Why are all new cars having lights on all the time, EU law?
Discussion
I'm getting really tired of the constant whining about DRLs every time they're mentioned on PH. Yes, they are an EU Directive and yes, those are usually complete and utter garbage, but this one might just not be. In my opinion (as a 23-year-old with 20/20 vision) DRLs make cars easier to see. No point moaning about it anyway as they're here to stay. My observations so far:
Tear me apart, PH.
- For those who claim the whole 'if you can't see a car without fairy lights on you shouldn't be driving' thing, you're not wrong. There are plenty of people with terrible vision driving along our roads, however.
- For those who claim to be 'blinded' by DRLs, stop being a drama queen and go and get your eyes tested. A Mondeo (for some unknown reason) passed me earlier on this sunny day with their high-beams on. I was not blinded by these, so I seriously doubt a DRL could be blinding.
- For those who say 'just turn your dipped-beams on', it's not quite the same thing, is it? All that does is knacker out your bulbs whilst being less visible and using far more power than DRLs would.
- For those who claim it will make motorcycles less visible, I can't really grasp this. Surely you'll still see their lights too?
- For those who moan about LEDs being used - why on Earth not? They use less power, last the lifetime of the car and, in the case of cars with HID or LED-equipped headlamps, match the colour in a more aesthetic way.
Tear me apart, PH.Edited by David87 on Wednesday 4th May 19:31
David87 said:
In my opinion (as a 23-year-old with 20/20 vision) DRLs make cars easier to see.
I don't think anyone's doubting that. The problem is whether they aid road safety or make matters worse. David87 said:
* For those who claim the whole 'if you can't see a car without fairy lights on you shouldn't be driving' thing, you're not wrong. There are plenty of people with terrible vision driving along our roads, however.
Plenty of people fiddling with mobile phones too. Maybe cars should have their horns blasting all the time as well. David87 said:
For those who claim to be 'blinded' by DRLs, stop being a drama queen and go and get your eyes tested. A Mondeo (for some unknown reason) passed me earlier on this sunny with their high-beams on. I was not blinded by these, so I seriously doubt a DRL could be blinding.
Getting a blast of bright light in your eye is distracting. Do you not notice camera flashes, or when a torch is shone in your eyes?David87 said:
* For those who claim it will make motorcycles less visible, I can't really grasp this. Surely you'll still see their lights too?
You see the motorcycle's light too. Only problem is you see it after you've seen the car behind with its much larger amount of lights. Smaller vehicles get lost in a tsunami of light. As do pedestrians and cyclists.Dracoro said:
cptsideways said:
This is a good example of DRL's in daylight too
Quite, I'm sure most people here don't even know there's a car in the 1st 2 pics. 
Given headlights can come on automatically in shadow/darness, why not DRLs? There is seriously nothing more aggravating than a Golf with DRLs in Tenerife on a sunny day (every day mainly).
My missus Fabia has DRL's ,housed next to the fog lights. She's a Driving Instructor and they were set to on when she first had the car. After the first week she turned them off as she got fed up with people flashing her and people coming up to her whilst she was parked at the roadside to tell her that her foglights were on.One old guy was most disgruntled when she told him they were DRL's.
Rock on david87. With you 100% I like DRLs in principle and in most applications, although the ones on Mercs and the DS3 are crap, and some Audi stylists seem to have got carried away with themselves.
Has this thread attracted a higher number of gayers for some reason? I picture some of the posters: (hand on hip and arse stuck out a bit) "Oooooooh, those nasty daylight running lights! Horrible things! Blind my eyes something crooooel!" (Minces off.)
Has this thread attracted a higher number of gayers for some reason? I picture some of the posters: (hand on hip and arse stuck out a bit) "Oooooooh, those nasty daylight running lights! Horrible things! Blind my eyes something crooooel!" (Minces off.)
David87 said:
- For those who claim to be 'blinded' by DRLs, stop being a drama queen and go and get your eyes tested. A Mondeo (for some unknown reason) passed me earlier on this sunny day with their high-beams on. I was not blinded by these, so I seriously doubt a DRL could be blinding.
Shine it on your knees while stood up, Congratulations, you've just aligned your high beams.
I've never been blinded by DRLs on any car. People with badly aligned headlights at night are far more of a problem. Then there are those who go to the other extreme and drive around in stealth mode in the dark with no lights on at all. It does puzzle me though why the lights are only on at the front and don't work with the tail lights.
Hitler Hadrump said:
I don't think anyone's doubting that. The problem is whether they aid road safety or make matters worse
.
Pretty conclusively better..
"Nearly all published reports indicate DRLs reduce multiple-vehicle daytime crashes. A study examining the effect of Norway's DRL law from 1980 to 1990 found a 10 percent decline in daytime multiple-vehicle crashes. A Danish study reported a 7 percent reduction in DRL-relevant crashes in the first 15 months after DRL use was required and a 37 percent decline in left-turn crashes. In a second study covering 2 years and 9 months of Denmark's law, there was a 6 percent reduction in daytime multiple-vehicle crashes and a 34 percent reduction in left-turn crashes. A 1994 Transport Canada study comparing 1990 model year vehicles with DRLs to 1989 vehicles without them found that DRLs reduced relevant daytime multiple-vehicle crashes by 11 percent.
In the United States, a 1985 Institute study determined that commercial fleet passenger vehicles modified to operate with DRLs were involved in 7 percent fewer daytime multiple-vehicle crashes than similar vehicles without DRLs. A small-scale fleet study conducted in the 1960s found an 18 percent lower daytime multiple-vehicle crash rate for DRL-equipped vehicles. Multiple-vehicle daytime crashes account for about half of all police-reported crashes in the United States. A 2002 Institute study reported a 3 percent decline in daytime multiple-vehicle crash risk in nine US states concurrent with the introduction of DRLs.
Federal researchers, using data collected nationwide from 1995-2001, concluded that there was a 5 percent decline in daytime, two-vehicle, opposite-direction crashes and a 12 percent decline in fatal crashes with pedestrians and bicyclists. However, a 2008 federal study concluded that DRLs have no significant effect on either of these crash types."
FYI, apparently DRLs are super-bright LEDs rather than dipped headlights because LEDs require far less electrical current to power them, and therefore affect the fuel consumption far less than dipped headlights would.
Manufacturers are encouraged to build ever-stronger cars whose A-pillars are unavoidably thick, leading to...
...reduced forward/peripheral visibility, compensated by...
...daylight-visible running lights...
...which must be super-bright LEDs in order to satisfy requirements of fuel economy imposed by our beloved governments.
Manufacturers are encouraged to build ever-stronger cars whose A-pillars are unavoidably thick, leading to...
...reduced forward/peripheral visibility, compensated by...
...daylight-visible running lights...
...which must be super-bright LEDs in order to satisfy requirements of fuel economy imposed by our beloved governments.
Maxym said:
Rock on david87. With you 100% I like DRLs in principle and in most applications, although the ones on Mercs and the DS3 are crap, and some Audi stylists seem to have got carried away with themselves.
Has this thread attracted a higher number of gayers for some reason? I picture some of the posters: (hand on hip and arse stuck out a bit) "Oooooooh, those nasty daylight running lights! Horrible things! Blind my eyes something crooooel!" (Minces off.)
More like "Look at me, look at me, look at my DRLs, look how bling they are and how they match my jewellery".Has this thread attracted a higher number of gayers for some reason? I picture some of the posters: (hand on hip and arse stuck out a bit) "Oooooooh, those nasty daylight running lights! Horrible things! Blind my eyes something crooooel!" (Minces off.)
Maxym said:
Blakewater said:
It does puzzle me though why the lights are only on at the front and don't work with the tail lights.
+1 Joking aside, it seems BMWs equipped with DRLs do have their rear lamps illuminated as part of it. Can't recall any other manufacturers that have the rears illuminated too (apart from Volvo, but they don't have 'proper' DRLs anyhow so don't count), although I suppose that's a good thing really. I suspect the reason most don't have the rear lights also wired into the system is so that when conditions dictate that dipped-beams should be used (heavy rain or dusk, for instance), people will be encouraged to do so. That is, if you were driving a car with only front DRLs you'd treat it like a car with none, but in one that has rear lights on too I reckon people would be tempted (or not think) to not turn their dipped-beams on until they literally couldn't see where they were going.I guess so, I have seen people driving cars such as Golfs in twilight with only the DRLs on and no rear lights, but if the DRLs are to avoid accidents why not use them to avoid the accidents where people rear end cars sitting in traffic ahead of them or pulling out of junctions and going slowly?
You don't need DRL's on the rear of cars, because there are reflectors built into rear lights/bumpers? Just my guess.
I think DRL's are a good idea. You can see cars with DRL's a mile off. If every car had DRL's fitted, it would make overtaking a lot safer as you would be able to see if there's anything ahead in the distance.
What annoys me are the s
tty halfrauds aftermarket DRL kits which are pointless. If your car doesnt come with them, then don't fit them.
I will tell you what is a menace though, bikers with full beams on blinding everyone. I appreciate bikers need to be visible, but do it without full beams. As for DRL's making bikers less visible, thats utter rubbish. I'm yet to see a bike with 2 LED lights fitted about 1.5M apart...
I'm biased though, my current and last car have DRL's
I think DRL's are a good idea. You can see cars with DRL's a mile off. If every car had DRL's fitted, it would make overtaking a lot safer as you would be able to see if there's anything ahead in the distance.
What annoys me are the s
tty halfrauds aftermarket DRL kits which are pointless. If your car doesnt come with them, then don't fit them.I will tell you what is a menace though, bikers with full beams on blinding everyone. I appreciate bikers need to be visible, but do it without full beams. As for DRL's making bikers less visible, thats utter rubbish. I'm yet to see a bike with 2 LED lights fitted about 1.5M apart...
I'm biased though, my current and last car have DRL's
Edited by XDA on Wednesday 4th May 23:02
Edited by XDA on Wednesday 4th May 23:04
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