Do you have your dipped lights on all the time?

thehouses

Why/why not? Personally, I don't see the point of them during a summers day. What is your opinion?

joujoujou

Always on. See and be seen.

KERSPLAT!

I do when I think of it. My thinking is that people may see you easier or quicker if they aren't paying attention, I don't know if it's true or not but surely it can't hurt to have them on?

dudara

Always on - part of my ignition routine is to turn on dipped lights.

I'm of the opinion that you should be doing anything that you can to make yourself more visible and safer. (especially people who drive grey cars )

Big Nasty

Always.

Day / night, summer / winter.






























Fogs too! :eek:

wexie

dudara wrote: »

Always on - part of my ignition routine is to turn on dipped lights.

yup, same here, lights on before I drive off.

Should be mandatory I think personally.

Lardy

Always on. Like one of the posters above, I leave the switch on and they come on when I start the car. Turn them selves off when car is switched off.

thehouses

Thanks for your replies. Does anyone have a link to a study that was carried out in this area? RSA have a little mentioned on the link below, but they are old studies.

http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Road-Safety/Campaigns/Current-road-safety-campaigns/Daytime-running-lights/

Wetbench4

Yep, i drive a volvo so i don't have a choice in the matter. Amazing the amount of people with no lights on this morning with the thick fog we had around here.

Tabnabs

Mazda 6 and it was wired up to have the dipped lights on all the time.

pappyodaniel

Always on. I automatically switch them on before I put on the seatbelt.

corktina

Nope only if the conditions warrant it.

Mc Love

Have DRL's but they are on the automatic switch so when the ambient light gets too dark they switch on

witchity2

Always on. I've always kept them on since i started driving. Sometimes when the sun is shining straight into your face its impossible to see oncoming traffic if they have no lights on.

MrFrisp

Big Nasty wrote: »

Always.

Day / night, summer / winter.

+1 ..
.

vvexport

Always on, It amazes me how many motorists drive without their lights on. Safety first.

thehouses

witchity2 wrote: »

Always on. I've always kept them on since i started driving. Sometimes when the sun is shining straight into your face its impossible to see oncoming traffic if they have no lights on.

I always like to keep a pair of sunglasses in the car, I find it very difficult to drive when the sun is causing glares.

Sam Kade

Only when visibility is poor.

GreeBo

always on here, I do it automatically before I turn the key (stupid old car!)
It may do nothing 90% of the time, but until someone gives me a good reason not to I will continue to do it.

Is there a downside? I have heard that it somehow makes bikes more invisible, but I find this hard to understand/believe.

Taylor365

Never! The unseen threat is the deadliest







Except at night/in fog/heavy rain/dusk/dawn/generally anytime out side the hours of sunshine

RoryMurphyJnr

Always on, stems from always having them on when I drove a motorbike

MuppetCheck

Used to have them on all the time but DRLs are bright enough to be seen on the current car and I leave the lights in auto all the time.

Big Nasty

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Used to have them on all the time but DRLs are bright enough to be seen on the current car and I leave the lights in auto all the time.

I find most DRL's are bright enough to be seen from Mars.

ectoraige

Always. Our car is silver so to begin with it's less visible on a grey cloudy day.

Even in bright sunshine there's always the scenario, especially in the morning/evening where the sun can be behind you making it very hard for oncoming traffic to see you. I can't assume everybody else is diligently wearing sunglasses. There's also the case where the other car has just taken a turn into the sunlight so their eyes are still adjusting to the change in light levels.

You can also have times on bright days when you are driving through shady areas, especially on country roads with overhanging branches. The contrast can make it slower for drivers to see you.

It's not about whether you're able to physically be seen, it's about been able to be seen quickly when you need to be.

Supergurrier

Always.

Better to use and not need than visa versa

Irish Stones

In our country it is mandatory to switch the lights on whenever we drive outisde urban areas in daytime. When driving in towns and city it is optional.
Of course lights must be on half an hour before sunset and after dawn regardless of the area (urban or non-urban) when we drive.
Some says that the lights always on are a higher expense, because they wear out faster and more fuel is required.

When some years ago I was on holiday in your country with a rental car, I stopped at a gas station for refuelling. It was a rainy and misty day but the man at the station told me I had to switch the lights off because I was risking a ticket from the Garda for driving with the lights on in daytime. I pointed out that it was for the road safety given the bad weather conditions, but he said that I wasn't allowed to keep the lights on at midday.

So, how is your road rule at the moment about this issue?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

noelf

RoryMurphyJnr wrote: »

Always on, stems from always having them on when I drove a motorbike

Same here used to have them on back in the mid 70'S on my motorcycle to warn other drivers that a lunatic was on his way !!

Rubberchikken

always on all year round.
drive a dark grey car now so definitely feel will be more visible.

enough idiots out there doing some very idiotic things so if i can be lit up to prevent any unnecessary contact with said idiots i say 'turn on the dips'

JoeA3

I've front LED DRL's which are lit permanently and I leave the headlights in "auto" mode - I notice they tend to switch on much earlier than you might do if you were switching them on manually.

Cabaal

Irish Stones wrote: »

When some years ago I was on holiday in your country with a rental car, I stopped at a gas station for refuelling. It was a rainy and misty day but the man at the station told me I had to switch the lights off because I was risking a ticket from the Garda for driving with the lights on in daytime. I pointed out that it was for the road safety given the bad weather conditions, but he said that I wasn't allowed to keep the lights on at midday.

So, how is your road rule at the moment about this issue?

Gardai ticketing for lights on during the day,

I call bull**** on that one, I'd say he was winding you up
Only issue could be if you had your fog lights on,

wexie

Cabaal wrote: »

Gardai ticketing for lights on during the day,

I call bull**** on that one, I'd say he was winding you up
Only issue could be if you had your fog lights on,

hmmm....I do a lot of driving all over the country and if anything in my experience the majority of garda cars drive with the lights on as well....

The Backwards Man

Usually in something with DRLs but even then I still put the dips on, force of habit.

Chris_Heilong

I do if there is a reason to, Rain, fog or glaring sunshine, its mostly so other cars see me. On a normal day, no, I like having this choice unlike our European cousins who are forced it having their lights on all the time.

el pasco

joujoujou wrote: »

Always on. See and be seen.

If you can't see a car on the road on a bright clear day without headlights on then you shouldn't be driving

Greenmachine

Always drive with my lights on nothing worse than silver cars with no light on in heavy rain or fog. Makes it impossible to judge their speed and distance when waiting at a junction.

larchill

GreeBo wrote: »

always on here, I do it automatically before I turn the key (stupid old car!)
It may do nothing 90% of the time, but until someone gives me a good reason not to I will continue to do it.

Is there a downside? I have heard that it somehow makes bikes more invisible, but I find this hard to understand/believe.

Now there's something - was turning right across traffic yesterday evening, & a $hagger on a bike cale towards me @ the speed of light. Because everyone had lights on (including him - assuming it was a 'him') I hadn't seen him. Anyway I got through alright

T-Maxx

witchity2 wrote: »

Always on. I've always kept them on since i started driving. Sometimes when the sun is shining straight into your face its impossible to see oncoming traffic if they have no lights on.

So their lights are brighter than the sun then?

noelf

el pasco wrote: »

If you can't see a car on the road on a bright clear day without headlights on then you shouldn't be driving

Its Eu law now on all new cars and I think it can't be switched off on LATEST models

corktina

I think that's DRLs you mean isn't it?

alias no.9

T-Maxx wrote: »

So their lights are brighter than the sun then?

Your eyes adjust to the the overall brightness of your field of view and you lose contrast in the darker zones, if the car happens to be in a darker zone of your field of view, it having it's lights on will make it far more prominent.

Tzardine

I can not think of one genuine reason why you would not want to put your lights on at all times ?

The Backwards Man

Tzardine wrote: »

I can not think of one genuine reason why you would not want to put your lights on at all times ?

To save fuel.








:P

corcaigh07

Big Nasty wrote: »

Always.

Day / night, summer / winter.






























Fogs too! :eek:

What the hell? Turn off your fogs ffs!

franer1970

Tzardine wrote: »

I can not think of one genuine reason why you would not want to put your lights on at all times ?

It uses electrical power and hence more fuel.
It uses up the bulb life (ever wondered why so many cars going around with blown bulbs these days?).
Possibilty of leaving lights on when parked and running down battery.
Red tail lights make your red brake lights less obvious, meaning more likely to be rear-ended.

wexie

Interesting article on how EU directives are making driving less safe :

http://www.abcnyheter.no/motor/2014/01/08/ny-eu-regel-gjoer-vi-kjoerer-uten-baklys

in essence :

EU regulations apparently state that front lights come on automatically but rear ones shouldn't automatically come on to preserve fuel....
So you now need to remember to switch on your rear lights individually unless your car has separate sensors....

Tzardine

franer1970 wrote: »

It uses electrical power and hence more fuel.
It uses up the bulb life (ever wondered why so many cars going around with blown bulbs these days?).
Possibilty of leaving lights on when parked and running down battery.
Red tail lights make your red brake lights less obvious, meaning more likely to be rear-ended.

I think this is actually the most ridiculous thing I have actually ever heard. Not turning on the lights cause you will wear out the bulb. And as for using more fuel :rolleyes:

corktina

Tzardine wrote: »

I can not think of one genuine reason why you would not want to put your lights on at all times ?

Here's one...forget to turn them off and your battery will be flat.

Tzardine

corktina wrote: »

Here's one...forget to turn them off and your battery will be flat.

The manufactures should install some sort of dinging noise to let you know the lights are left on. I must suggest it to them. I will be rich.

corktina

wexie wrote: »

Interesting article on how EU directives are making driving less safe :

http://www.abcnyheter.no/motor/2014/01/08/ny-eu-regel-gjoer-vi-kjoerer-uten-baklys

in essence :

EU regulations apparently state that front DLR's come on automatically but rear ones shouldn't automatically come on to preserve fuel....
So you now need to remember to switch on your rear lights individually unless your car has separate sensors....

you don't have DRLs on the back. There is no chance that the maximum permitted brightness light (ie the same as your taillights) will improve visibility in daylight.

b_mac

franer1970 wrote: »

It uses electrical power and hence more fuel.
It uses up the bulb life

Do you need a few euro pal?