back to 1988 when I was in Higher Education studying electronics and enginering. we where all running clapped out mk2 rustcorts and vauxhall shoveits and minis. one of the guys bought a cheap beetle (bit like the flintstones as you could almost put your feet through the floor.....well it was 6v and he converted it to 12v....but forgot one item......yep the horn.....the first time he tried to use the horn it welded itself in the on postion.....hahahahahhahaaa......

memories hahahaha,,,,,,all the A level students used to take the bus until they had enough money to buy a decent car, all the engineering students got a car early on then spent huge amounts of time making them semi-decent cars.....hmmm the smell of isopon in the mornings hahaha..

paul...

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Thu 1 Jul 2010 14:25
Daytime running lights - abacus

I'm not sure whether the case for or against DRLs has been proved yet, but here are a couple of reasons in favour of them, IMO:

(1) There are situations even in daylight in which a car with no lights is very hard to see. For instance, if you are driving in the shadow of trees, and someone coming in the opposite direction is out in the open in bright sunshine, from his point of view your car may be practically invisible unless your lights are on.

(2) The converse of the motorcyclists' argument: they say that in difficult conditions it's important that car drivers should be able to see the motorbike. So it is; but it's equally important that bikers should be able to see the car.
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Thu 1 Jul 2010 15:32
Daytime running lights - IainAhh

I think day time lights are a great idea.

I often drive with my lights on.

Also how often do you recognise a volvo coming the other way just due to their lights being on.

Not entirely related but bugs the tits off me when people drive when it is practicaly dark with no lights on.

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Sat 3 Jul 2010 01:10
Daytime running lights - Bilboman

Yawn.

If we're stuck with the blasted things, can we at least have some intelligent standardisation? Taking Audi's lead, the left or right side DRLs should dim when the indicators are on; that way the indicators are at least visible. I had a near miss with an Insignia today, fitted with the brightest DRLs I've seen so far, awful ugly angular efforts, absolutely no imagination or style and they're bang next to the indicators, rendering them almost invisible in bright daylight. Vauxhall/Opel designers, detention for the rest of the year. And you can't come out until you've designed some better DRLs!!

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Sun 4 Jul 2010 17:50
Daytime running lights - captain chaos

More stupid legislation. DRLs are fine where they originated in Schweden. It snows quite a lot over there. If you need to drive with lights on during the day you really have a problem with eyesight and observation. Motorcyclists need to have their lights on as many car drivers are either on autopilot or mogadon.

In the interests of road safety, eh? As speed bumps benefit tyre and shock absorber manufacturers, the only people to benefit from this latest piece of legislation are bulb manufacturers and oil companies.

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Sun 4 Jul 2010 20:09
Daytime running lights - abacus

If you need to drive with lights on during the day you really have a problem with eyesight and observation.

I think you missed the point. Driving with lights on during the day has nothing to do with your eyesight and observation. It has to do with being visible to other people.

Have you really never experienced the problem I described, with sunlight and shadow?

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Mon 5 Jul 2010 02:15
Daytime running lights - OG

When I looked up the data before I think the conclusion was that DRLs reduce the number of accidents overall but that the number of accidents (and deaths) involving motorcycles goes up as they no longer stand out as well as they did.

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Wed 7 Jul 2010 14:58
Daytime running lights - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

I got the DRL (front and rear) energised on my Octavia last year. They are next to the foglights and not confusable with indicators. I could switch them off if I chose.

Partly selected just to wind up people who are behind the times with the latest rules.Had a few 'flashes'. One colleague insists that I dazzled him. Unlikely considering their location and low wattages. But mission accomplished.

But they are appreciated on gloomy mornings when it is not dark enough to put on headlights.

Will shortly see what la belle France makes of them.

Edited by Glaikit Wee Scunner {P} on 07/07/2010 at 14:59

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Thu 8 Jul 2010 11:07
Daytime running lights - Dutchie

Visited a duch website regarding using day time running lights,they concluded that 45 traffic deaths and 600 accidents where prevented last year.

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Mon 12 Jul 2010 13:49
Daytime running lights - davecooper
Although there is a small cost premium, LED DRL's are the only way to go. They are brighter, have a longer life and lower power consumption. Ultimately, this is the way all car lighting will go anyway.
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Mon 12 Jul 2010 16:58
Daytime running lights - Lee1

Clarification

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/caradvice/honestjohn/7620968/Daytime-running-lights-rules-Honest-John.html

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Thu 11 Aug 2011 10:42
Daytime running lights - dannie

hi, i have a factory in china,manufacture car daytime running lights and parking sensors, if anybody have any demands or interests in it, can contact me. My email add: lxydanny@gmail.com

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Thu 11 Aug 2011 22:14
Daytime running lights - Hamsafar

I have just come back from germany where people have their headlamps on in the day and newer cars have DRL (same as the UK), some people have retro-fitted DRL to older cars.

Life just carried on as normal.

Edited by Hamsafar on 11/08/2011 at 22:15

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 00:00
Daytime running lights - expatsFL

DRL are a very bad idea. An example. Here in Floriduh, where driving standards are very very low, quite a few cars have DRL. Its the law here that when it rains and your wipers are being used, you MUST put your lights on. Ah ha Mr Smartypants DRL user says, I dont have to as they are on already......BUT when it heaves down, and for those of you who have driven in tropical downpours, it really heaves down and vis in 20/30 feet. They of course dont have their rear lights on do they! And thats why I drive a Range Rover.....coming thru!

Edited by Avant on 12/08/2011 at 01:44

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 00:12
Daytime running lights - jamie745

DRL are a very bad idea. An example. Here in Floriduh, where driving standards are very very low, quite a few cars have DRL. Its the law here that when it rains and your wipers are being used, you MUST put your lights on. Ah ha Mr Smartypants DRL user says, I dont have to as they are on already......BUT when it heaves down, and for those of you who have driven in tropical downpours, it really heaves down and vis in 20/30 feet. They of course dont have their rear lights on do they! And thats why I drive a Range Rover.....coming thru!

Yeah cos Floridians stupidity is obviously all the DRL's fault, rather than the block of wood between the ears.

Edited by Avant on 12/08/2011 at 01:45

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 01:58
Daytime running lights - jamie745

@ Avant

What was wrong with that?! What did i say?!

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 20:53
Daytime running lights - Avant

"What was wrong with that?! What did i say?!"

Jamie, yet again you swore, unnecessarily as usual. I substituted 'they' for the (word beginning with b) which the filter intercepted.

In future if there's a swear word in anyone's post (not just Jamie's - this isn't victimisation) I'll simply delete the whole post. I've had enough of it, and I'm not the only one.

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 23:46
Daytime running lights - expatsFL

Thanks for editing the morons reply Avant

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 23:50
Daytime running lights - jamie745

Didnt stop another moron posting thanks.

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 02:09
Daytime running lights - unthrottled

Life just carried on as normal.

So completely redundant then?

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Fri 12 Aug 2011 02:12
Daytime running lights - jamie745

Well i have been saying for ages this whole DRL thing is a dull unimportant issue. Claims of lights making you harder to see rather than easier were disproven (by me) some time ago so that ones out the window and now we have first hand evidence that it makes no difference (although i still think they'll help in particularly rainy conditions in daytime) proves its all a fuss over nothing.

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