Daytime Running Lights

opinion guy

-Corkie- wrote: »

I like the bmw and the opel ones are nice too. The A5 and the A8 are class looking but the A6 ones look tacky and aftermarket looking. I drive with my dipped headlights on all the time though.

Ah I' haven't noticed that A6 ones but I have seen some that look aftermarket - maybe those are A6. Was up North today saw soooo many nice audis. Couple of mizuno red S4's an S5 and even an RS8 (white)!!:D

I park undergounrd so i need to turn my lights on to even get on the road regardless of the weather. I usually just leave them on if its in anyway dull out

pajero12

Merch wrote: »

I'm sure i've seen that on top gear, I've definitely seen it, just not sure what programme, think it was a Merc with auto brakes in case you get too close too quickly

Yeah there is such a thing.It's called adaptive cruise control! Volvo are still working out the bugs though
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNi17YLnZpg

Merch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nNf1ceiJZc

This is the one I was thinking of
but
its been a while since I saw it, however when tested it worked, I think it was 5th gear and the presenter might have been Tom Ford or the other guy that kinda looks like him

GTE

Carson10 wrote: »

Does anyone else find the daytime running lights on most new cars both stupid looking and dangerous? I've lost count of the number of new cars like golfs, polos Audis and the new astra driving in heavy rain on a dark day or dusk time with dipped headlights on and no tail lights at all on the back. Surely this is a road safety issue.

The problem is, when you start up these new cars the dash lights up as if you have your lights turned on.

I know when i get my new golf next year iam making the dealer switch off the automatic lights.

Whether they are stupid looking or not doesnt really matter. They are a safety feature and soon will be a manditory one so we will have to live with it.

Dangerous? It sounds like your complaint is about people who dont know how to operate their cars and your solution is getting rid of the lights are are switched on.

For all the hate threads we have about Fog lights and about how they should only be used in the fog lets use the same logic for DRL's. Daytime only.

Any driver should be able to realise when standard lighing is needed for the front and rear, cant you?

By side lights (front) I assume you mean parking lights? mine light up the whole lens albeit at 5watts each

Indeed but even one good LED puts out at least nearly as much light as a standard 5 watt bulb.
There can be no question that a group of 12 directional LED's do a much better job at getting your car noticed by pedestrians and other motorists then standard 5 watt bulbs which as you sayyourself, fill up the whole light in your car but to be fair in others that may not be the case.

Merch

bbk wrote: »

Whether they are stupid looking or not doesnt really matter. They are a safety feature and soon will be a manditory one so we will have to live with it.

For all the hate threads we have about Fog lights and about how they should only be used in the fog lets use the same logic for DRL's. Daytime only.

Any driver should be able to realise when standard lighing is needed for the front and rear, cant you?


Indeed but even one good LED puts out at least nearly as much light as a standard 5 watt bulb.
There can be no question that a group of 12 directional LED's do a much better job at getting your car noticed by pedestrians and other motorists then standard 5 watt bulbs which as you sayyourself, fill up the whole light in your car but to be fair in others that may not be the case.

I'd prefer LED's myself, partly because of their lower power consumption and because they should last longer, but to save the confusion for those that might not able to discern the difference when front and rear should be on, I think I'd be ok with a few red LED's at the back/side clusters too (that are obviously differant to the brake lights)
or possibly a green light (LED) on the dash for dipped beams, like my old renault/previous poster has mentioned. I was used to it (first car) and kinda missed the obvious indication for a while when the car was first replaced.I still think that some dipped lights are very bright even during the day, thats why when it's normal summer day or even slightly dull I usually drive with my parking lights, (as the light fills my whole lens) plus back lights are on, if its rainy or duller than above, then dips.

GTE

Merch wrote: »

I'd prefer LED's myself, partly because of their lower power consumption and because they should last longer, but to save the confusion for those that might not able to discern the difference when front and rear should be on, I think I'd be ok with a few red LED's at the back/side clusters too (that are obviously differant to the brake lights)
or possibly a green light (LED) on the dash for dipped beams, like my old renault/previous poster has mentioned. I was used to it (first car) and kinda missed the obvious indication for a while when the car was first replaced.I still think that some dipped lights are very bright even during the day, thats why when it's normal summer day or even slightly dull I usually drive with my parking lights, (as the light fills my whole lens) plus back lights are on, if its rainy or duller than above, then dips.

Yes, I like the idea of having some rear lighting on as well as the front DRL's however I still think its an issue of drivers not knowing how their car works that leads to this. Though with my DRL setup I need to have the front and rear parking lights on since that is the only time I can use the front fog switch for the DRL's. With regards to front parking lights in general having them on like you do is well intentioned but in a lot of cars they do feck all.

Dipped lights that blind you in the daylight would be awful in the night. Alignment and level settings, another thing not many know how to use.

Mc Love

Think i read somewhere before that fog lights can be used as DRL's (as in parts of canada) - surely the same could applied here as we hardly ever use them. And plus the fact that on most cars that have them fitted seem to drive around with them on, even though afaik you have to switch your fogs on.

Are there any cars where fogs are switched on with the other lights? If not, then why do people turn them on when there is no fog?.....did i just open a can of worms?

CiniO

Mc Love wrote: »

Think i read somewhere before that fog lights can be used as DRL's (as in parts of canada) - surely the same could applied here as we hardly ever use them. And plus the fact that on most cars that have them fitted seem to drive around with them on, even though afaik you have to switch your fogs on.

But can you explain why would anyone want to do it?
Just any pros of using fog lights instead of dipped head lights as DRL.
Because I can't see a single one.

Alanstrainor

Mc Love wrote: »

.....did i just open a can of worms?

You did. And i'll close it now.