Daytime running lights

[Ki3r]

Morning all,

Hopefully a quick question regarding daytime running lights.

If fitted, do both need to be in working order?

I'm under the impression they do, on the same lines as a spare tyre. If you have one it needs to be legal. But you don't have to have one.

Thanks.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

The spare tyre/wheel is not examined as part of the MOT test. If you have one, and it is completely bald, it might possibly be mentioned as an advisory but it is not a reason for failure. Carrying a bald spare is not illegal either. Fitting it and driving on it, however...

[Cat]

Running lamps are not obligatory lamps but if fitted they must work. See regulation 23 of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regs 1989 for details.

A spare wheel doesn't need to be road legal unless it is fitted and the vehicle is being used.

Cat

Edited by Cat on Tuesday 15th December 11:16

[SS2.]

Although DRLs are not a testable item for MOT unless they replace the front position lamps (sidelights).

[austinsmirk]

surely by post 5 on this I must be the first one to point out just how awful they generally look, be it factory or council estate fitment.

[vanordinaire]

I can't understand why they're not wired up to the rear lights too. If you need lights on then you need them front and rear, if you don't need them on why have them on at all? I see so many people in poor light not bothering to switch their lights on because the DRLs are on, this alone must cause more problems than if they didn't exist.

[Martin_Hx]

austinsmirk said:

council estate fitment.

I do still see a lot of people running with these on the front (factory fit) but no lights lit up on the back.... did manufacturers not think of this! Doh....

[Ki3r]

Cat said:

Running lamps are not obligatory lamps but if fitted they must work. See regulation 23 of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regs 1989 for details.

A spare wheel doesn't need to be road legal unless it is fitted and the vehicle is being used.

Cat

Edited by Cat on Tuesday 15th December 11:16

Brilliant, thank you.

Bit of a disagreement with one of the managers at work.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Cat said:

Running lamps are not obligatory lamps but if fitted they must work. See regulation 23 of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regs 1989 for details.

A spare wheel doesn't need to be road legal unless it is fitted and the vehicle is being used.

Cat

Edited by Cat on Tuesday 15th December 11:16

What if they're switch off-able like some of the early adopters were?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

vanordinaire said:

I can't understand why they're not wired up to the rear lights too. If you need lights on then you need them front and rear, if you don't need them on why have them on at all?

Because pedestrians step in front of cars and other vehicles pull out in front of cars because they don't see the car coming. Not many accidents happen because you didn't see it going!!!!!

[vanordinaire]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

vanordinaire said:

I can't understand why they're not wired up to the rear lights too. If you need lights on then you need them front and rear, if you don't need them on why have them on at all?

Because pedestrians step in front of cars and other vehicles pull out in front of cars because they don't see the car coming. Not many accidents happen because you didn't see it going!!!!!

Depending on which statistics you believe, somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of all road accidents are rear end collisions, surely worthwhile putting the rear lights on at the same time as the DRLs. I can't see why not, it isn't exactly going to wear them out or noticeably reduce the efficiency of the car.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

vanordinaire said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

vanordinaire said:

I can't understand why they're not wired up to the rear lights too. If you need lights on then you need them front and rear, if you don't need them on why have them on at all?

Because pedestrians step in front of cars and other vehicles pull out in front of cars because they don't see the car coming. Not many accidents happen because you didn't see it going!!!!!

Depending on which statistics you believe, somewhere between a fifth and a quarter of all road accidents are rear end collisions, surely worthwhile putting the rear lights on at the same time as the DRLs. I can't see why not, it isn't exactly going to wear them out or noticeably reduce the efficiency of the car.

It's a daft idea. Rear end collisions aren't caused by the car in front blending in to the background and not being visible. They are caused by the tt behind knowing full well there's a car in front of him but driving to far close to it. Rear DRLs will not change that. They might even make it worse, in making brake lights less visible.

[btcc123]

I have just got a 2016 model car that has DRL in the front and when they are the only lights on also has DRL on the rear,LED I think.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

btcc123 said:

I have just got a 2016 model car that has DRL in the front and when they are the only lights on also has DRL on the rear,LED I think.

Don't they drown out the brake lights. There are concerns on some models (Nissan Qashcow) that the front DRLs drown out the indicators.

[gavgavgav]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

It's a daft idea. Rear end collisions aren't caused by the car in front blending in to the background and not being visible. They are caused by the tt behind knowing full well there's a car in front of him but driving to far close to it. Rear DRLs will not change that. They might even make it worse, in making brake lights less visible.

Being a motorbike commuter in London, there are SO many cars about with just DRL's on in the dark it's not funny, their dashboards are lit up as through the headlights are on. Some DRL's are too bright people are using them as headlights.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

gavgavgav said:

Being a motorbike commuter in London, there are SO many cars about with just DRL's on in the dark it's not funny, their dashboards are lit up as through the headlights are on. Some DRL's are too bright people are using them as headlights.

Unfortunately idiots will be idiots, regardless. But my car has DRLs but the dashboard does not light up when they are on in isolation. I also have auto lights, and when they come on, that's when the dash gets illuminated. Same on my last car.

[Cat]

Swervin_Mervin said:

What if they're switch off-able like some of the early adopters were?

Whether they can be switched off or not is neither here nor there as the lighting regs don't stipulate that running lights must be illuminated at all times. Reg 23 simply requires that if fitted the lamps must be in good working order and clean.

Cat

[imagineifyeswill]

I have just recently bought a 2001 Volvo V70, as soon as you switch ignition on DRLs, fascia and tail lights illuminate, its my first vehicle with DRLs and frankly there so bright I keep driving around at night not realising I havent switched the headlights on.

[btcc123]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

btcc123 said:

I have just got a 2016 model car that has DRL in the front and when they are the only lights on also has DRL on the rear,LED I think.

Don't they drown out the brake lights. There are concerns on some models (Nissan Qashcow) that the front DRLs drown out the indicators.

The front and rear DRL are quite separate to the indicators and brake lights so no issues..It took about 20 years for the manufacturers to copy Volvo.

When I park my car in front of the garage doors the DRL are quite bright and when I turn on the side lights the garage door shows the lights are dimmer and then obviously very bright with the headlights on.

More of a concern for me is my new car also has automatic lights and today I was driving at lunchtime when it was quite light and no need for any lights at all and 75% of car had their headlights on.It seams the cars with Automatic headlights are too sensitive including mine.I will do thinks manually from now on.

[Retroman]

vanordinaire said:

I can't understand why they're not wired up to the rear lights too. If you need lights on then you need them front and rear, if you don't need them on why have them on at all? I see so many people in poor light not bothering to switch their lights on because the DRLs are on, this alone must cause more problems than if they didn't exist.

There's a problem throughout Europe where people pull out into oncoming traffic and the most common excuse they use when a car hits them is "i didn't see them"
So they made super bright DRL's to increase the chance of daydreaming drivers of seeing them so they don't pull out in front of them.

The reason so many people drive around with just DRL's on at night (or no lights at all) is because on modern cars the dashboard is always illuminated. On older cars you'd know you were driving around with your lights off because the dashboard would be dark.