Please turn your lights on!

cormie

Folks, please don't leave turning your lights on until it's "dark". I personally always have mine on, even on the sunniest of days, which I know some of you may disagree with, but in weather like we're having now, please keep them on at all times. It's very difficult in the lashings of rain to see what's in the wing mirrors of my van and with this being my only vision of what's behind/beside me, lights help A LOT.

Bulbs are very cheap in the grand scale of driving so please don't worry

peasant

http://www.tagfahrlicht.de/COM/index.html

spank_inferno

+1 & it actualy helps on bright days too.
Imagine merging with a road with the sun behind you in the evening.
With the strong low sun it can be a bit harder to see the cars moving up along side you.

Its not about being able to be see... its also about being seen.

HungryJoey

I'm finding this increasingly annoying! I'm finding myself having to flash people ( I don't care if its wrong.. ) to tell them to turn their lights on - even when its dark!! People seem to leave them off until it is totally dark.

Also I wish more people would turn their lights on in the lashing rain. It makes it so much easier to see cars on the road in heavey rain when they have their lights on.

Personally I have my lights on most of the time, unless its sunny - I don't see why not. It helps people to see me, just like it helps me to see other people with their lights on.

Wishbone Ash

You're probably preaching to the converted here though!

cormie

yeah, move to after hours :pac:

L1011

No, no, we have at least one muppet on here that claims we should leave them off till its nearly dark to save a (miniscule) amount of carbon emissions, and a biker who thinks that we're selfish for having daytime running lights because they don't understand how having lights on for visibility works...

Mine are on the entire time, leave them turned on, never need to remember to because they come back on as soon as the ignition is turned. My car is very light blue and is very hard to see in rain or direct sunlight.

Also avoided a very nasty accident in direct sunlight due to another driver having his lights on - I could see them but not see his white Transit Connect and could see he was on my side of the road after coming around a corner (he was overtaking a cyclist), was able to slow down significantly so he could get back in. Would have been my drivers side in to his had I not been able to see him...

peasant

From my own experience, I can fully recommend aftermarket daytime running lights.



They are on all the time as soon as the ignition is on (until you turn the lights on), they are very visible yet I have had no complaints yet about blinding people and as they are LED's, they put no extra load on the alternator/engine and so save fuel as well.

caesar

Having your lights on reduces fuel economy and its bad for the environment

Anyway agreed with the previous posts. Have mine on all the time, it feels weird if I sit into the car and the dash isn't illuminated.

Also parking lights are just useless, dips ftw....everyone here knows this already though.

I really think this should be moved to after hours.....Go you mods know you want to.

peasant

caesar wrote: »

I really think this should be moved to after hours.....Go you mods know you want to.

It'll only come bouncing back with a shedload of "yore ma" posts in it

Wishbone Ash

I also drive with lights on at all times.

It's not so bad nowadays but back in the 1980s I used to get loads of people flashing and pointing to the lights or in heavy traffic they'd roll down the window to inform me that my lights were on. When I replied 'Yes, I put them on' they'd look at me as if I had three heads.

....or the other one "is that a Volvo/Saab you're driving?" :rolleyes:

In fairness, it never happens nowadays.

cormie

caesar wrote: »

Having your lights on reduces fuel economy and its bad for the environment

For every crash that results in a fire/smoke that could have been avoided if both cars were fully visible, the amount of co2 emitted is equal to on average, 63.4 million cars having their lights on for a period of approximately 3 years at 4 hours use a day*

*totally made up

caesar

peasant wrote: »

It'll only come bouncing back with a shedload of "yore ma" posts in it

Haha what I wrote didn't make perfect sense but you got it.

BTW liking the DRL's peasent, wouldn't be that easy to do with a car though, would they? I'm assuming you added them rather than just changing the existing setup. On another note aren't they compulsory in france.

peasant

caesar wrote: »

BTW liking the DRL's peasent, wouldn't be that easy to do with a car though, would they?

Have a look at the link in my other post, dedicated aftermarket DRL's from Hella (mine aren't Hella, though)

AugustusMaximus

peasant wrote: »

Have a look at the link in my other post, dedicated aftermarket DRL's from Hella (mine aren't Hella, though)

Is there that much advantage in going for dedicated DRL's over dims ?

peasant

Dedicated DRL's (especially if they're LED's) would use very little electricity and so no extra fuel.

My DRL's are 2 x 15 Watt (for 2x 6 LED's) = 30 Watt

Running on dipped headlamps gives you 2x 60 Watt for the headlamp and 2x 10 Watt for the rear light = 140 Watt


Plus they are on all the time, you can't forget them.

Also I find that they are easier and better seen from all angles than dips and still don't blind (as dips can do on a bumpy, bendy road)

And best of all ...you can fit them where other cars have their fogs and you can have them always on legally

edzillion

For every crash that results in a fire/smoke that could have been avoided if both cars were fully visible, the amount of co2 emitted is equal to on average, 63.4 million cars having their lights on for a period of approximately 3 years at 4 hours use a day*

excellent rebuttal of the fuel economy argument! I just dont think it has much effect on visibility in the midday sun...

Anan1

peasant wrote: »

And best of all ...you can fit them where other cars have their fogs and you can have them always on legally

I'm not sure that's true, there are regulations regarding the minimum height of headlights above the road. Although are DRLs 'headlights', I wonder?

peasant

Anan1 wrote: »

I'm not sure that's true, there are regulations regarding the minimum height of headlights above the road. Although are DRLs 'headlights', I wonder?

don't worry, there's a whole EU directive (including special mark) for them

colm_mcm

peasant wrote: »

don't worry, there's a whole EU directive (including special mark) for them

I think it's the placement of the lights rather than the lights that could cause problems.

L1011

edzillion wrote: »

excellent rebuttal of the fuel economy argument! I just dont think it has much effect on visibility in the midday sun...

Believe me, you can often actually see other light sources through glare better than you can see the car holding those light sources.

tuxy

Personally I go for the front spot lights + parking lights look on rainy days.
Not only does it light up my car but makes it look cooler.

patrickc

im the same as most theyre always on ... good practice wish today driving from cork and back more had them on, especially when it comes to overtaking and seeing oncoming traffic in dull weather

patrickc

actually just another point but with suv's and im sure it's been made before but why are their tail lights always so low and not higher up? spray from them can often make it hard to see their lights/indicators

L1011

tuxy wrote: »

Personally I go for the front spot lights + parking lights look on rainy days.
Not only does it light up my car but makes it look cooler.

The blatant sarcasm is in the Baby on Board thread.

Please tell me that was blatant sarcasm....

ronnie3585

I know a chap that spent many years working for the ESB until his retirement a few years ago. He told me that back in the 80's the ESB vehicles were involved in a large amount of RTAs. Then in the mid 80s (I think) the ESB introduced a rule that all their vehicles must drive with their lights on at all times, their accident rate was reduced somewhere in the region of 40%. After hearing this I always drive with my lights on.

Waterfall1975

I typically drive with lights on in the daytime.

Recently other drivers have gone to great lengths to tell me my lights are on - typically with waving hands & shouting out windows.
Is this a running joke, just to take the piss?

- I know it's daytime & my lights are on. And, what difference is it to the other drivers, anyway?

What am I missing?

bladespin

tuxy wrote: »

Personally I go for the front spot lights + parking lights look on rainy days.
Not only does it light up my car but makes it look cooler.

It's illegal too :rolleyes: spots or fogs are only permitted in foggy conditions, they're blinding to other road users if alignment isn't good (it usually isn't).

hobochris

MYOB wrote: »

a biker who thinks that we're selfish for having daytime running lights because they don't understand how having lights on for visibility works...

Who is this biker you speak of? Nearly all bikers(well all bikers I know) leave there lights on constantly as we need every help we can get to be seen by the vast amount of idiots who seem oblivious to the existence of motorcycles and will appear to be looking us in the eye before they pull out on us or side sweep us.

Red Alert

Front fogs are OK I think because they are meant to point downwards only. I tend to drive with the lights on all the time, especially when I drive the other car in our house sometimes (a Volvo S60) where the default setting for the lights is on.

bladespin

Red Alert wrote: »

Front fogs are OK I think because they are meant to point downwards only. I tend to drive with the lights on all the time, especially when I drive the other car in our house sometimes (a Volvo S60) where the default setting for the lights is on.

Pointable offence as of this year for fogs, don't really have an issue but worth letting others know.

Stark

Waterfall1975 wrote: »

I typically drive with lights on in the daytime.

Recently other drivers have gone to great lengths to tell me my lights are on - typically with waving hands & shouting out windows.
Is this a running joke, just to take the piss?

- I know it's daytime & my lights are on. And, what difference is it to the other drivers, anyway?

What am I missing?

Never happened to me. Are you it's just your dips you have on? Are they aligned?

stealthyspeeder

My lights are automatic and I have a horrible confession to make, sometimes when I am driving in rain or at dusk, I would see other cars with their lights on (and they are definately more visable) and if my lights were not automatic, I would put my lights on. But as they are automatic I often sit there stubbornly willing my autolights to turn on by themselves. They usually do but I have had to give in and do it manually a few times!

The same story for auto wipers!! (oh the shame!)



Have we all got our shotguns at the ready for the inevitable poster who suggests driving with foglights on all the time?

*Edit someones alrady said it... Im preparing the high horse!

super106

LIGHTS ON DAYTIME....

OR ELSE YOU WILL GET SMASHED INTO AND SEVERAL BONES BROKEN AS SOMEONE DIDNT SEE YOU...

It BeeMee

bladespin wrote: »

Pointable offence as of this year for fogs...

That was promised a few years ago, but I didn't think it actually made it into law.

Source?

bladespin

It BeeMee wrote: »

That was promised a few years ago, but I didn't think it actually made it into law.

Source?

Garda friend.

GTE

Im thinking of getting these fitted to my Golf
I was thinking of getting them fitted where they are in the picture.
Is that too low?


http://cgi.ebay.ie/Audi-S6-R8-DRL-LED-Day-Lights-BMW-Vauxhall-Ford-Peugeot_W0QQitemZ130318408581QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item1e57951b85&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1301%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

J-blk

hobochris wrote: »

Who is this biker you speak of? Nearly all bikers(well all bikers I know) leave there lights on constantly as we need every help we can get to be seen by the vast amount of idiots who seem oblivious to the existence of motorcycles and will appear to by looking us in the eye before they pull out on us or side sweep us.

+1 - in fact, on the last couple of bikes I've owned, there is no light switch at all, your lights are on as soon as you turn the key (I thought this was some EU mandatory thing on all post-1999 bikes). And yet, I always get idiots flashing/waving like crazy that my lights are on...

Gumbo

bladespin wrote: »

Garda friend.

are they on this list?

http://www.penaltypoints.ie/the_full_list_of_offences.php

You

bbk wrote: »

Im thinking of getting these fitted to my Golf
I was thinking of getting them fitted where they are in the picture.
Is that too low?


http://cgi.ebay.ie/Audi-S6-R8-DRL-LED-Day-Lights-BMW-Vauxhall-Ford-Peugeot_W0QQitemZ130318408581QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item1e57951b85&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1301%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

try explaining the difference between this and front fogs to An Gardai

GTE

You wrote: »

try explaining the difference between this and front fogs to An Gardai

Thats what crossed my mind alright.

peasant

You wrote: »

try explaining the difference between this and front fogs to An Gardai

If they are proper daytime running lights, the glass on them will be marked "RL" . Point that out to the garda and tell him/her to read up on ECE R87

Drummerboy08

I dont see anything on there about driving with fogs on during the day? I understand at night it could constitute careless driving or something.

GTE

peasant wrote: »

If they are proper daytime running lights, the glass on them will be marked "RL" . Point that out to the garda and tell him/her to read up on ECE R87

If that ever happens to me I owe you a pint!

Matt Simis

You wrote: »

try explaining the difference between this and front fogs to An Gardai

Cant imagine a Garda ever even questioning it. You must know some real pencil pusher types. In 25 years of driving around with full fogs on in various SUVs and cars, my mother was only asked by a Garda once to turn them off. She refused and said they were "spots" and he let her continue on. Mind you he also told me to put on my seatbelt despite clearly it being on already.

stealthyspeeder

peasant wrote: »

If they are proper daytime running lights, the glass on them will be marked "RL" . Point that out to the garda and tell him/her to read up on ECE R87

I was going to post that but I thought it was just common knowledge..........

Drummerboy08

peasant wrote: »

If they are proper daytime running lights, the glass on them will be marked "RL" . Point that out to the garda and tell him/her to read up on ECE R87

BTW, you can have a system fitted to your car that uses the headlights as running lights - like the system Volvo uses. That means that your headlights will always be on once the engine is running, and you wont have anything that looks like foglamps turned on.

I got it done to a car for Dublin City Council last year at a cost of €150 or something small like that.

bladespin

kceire wrote: »

are they on this list?

http://www.penaltypoints.ie/the_full_list_of_offences.php

Driving without reasonable consideration, could be it but I'm pretty sure he said there's a specific offence now, that's the short list AFIK BTW.

Gumbo

bladespin wrote: »

Driving without reasonable consideration, could be it but I'm pretty sure he said there's a specific offence now, that's the short list AFIK BTW.

if you look at the heading on the page - it says FULL LIST

About Penalty Points
The Full List of Current Offences

peasant wrote: »

If they are proper daytime running lights, the glass on them will be marked "RL" . Point that out to the garda and tell him/her to read up on ECE R87

exactly like the big spot lamps on the front bumpers of evo's, there normal running lights and the glass is marked.

You

Matt Simis wrote: »

Cant imagine a Garda ever even questioning it. You must know some real pencil pusher types. In 25 years of driving around with full fogs on in various SUVs and cars, my mother was only asked by a Garda once to turn them off. She refused and said they were "spots" and he let her continue on. Mind you he also told me to put on my seatbelt despite clearly it being on already.

Was stopped at a checkpoint years ago and more or less had to quote the rules of the road to the garda as to when to use fog lights. I was only 18 at the time and thought the fogs made my FORD ESCORT even more cool.

waraf

MYOB wrote: »

nd a biker who thinks that we're selfish for having daytime running lights because they don't understand how having lights on for visibility works...

You're getting a little confused there I think. Bikers don't want cars to have their lights on during the day but they want all bikes to have them on instead. This means that if a car driver looks in his/her mirror during the day and catches a glimpse of a light in his/her rearview mirror he/she will know there is a bike approaching and can move out of the way.

Actually that brings up another point. If you're in a car and a bike is approaching from behind get out of the way. They are faster than you and many bikers will end up undertaking or filtering which is dangerous (PS I'm not a biker but an ex one)