Daytime Running Lights - DRL's ?

[Fouga]

Hi All,

This is my first post in this section.

I was wondering what is the view here regarding the use of dipped headlights during daytime hours as a safety aid when driving?

I recall reading somewhere that by doing so you can reduce your chances of being involved in a traffic accident by 35% ???

I've being using daytime dipped lights on my Astra XE for a few years now and find that drivers tend to 'hold back' when exiting from side roads as you approach, etc ....which can only be a good thing!

Is this practice 'part and parcel' of Advanced Driving?


Regards,
Fouga.

Edited by Fouga on Sunday 7th January 21:07

[henrycrun]

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

[TripleS]

henrycrun said:

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

I agree Henry. On balance this measure - if we are ever foolish enough to implement it - will do more harm than good IMHO. More light is not always better!

Best wishes to all, including Minnie B.
Dave.

[drgav2005]

An interesting question that :-)

I ran a 3-series which had an auto-lights function and I was surprised at how often the lights actually came on during 'daylight' driving. As a result, I must confess I use my dipped beams all the time... ESPECIALLY on very sunny days in Winter where the low-sun can often mask a car.

Henry, I would disagree with your comments posted that "DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users"... As far as I know the Scandinavians have been using DRL's for years and saw (and continue to see) a significant decrease in road accidents...

But, each to their own - that's why these forums are entertaining, informative and source of many a good discussion!

Best regards.

[vipers]

henrycrun said:

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

More and more cars have DRL's, cant say as I have a problem with that. I DO HAVE A PROBLEM with motorcyclist who have DRL's on FULL beam. Especially when the buggers are behind me, and my Volvo S80 (which has DRL's) does not have a dippable rear view mirror, it dims at night when a headlight comes up behind you, but doesnt work in day time with some one behind you on full beam. Bikers note please!.

But like most posts on PH's, there will be arguments for and against, what the answer is, I dont know. Wonder what the stats in Sweeden proved when they introduced it.

Think there was another thread on this subject.

[randlemarcus]

vipers said:

henrycrun said:

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

More and more cars have DRL's, cant say as I have a problem with that. I DO HAVE A PROBLEM with motorcyclist who have DRL's on FULL beam. Especially when the buggers are behind me, and my Volvo S80 (which has DRL's) does not have a dippable rear view mirror, it dims at night when a headlight comes up behind you, but doesnt work in day time with some one behind you on full beam. Bikers note please!.

But like most posts on PH's, there will be arguments for and against, what the answer is, I dont know. Wonder what the stats in Sweeden proved when they introduced it.

Think there was another thread on this subject.

My bold. Sorry Vipers, but the increasingly prevalent use of DRLs on cars is whats driving the full beam usage by bikes. I personally dont use it, preferring to use the width of the road to signal presence, but I can absolutely see why they do it...

[vipers]

randlemarcus said:

vipers said:

henrycrun said:

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

More and more cars have DRL's, cant say as I have a problem with that. I DO HAVE A PROBLEM with motorcyclist who have DRL's on FULL beam. Especially when the buggers are behind me, and my Volvo S80 (which has DRL's) does not have a dippable rear view mirror, it dims at night when a headlight comes up behind you, but doesnt work in day time with some one behind you on full beam. Bikers note please!.

But like most posts on PH's, there will be arguments for and against, what the answer is, I dont know. Wonder what the stats in Sweeden proved when they introduced it.

Think there was another thread on this subject.

My bold. Sorry Vipers, but the increasingly prevalent use of DRLs on cars is whats driving the full beam usage by bikes. I personally dont use it, preferring to use the width of the road to signal presence, but I can absolutely see why they do it...

As a biker, and myself an ex biker, I see exactly where your coming from, far too many cars have absolutely no idea what's behind/alongside them, cars let alone a bike, so you are at risk somewhat, so whatever you can do to make sure they see you is good for you. Good to hear you dont use full beam though.

[negative creep]

I've got into the habit of having the sidelights on in anything less than dazzling sunshine. The way I see it, they aren't bright enough to blind someone, and the sooner anybody notices your car, the better

[tigger1]

vipers said:

I DO HAVE A PROBLEM with motorcyclist who have DRL's on FULL beam.

Unfortunately Vipers, this (for many bikers) isn't by choice. Many bikes have the light wired to the ignition nowadays I believe, so if the engine is on so is the headlight. Can be annoying, but certainly not as common as an occurence (to me anyway!) as people in 4x4's driving with headlights shining straight into my bloody rear window and burning a hole in the back of my head...why aren't 4x4s forced to have their lights lower down where they don't ruddy dazzle people!?!!

Edited by tigger1 on Monday 15th January 13:17

[randlemarcus]

tigger1 said:

[quote=vipersI DO HAVE A PROBLEM with motorcyclist who have DRL's on FULL beam.

Unfortunately Vipers, this (for many bikers) isn't by choice. Many bikes have the light wired to the ignition nowadays I believe, so if the engine is on so is the headlight. Can be annoying, but certainly not as common as an occurence (to me anyway!) as people in 4x4's driving with headlights shining straight into my bloody rear window and burning a hole in the back of my head...why aren't 4x4s forced to have their lights lower down where they don't ruddy dazzle people!?!![/quote]
Tigger, no bike has full beam wired on. Vipers was objecting to the use of full beam,i.e. the blue panel light, rather than normal dipped beams. Quite agree about the 4*4thing, though the lower the car, the more cars seem to do this.

[kelk]

There is another side to this too. Some cars have small batteries in comparison to size of the car e.g. the latest Scooby and to conserve power it only becomes functional when there is a significant power draw on the battery. Normal engine / driving activities aren't enough to get the alternator going usually and can cause the battery to be slowly flattened over time. Hence why a lot of the new Scoobies always have their lights on so as to ensure that the draw is high enough to make the alternator kick in.

Or so I was told by a Scooby mechanic

[Ross_T_Boss]

I drove alot in the States & Canada where all cars have daytime running lights. Accident rates were aparrently significatly reduced. Personally, I can only see it as a good thing, and often run with dipped lights or sidelights in the daytime.

[kurgan]

If the daylight is strong enough you will hardly notice dipped lights on, think about the last time it was a good day, did you notice if that volvo had it's lights on or not?

If the light is bad enough for dipped lights to appear bright then it is bad enough for you to need to use them. Side lights are useless from more than a few yards away, especially if you consider an older driver with less than perfect eyesight waiting at a junction perhaps with dirty or fogged side windows. YOU NEED TO BE SEEN.

[gridgway]

kelk said:

There is another side to this too. Some cars have small batteries in comparison to size of the car e.g. the latest Scooby and to conserve power it only becomes functional when there is a significant power draw on the battery. Normal engine / driving activities aren't enough to get the alternator going usually and can cause the battery to be slowly flattened over time. Hence why a lot of the new Scoobies always have their lights on so as to ensure that the draw is high enough to make the alternator kick in.

Or so I was told by a Scooby mechanic

I would be very surprised if those very clever Scooby designers and engineers and designed a system that didn't charge itself in normal use.

Graham

[7db]

henrycrun said:

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

Not the findings of research conducted into the subject (I'll post the link if I can find it), but clearly a worry.

[henrycrun]

Unfortunatly I believe the research has been skewed in favour of cagers and ignores other road users. See www.safespeed.org.uk/~dadrl/

Edited by henrycrun on Monday 15th January 16:55

[kurgan]

henrycrun said:

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

can't see how it will harm bikers as if everyone has lights on it will make them look like cars - all be it with only one headlight working.

[randlemarcus]

kurgan said:

henrycrun said:

DRLs on cars are going to make things much worse for other road users. Bikers will loose their headlight advantage. Cyclists and pedestrians will lose the arms race and disappear in the shadows

can't see how it will harm bikers as if everyone has lights on it will make them look like cars - all be it with only one headlight working.

Really? You truly cant see how it will lead to massively increased accident rates? Wow.

Car drivers seem to find it terribly difficult to spot great big lumps of metal, often in eye catching colours, with full sized humans on top of them, lights blazing in amongst cars with lights off. Which way do you suppose accident rates will go when the light is just one among many?

[Jason_W]

Probably because its extremely hard in rain to differentiate between other vehicles and a motorbike flying in between traffic with its lights on full beam - the light emitted simply diffuses on the rear screen and becomes blurred not to mention the dazzling effect it has on other motorists.

[Alex]

Previous threads here:

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=250195
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=295427
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=19221