Daytime Running Lamps

[WMD351]

Anybody know what happened with the Mercedes big boss fined for using DLR's in Vic?
The police swore they were driving lights and slugged him, but he was planning on flying in experts from Germany to challenge it in court.
A few months back now, but I never heard a result.

For the record, I love them. In my opinion they increase your visibility to others quite markedly in a range of conditions.

[psychoticgroove]

Originally Posted by Big Trev

agree 100% - rep for you

First Rep Woo Hooo!!
Cheers Big Trev!

[Ben73]

Some of the LED DRL looks pretty cool, so look tacky. They are no where near as annoying as fog lights and some normal headlights.

The cars at work have day running headlights. Soon as the key is on, the lights come on. Big deal though it's nothing bad. But they wired some of them up wrong on the new cars so if you switch the switch to 'parkers' the headlights go off and parkers only light up.

At work on the trains we are supposed to use High beam and Fog lights 24/7 no matter whether it's day or night, clear or raining.
Although you dip the high beam, or just switch off the headlight all together when approaching other trains...

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by psychoticgroove

It's a warning light.
'****3r inside'

Agree.

Last thing you need to see is headlights during the day. The Telstra vans are the worse. You see one and BAM! blurry dots everywhere and your eyes take longer to adjust during the day.

Ban them IMO

If you can't see a white van driving towards you, then headlights aint going to make any difference.

[Trevor 57]

Trouble with having headlights on during the day is that sometimes people knock them into high beam and that is a pain in the ****.

[nstg8a]

i see nothing wrong with led drls, like on the audis/hsvs etc. they definitly make them easier to see in the gloom or shadows.

the audi ones look good too imo, the hsv's look like a cheap afterthought, but still effective. id run them on my ef if i could do it someway that they didnt look ***.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

To me, they seem about as effective as turning on your headlights.

Exactly, just turn your headlights on. DRL's are pointless

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by ZA-289

To me they are just a new name for fog lights but you cant get fined for having them on during the day.

DRL's are not fog lights and therefore they are not illegal in clear weather, end of story.

Fog lights are either white or yellow, aimed lower then low beam and have to be on a separate switch that operates only when park lights or the low beam is on.

DRL's are most often LED's with no reflector and are wired to turn on when the ignition is on, some turn off when low beam is on but some don't.

Batten down the hatches all you haters of them, they will become standard fitment to all new cars, I bet with in the next 10 years. There is way too much evidence in the effectiveness in crash reduction for them not to be.

To say people should not use low beam in daytime because they may hit high beam by accident is ridiculous. By that reasoning no lights should ever be used as an accidental activation of high beam can happen at any time and is in fact more of a problem at night than it is during the day. Lets just ban all lights and bump into each other, at least I won't get bored at work

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

To say people should not use low beam in daytime because they may hit high beam by accident is ridiculous. By that reasoning no lights should ever be used as an accidental activation of high beam can happen at any time and is in fact more of a problem at night than it is during the day. Lets just ban all lights and bump into each other, at least I won't get bored at work

logic has no place in this thread...

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

logic has no place in this thread...

He's an Ambo When I read that my sarcasim detector just went through the roof

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

logic has no place in this thread...

I am sorry, I won't let it happen again, I promise.

He's an Ambo When I read that my sarcasim detector just went through the roof

I am sorry, it is a common reaction emergency worker's suffer often.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

DRL's are not fog lights and therefore they are not illegal in clear weather, end of story.

DRL's are most often LED's with no reflector and are wired to turn on when the ignition is on, some turn off when low beam is on but some don't.

Batten down the hatches all you haters of them, they will become standard fitment to all new cars, I bet with in the next 10 years. There is way too much evidence in the effectiveness in crash reduction for them not to be.

To be legal, DRL's need to meet ADR76/00 requirements during maufacture, which specifies the colour of light and intensity amongst other requirements. These lights are marked accordingly per ADR76 (with an 'E' marking) so there should be no question as to their legality.

The positioning and installation of DRL's is stipulated in ADR13/00 (one of which is that the lights must be at least 600mm apart). The lights may operate only when the ignition is switched on and the headlights are switched off.

I have seen several that dont meet requirements, obviously installed by the owners. I'm sure it was a HSV that had its DRLs on when the headlight was on. Thats illegal.

IMO on country two way roads in daytime, DRL's are very useful in improving the visibility of oncoming cars, in the suburbs probably not so useful, but can see these mandatory on new cars in the future. Also I believe DRL's are more useful than the foglights fitted to most current new cars which theoretically have very limited usefulness because of when they can be legally used.

[Landau Stable]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and get the flame-proof suit ready.....
If our cars had chrome bumpers just like the good old days, we'd see a sparkle of chrome in the distance. Ever since we got the plastic fantastic, everything is just a boring, generic, blend in with everything else mobile.

ok so obviously i am being a little silly here, but to a degree, i think it would make a difference. But that's just me, dreaming of the good old days.

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by Big Trev

I will always run my headlights when on a lengthy trip, but don't turn them on during the daytime around town unless it is pretty ****** weather.

Same for me.

Always done it, always will...well, unless I get a car with those LED DRL's.

[04redxr8]

Originally Posted by Landau Stable

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and get the flame-proof suit ready.....
If our cars had chrome bumpers just like the good old days, we'd see a sparkle of chrome in the distance. Ever since we got the plastic fantastic, everything is just a boring, generic, blend in with everything else mobile.

ok so obviously i am being a little silly here, but to a degree, i think it would make a difference. But that's just me, dreaming of the good old days.

Thats just to make the cars easier to recycle. Think of them like bottles of milk.

[NickyN]

Originally Posted by Landau Stable

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and get the flame-proof suit ready.....
If our cars had chrome bumpers just like the good old days, we'd see a sparkle of chrome in the distance. Ever since we got the plastic fantastic, everything is just a boring, generic, blend in with everything else mobile.

ok so obviously i am being a little silly here, but to a degree, i think it would make a difference. But that's just me, dreaming of the good old days.

You make a good point, daytime driving lights prob wasn't even a concern then.

[HLC]

Volvo has been running DRL's for years.

Anyone remember those old shoe box's on wheels, 740's etc, and all had that corner 'parker' light that could never be turned off?

DRL's.

Audi just made them trendy.

[Auturbo6]

It keeps the headlight fluid from freezing, potentally damaging the delicate headlight structure. later.

[Riksta]

Originally Posted by Auturbo6

It keeps the headlight fluid from freezing, potentally damaging the delicate headlight structure. later.

Yeah I think I'm going to get some of that headlight fluid that's Xenon, the blue looking stuff. How do I drain the Halogen fluid safely though?

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

To say people should not use low beam in daytime because they may hit high beam by accident is ridiculous. By that reasoning no lights should ever be used as an accidental activation of high beam can happen at any time and is in fact more of a problem at night than it is during the day. Lets just ban all lights and bump into each other, at least I won't get bored at work

This is obviously a sarcastic slight at me.

If you bothered to read the whole thread you will have read that I use headlights all the time when on long trips, the comment about people bumping them into high beam was just an aside comment.

I whole-heartedly support lights on during the daytime, if the LED's become a fact, all the better, to me at the moment, they look fairly w@anky.

But then again, I also think that those who drive around both during the day and at night with the 'white' fog lights on looky pretty w@nky too.

(and for the record I spent 13 years as an emergency service volunteer, spending most of that time responding to road accidents, and not as a firey), don't use the fact that you are an Ambo as a reason to by cynical, you are like that because you choose to be

[Keepleft]

http://www.lightsout.org/

http://www.lightsout.org/links.html

USA's National Motorists Association on DRL's:-
http://www.motorists.org/drl//

EU parliament adopted these as mandatory for that market, these ECE rules currently become 'optional' at UNECE (world) level.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

http://www.lightsout.org/

http://www.lightsout.org/links.html

USA's National Motorists Association on DRL's:-
http://www.motorists.org/drl//

EU parliament adopted these as mandatory for that market, these ECE rules currently become 'optional' at UNECE (world) level.

lol, some complete propaganda bs in those links.


i fail to see how using modern led DRL's will add to the fuel consumption as claimed in some of those articles, considering led's require exactly **** all power to run.

[steve851]

DRL's seem to work well but it makes your car look a bit like a christmas tree, but you can see a HSV coming from miles off the when it get close , one can confirm it is in fact a HSV by the many vents and air scoops

[NAFairlane]

wow didnt realise this would cause such a heated discussion haha thanks for all your input guys this is great.

For those of you who use your lights during low light situations and crappy weather, heard of automatic lights?

Also do 4wd's really need them? if you cant see a fourby coming even at long range you must be blind. The new LandCruiser Prado's xenon lights are at the exact height to blind you in the rear view mirror, dont need that during the day as well as night.....

ok to throw another spanner in the works, do you think you should be able to turn them off???? i know in some cars with them you cant turn them off very easily if at all.

[NAFairlane]

oh and also regarding the new HSV DRL's.....they get hot, real hot, melting their own mount sort of hot :P

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by NAFairlane

For those of you who use your lights during low light situations and crappy weather, heard of automatic lights?

Do you own a B series with auto light on? If you do you would know that it can be very bleak light before they actually come on. On the GT, SP and the typhoon it can be dark enough that lights a definitely needed and street light are on but the auto lights still aren't.

oh and also regarding the new HSV DRL's.....they get hot, real hot, melting their own mount sort of hot :P

Not sure how, aren't they LED? LED produce almost no heat.

[irlewy86]

Audi, HSV DRL's are a bit over the top.

Lexus on the IS have got the balance just right I think, noticeable but not intrusive.

[Ben73]

Imagine a world where everywhere you look you see HSV's and Audis with their bright LED lights.
May look cool, might be annoying. I don't know yet.

[NAFairlane]

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Do you own a B series with auto light on? If you do you would know that it can be very bleak light before they actually come on. On the GT, SP and the typhoon it can be dark enough that lights a definitely needed and street light are on but the auto lights still aren't.

i dont own one however as a previous employee of a ford service department i know that the auto lights often lose calibration and are easily recalibrated. You can also get them to adjust them to more sensitive if you want to. Unfortunately i cant remember how but you can.

Originally Posted by geckoGT

Not sure how, aren't they LED? LED produce almost no heat.

Not entirely sure but as a current employee of a Holden service department we have replaced a number of them due to them melting haha i assume its from the main+high beams heating them up or something.

[Auslandau]

If DRL's are so wonderful .... why not make them compulsory with all new cars? HSV proved that it takes no thought on where they go and how they look? They can be incorporated into the ADR's an implemented immediately?

Even better ... if DRL's prevent accidents and the data is somewhere stating this .... (buggered if I can find any but I am sure some grant was accepted by someone) surely it would be better that everyone must have there lights on when driving? Aka motorbikes? Simple rule in enforce and another godsend for the g'ment?

As the technology is available today and people are too silly to turn there lights on during the day ..... surely these lights can be made to turn on when the car is on? Aka BA Telecom cars?

If someone has a problem and cannot see a bloody great big car coming at them at a stop sign ... I think there is a bigger issue here other than some pretty fairy lights in a bumper? "Sorry officer ....... I didn't see the bus as he didn't have the LED's on"