Why are all new cars having lights on all the time, EU law?
Discussion
Mafioso said:
I would think Wills2 has HID lights? This is a better option to use during the daytime rather than the LED DRL lights.
The LED DRL lights appear very bright because the light produced is not focused.. Dipped HID lights are focused and will be more pleasing to other traffic.
I have my HID lights on during the day whatever the weather. IMHO the Porsche 9ll LED DRL lights don't look nice.. (no offence Wills2) maybe that's why you choose not to have them active?
HID lights during daylight hours are better than the LED lights.
It's pretty easy to turn off DRLs - don't buy a new car and I will never ever buy a new car again until they stop fitting them. Meanwhile, I have rigged my Golf to set off a firework display constantly, as I drive, as research has shown that peoples' eyes are drawn to the car and it stops accidents - well, with my car at least.
What a load of utter utter tosh. It works with bikes as they are hard to see. Is our eyesight so sh*t or more likely are the slits that pass as windows now so narrow that we need these lasers etching our retinas? What next, compulsory honking of the horn every 5 minutes or perhaps a man with a red flag walking before you shouting "Unclean, unclean. Emissions unfashionably high!".
Ah well, at least I can pull out as that chap is indicating, I can see his indicator, no fog-light, no...doh...DRL...
What a load of utter utter tosh. It works with bikes as they are hard to see. Is our eyesight so sh*t or more likely are the slits that pass as windows now so narrow that we need these lasers etching our retinas? What next, compulsory honking of the horn every 5 minutes or perhaps a man with a red flag walking before you shouting "Unclean, unclean. Emissions unfashionably high!".
Ah well, at least I can pull out as that chap is indicating, I can see his indicator, no fog-light, no...doh...DRL...
Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 3rd May 23:39
In anything other than normal, full daylight I prefer to drive with the sidelights on. They don't help me see anything, but seem to register to other people that no, I'm not a parked car I'm actually moving. Hardly scientific, but I've noticed a lot less people pulling out on me / cutting me up when I have my side lights on.
That's just common sense and I guess the reason behind the DRLs. But... what's wrong with just side lights?
As for driving around with dipped beams, seems like overkill? In full on daylight I wouldn't even bother with sidelights personally, but if I really was paranoid I'd at most stick to sidelights all the time.
That's just common sense and I guess the reason behind the DRLs. But... what's wrong with just side lights?
As for driving around with dipped beams, seems like overkill? In full on daylight I wouldn't even bother with sidelights personally, but if I really was paranoid I'd at most stick to sidelights all the time.
northandy said:
Slightly off topic but does anyone have a car that turns one foglight on when turning?, does it actually do anything ?.
Makes you look too poor to replace a bulb.I had a car with turning lights, they came on when you indicate and off when you stop, useful when pulling onto a drive in the dark.
The ones on modern cars seem to stay lit for half an hour and swap from side to side as they turn in different directions.
DRL's need to go and the sooner the better.
Not like regulations ever have anything to do with safety in the real world.
mx5tom said:
In anything other than normal, full daylight I prefer to drive with the sidelights on. They don't help me see anything, but seem to register to other people that no, I'm not a parked car I'm actually moving. Hardly scientific, but I've noticed a lot less people pulling out on me / cutting me up when I have my side lights on.
That's just common sense and I guess the reason behind the DRLs. But... what's wrong with just side lights?
As for driving around with dipped beams, seems like overkill? In full on daylight I wouldn't even bother with sidelights personally, but if I really was paranoid I'd at most stick to sidelights all the time.
You hardly notice sidelights at all though, even more so during the day. If you're going to stick lights on your as well doing it properly.That's just common sense and I guess the reason behind the DRLs. But... what's wrong with just side lights?
As for driving around with dipped beams, seems like overkill? In full on daylight I wouldn't even bother with sidelights personally, but if I really was paranoid I'd at most stick to sidelights all the time.
)mx5tom said:
In anything other than normal, full daylight I prefer to drive with the sidelights on. They don't help me see anything, but seem to register to other people that no, I'm not a parked car I'm actually moving. Hardly scientific, but I've noticed a lot less people pulling out on me / cutting me up when I have my side lights on.
That's just common sense and I guess the reason behind the DRLs. But... what's wrong with just side lights?
Sidelights - actually parking lights are for parked cars That's just common sense and I guess the reason behind the DRLs. But... what's wrong with just side lights?
which would would typically be parked in low speed street enviromentsThis is especially a no-no in inclement weather, if there is rainwater on mirrors, mist on the inside of windows etc where people need to see you. Someone in fugged up car, pulling out from a layby you might not be visible at all.
I often suggest people try this experiment: If stopped in DC layby in wet weather, count for how many seconds approaching cars are seen in the mirrors, with lights off (or parking lights only) the time at least halved compared to cars with headlights on.
This is a good example of DRL's in daylight too
Edited by cptsideways on Wednesday 4th May 14:18
You have to reluctantly accept that this is a better solution for our roads which are generally full of incompetent drivers.
It depresses me that this is the best option though because I probably have at least one overtake per week scuppered by a car coming the other way with non-necessary lights on. On a country road at dusk, it is much harder to judge the closing speed of a car at the end of a long straight with DRL or dipped beam on. Humans actually have fairly good low light visibility but it only takes one person to put their own visibility first, and everyone else has to follow. Most of the advantage is then lost and we are all worse off.
It depresses me that this is the best option though because I probably have at least one overtake per week scuppered by a car coming the other way with non-necessary lights on. On a country road at dusk, it is much harder to judge the closing speed of a car at the end of a long straight with DRL or dipped beam on. Humans actually have fairly good low light visibility but it only takes one person to put their own visibility first, and everyone else has to follow. Most of the advantage is then lost and we are all worse off.
DAVEVO9 said:
Mafioso said:
I would think Wills2 has HID lights? This is a better option to use during the daytime rather than the LED DRL lights.
The LED DRL lights appear very bright because the light produced is not focused.. Dipped HID lights are focused and will be more pleasing to other traffic.
I have my HID lights on during the day whatever the weather. IMHO the Porsche 9ll LED DRL lights don't look nice.. (no offence Wills2) maybe that's why you choose not to have them active?
HID lights during daylight hours are better than the LED lights.
tish IMHO and they do throw out a very harsh light, but I do think that having your lights on does help other road users to notice you hence I use dipped beams.The 911 has xenons lights (I guess they are HID's)
Wills2 said:
What would you prefer DRL's, dipped lights or nowt?
Tbh I'd prefer nowt! I don't want to sound too moany but I really don't see the point. To me, it's just another nanny-state enforcement. We've survived without having lights on during the day for years.The main concern for me is the bike issue, which has already been mentioned further up.
In my opinion I don't think having lights on during the day makes a blind bit of difference as to whether someone sees you or not. I was riding my bike the other day on a bright sunny day and saw a yellow '04 Fiat Panda with his lights on and I just thought he was a t
t! Who gets into their car on such a day and even thinks about putting their lights on. It's lost on me...cptsideways said:
This is a good example of DRL's in daylight too
I'm sorry but this is absolute nonsense. At first glance that picture does look like it makes it more obvious because the car is under shade. However, in a real world situation, if you look that way (say if you're waiting to pull out of a junction) that car will be moving at speed and will therefore catch your eye regardless of how much light is on it/showing, therefore negating the need for such lights.Edited by Mafioso on Wednesday 4th May 17:03
Mafioso said:
I'm sorry but this is absolute nonsense. At first glance that picture does look like it makes it more obvious because the car is under shade. However, in a real world situation, if you look that way (say if you're waiting to pull out of a junction) that car will be moving at speed and will therefore catch your eye regardless of how much light is on it/showing, therefore negating the need for such lights.
I find it preferable in situations like that with extended lengths of road lined with trees etc. It's handy for overtaking more than anything, I'd like someone to have no doubt about a car being there.Edited by Mafioso on Wednesday 4th May 17:03
cptsideways said:
I often suggest people try this experiment: If stopped in DC layby in wet weather, count for how many seconds approaching cars are seen in the mirrors, with lights off (or parking lights only) the time at least halved compared to cars with headlights on.
Then having got used to cars with lights on, check how far away you notice an unlit cyclist?alock said:
You have to reluctantly accept that this is a better solution for our roads which are generally full of incompetent drivers.
Of course there are incompetent drivers, but clearly we do better than almost every other country in the world:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_...
If you sort it by fatalities by 100,000 inhabitants, the UK is the fourth best (out of 181).
Per 100,000 vehicles, fifth best. Per billion vehicle kilometres, sixth best. Out of one hundred and eighty one countries.
Concerns have been raised that DRLs increase car visibility at the expense of more vulnerable road users. Those more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a low speed collision. Should we really be slapping gimmicky lights on our cars because 'some drivers aren't observant enough'?
I tend to drive with my headlights on at all times - even on sunny days I believe they make you more visible, as the silhouetting effect combined with shadows at a high degree of contrast to the ambient light can make darker cars much less obvious.
It also winds some people up into almost incomprehensible rage, which is also fun.
Despite all this though, it's amazing how many people people will pull out in front of me in my bright yellow, fully illuminated vehicle at roundabouts and the like. Maybe they just can't process such a luminous object and hence decide to ignore it instead?
It also winds some people up into almost incomprehensible rage, which is also fun.
Despite all this though, it's amazing how many people people will pull out in front of me in my bright yellow, fully illuminated vehicle at roundabouts and the like. Maybe they just can't process such a luminous object and hence decide to ignore it instead?
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