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Daytime Running Lights

Carson10

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.

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opinion guy

You're not going to be happy when they become mandatory are you ?

Personally I like em - I especially like the Audi ones. Awesome design:D

-Corkie-

I think the led ones on the Insignia and Astra are nicer and more subtle looking than the Audi imo. I agree with the op though I have seen Audis in dark driving conditions with no tail lights. A bit silly and dangerous I think.

opinion guy

-Corkie- wrote: »

I think the led ones on the Insignia and Astra are nicer and more subtle looking than the Audi imo. I agree with the op though I have seen Audis in dark driving conditions with no tail lights. A bit silly and dangerous I think.

Well thats kinds the drivers fault no ? They are daytime running lights after all. If its nighttime you turn on your dips/heads, no ?

kildare.17hmr

opinion guy wrote: »

Well thats kinds the drivers fault no ? They are daytime running lights after all. If its nighttime you turn on your dips/heads, no ?

Yes but when your dash is lit up like the lights are on its easy to forget. Iv done it a couple of time to my shame:o

Graham_B18C

I would of thought cars with Daytime Running Lights would have automatic lights also? The Audi A5 is a fairly expensive car so I would of assumed they would come as standard?

Drummerboy08

Graham_B18C wrote: »

I would of thought cars with Daytime Running Lights would have automatic lights also? The Audi A5 is a fairly expensive car so I would of assumed they would come as standard?

Yeah, most do. I know the Insignia does, I think the Audi's do too.
Still, if its dark outside, checking that the correct lights are activated should be the first thing you do!

jaffa20

I think it's great and should be mandatory. Don't see how it looks in anyway stupid or dangerous. Those blinding fog lights on the other hand....ssh

opinion guy

Graham_B18C wrote: »

I would of thought cars with Daytime Running Lights would have automatic lights also? The Audi A5 is a fairly expensive car so I would of assumed they would come as standard?

Not necessarily. If you buy an audi that comes with DRL's as standard then they generally have light sensors built in, but if you add in the DRL's as an extra then you have to seperately specify the Light and Rain pack to get the light sensors at an extra cost.

Hotwheels

I don't mind what kinda lights ya have on (well not froggy lights), so long as they are on

To hell with the lecky bill, turn on those lights...:D

peasant

Carson10 wrote: »

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

Do they?
Well that's a bit stupid then. A dark dash is a great reminder to stick the "proper" lights on.

My DRL's are after-market, so they don't interfere with the dash lights.

drakshug

I'm used to the volvo. At least if the DLR were manadatory it would mean you could see some of the eejits at 7.30 am with no lights on. They don't dazzle either.

bazz26

DRLs are manitory on new cars sold in the EU from next January so get used to them. I have them on the S40 and to be honest I think they are a great idea as other road users can at least see me, could not imagine going back to a car without them to be honest. My only pet hate is that my DRLs are the dipped H7 bulbs which I go through quite a bit.

drakshug

s40 ditto.

sentient_6

jaffa20 wrote: »

I think it's great and should be mandatory. Don't see how it looks in anyway stupid or dangerous.

The issue is its only fronts that come on. So no automatic rear lights.

I was actually curious as to all the cars i noticed lately, especially in heavy rain, with fronts on but no rears, thought it was very strange & stupid looking. Didnt know it had a name & was something that came as standard on cars.

I've no problem with the idea of automatic lights cos i always have mine on all the time anyway, but you'd think it would be set up to be regular dips front & back?

conneem-TT

sentient_6 wrote: »

The issue is its only fronts that come on. So no automatic rear lights.

I was actually curious as to all the cars i noticed lately, especially in heavy rain, with fronts on but no rears, thought it was very strange & stupid looking. Didnt know it had a name & was something that came as standard on cars.

I've no problem with the idea of automatic lights cos i always have mine on all the time anyway, but you'd think it would be set up to be regular dips front & back?

On VW or Audi's you can get the dealer to put it into Scandinavian lighting mode which turns the rear lights on with the drl's.

I didn't think the dash lights came on with DRL's, well they don't on mine. The dash lights do come on when you have parking lights on which seems to be a popular setting for many at dusk :mad:

Alun

I'd always assumed (incorrectly, obviously) that on cars with DRL's, that when they were on the rear lights came on as well. Can't say I'd really consciously looked at one to see though.

Cookie_Monster

My dash lights don't come on with the DRLs. only when sides or full beams are on...

peasant

sentient_6 wrote: »

The issue is its only fronts that come on. So no automatic rear lights.

DRL's aren't meant as "lights" as such ..they are just markers which make your (oncoming) car more visible to others in daylight. They work especially well on bright, sunny days when a vehicle drives in and out of shadows (on a tree lined road, for example)
If the conditions get so bad that you need to illuminate the back of your vehicle, proper (dipped) lights should be used

mickdw

My A5 lights the front DRLs on startup and no rear lights. However if the driving conditions get anywhere near dull, the lights are turned on automatically too. So in my car at least, you would have to purposely turn off the auto lights in order to drive around in dull conditions without tail lights.
I know there is also a VAGCOM mod you can do on A5 at least to make tails come on automatically on startup with the front DRLs.
Aside from all this, the closing speeds towards the rear of a car on the road should be a fraction of that of on coming traffic so it is fair to say that front lighting is more important in that regard for slightly dim conditions.

ThisRegard

With the new Renaults you can simply switch them off via the options menu if you don't like them.

I however do, the absent green light symbols are a bit of a giveaway that my dipped lights aren't on.

bazz26

DRLs are designed for other road users ahead of you to be able to see you better. They are not designed to replace regular front and rear headlights so common sense still applies that if there is poor light or visibility you switch the regular lights on (assuming the car don't have dusk sensing headlights).

Cookie_Monster

ThisRegard wrote: »

I however do, the absent green light symbols are a bit of a giveaway that my dipped lights aren't on.

you have a light on the dash when your dipped are on? That'd bug the hell outa me. None of my cars to date have had that.

ThisRegard

Every car I ever owned has had a light once you switch the lights on, Renault, Skoda, Opel and Fiat. Not sure of the Toyota, can't remember that one.

ArphaRima

Yep green for dipped lights, blue for full beam. Standard for all my cars so far.

My last car had DRL's I'm 85% sure it turned on the rear lights too..
Damnit. It's annoying me now that I dont know.

drakshug

Volvos have rear lights on as well as front. If you want the side lights on then you have to turn the switch and they stay on when you turn off the ignition. Bummer if you forget so I don't bother.Basically the dipped are always on. Luckily it tells you if a bulb has blown.

frank gooding

I am great beleiver in DRL's

It amazes me the amount times people drive through bad rain and coming into dusk with no lights at all.

Much more of a problem.

If its raining turn your dipped lights on (not just side lights)

ID 10 T error with some drivers.

CiniO

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.

I don't think you understand the whole idea.
In some EU countries, using dipped light is obligatory even during good weather during the day. It's all just to make cars better visible on the roads.
Obviously there are many pros and cons of that solution. But this thread is not about it.
Anyway, your dipped lights, is two 55W bulbs in the front, two (sometimes 4 or 6 or 8) 5W bulbs in the back, usually two 2,5W bulbs for number plate lighting, and couple of few Watt bulbs for dashboard light. That gives aproximately 150W power. If you are using it at all times, it's quite load for car's electrical system.
That's why daylights come in handy, as you need just about 20 - 40W in total for your 2 front daylights. Nothing else has to lit, (no rear taillights, numberplate lights, dashboards lights).
I actually really don't know where you found, that your dashboards lights come up, when your daylights are on. In most cars they don't. It wouldn't make sense.

And now it's all up to driver, to turn the proper dipped headlights on, when it get's darker or weather get's worse (rain, fog, etc).

Cookie_Monster

ThisRegard wrote: »

Every car I ever owned has had a light once you switch the lights on, Renault, Skoda, Opel and Fiat. Not sure of the Toyota, can't remember that one.

hmmm. interesting. Nissan, Daihatsu, Suzuki and BMW don't (well the ones I've had)

drakshug

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

hmmm. interesting. Nissan, Daihatsu, Suzuki and BMW don't (well the ones I've had)

Nissan do, so do beemers, well at least the ones I've driven

Carson10

Ya. Well the daytime running lights are an excellent idea if they had both the front and rear lights on, just like an orignal volvo, especially for those drivers who think that lights are only for after 9pm at night. My neighbour, she has a 10 Reg Skoda Superb and it always has both the front parking and front fogs on during the day and no lights on the back even in heavy rain. I bet a lot of the drivers of these new cars see the lights on in front and assume they are switched on the back also.