Daytime Running Lights

dmcsweeney

dmcsweeney

Active Member
Hi all,

typical dark, wet morning here in Cork. On the way to work this morning, mixed in among the usual bad drivers I spotted a new danger which I'm now seeing almost daily, a car with no tail lights! Has anybody else noticed that this new 'safety feature' has lead to a huge increase in the number of people driving around with no proper lights on? I always assumed that DRLs were back and front and would actually improve safety but they just seem to be fitted at the front, and apparently the instrument panel on some cars. Most owners are driving around totally oblivious to the fact that they have no lights on. Great fun when you find them at 120kph on the motorway!

Regards,
Dave
 
Good point. I was never sure problem what DRL were supposed to fix. If it's dark enough to need lights, you need headlights (and tail lights).

And the side turning fog lamp thing just ensures you get dazzled randomly.
 
This has been a pet hate of mine since they were introduced, Dave.

Along with some rear indicators on moderns that are barely visible. Either combined with the brake lights, or (even worse) reduced to an almost imperceptible slit How they satisfy the Regs is beyond me.

And also the "Auto" function on lights. I once had a "conversation" with the "driver" of an Audi A4 who was merrily stooging around in fog with no lights on, and who thought that being on Auto was good enough.

Rant over. For now. :)
 
Glad I'm not the only one then! I have an auto function but never use it. I switch on my dipped headlight as soon as I start the engine and leave them on, regardless of light or weather conditions. I think that even on a sunny day they help other motorists spot you through the sun glare. Speaking of misuse of lights I've noticed the following pattern in Cork in bad weather conditions;

1. Darkness - drive with DRLs only, 2 feet from the car in front, in the right hand lane.
2. Slight drizzle - drive with rear fogs on, 2 feet from the car in front of you, in the right hand lane.
3. Snow/Ice - drive with rear fogs on, 2 feet from the car in front of you, in the right hand lane, brake regularly.
4. Fog - see darkness, plus take a photo and update your face book status.
5. Strong sunlight - drive 2 feet from the car in front of you, on the central divider line, no lights, squinting, while updating your Facebook status.

Regards,
Dave
 
They also make vulnerable road users more vulnerable. When I'm on the bicycle I do my best to stand out (not that I should have to necessarily, but I do as I know an awful lot of people don't pay as much attention to driving as they should.)

It means in poor daylight on a bicycle you have to turn your lights on so as not to get lost amongst the DRLs.

DRLs are also generally too bright - those annoying bluey white migraine inducing lights. They should be an aid to being seen, not audi bling or light up the interior of my car when they're following behind. (Range Rovers are particularly good at this.)

</rant>
 
Excellent! I love a good rant about modern cars. It's a dark, wet day here too Dave.

My beef with DRLs is the fact that many of them stay on when you put headlamps on. I think they should go off automatically the headlamps come on.

Then there is the new fangled (hah!) single fog light that comes on when you're turning. Designed to give more light into the bend. Modern lights are more than bright enough to throw sufficient light onto the roads and into the bends without adding to them. I've struggled with various types of lamp in my headlamps to make driving at night easier, but I've come to the realisation that it doesn't matter how bright my lights are because the retinal burning lamps in modern cars pretty much blind you no matter how good your own lights are.

Dave
 
It's all just more things to add to the manufacturers features list & to go wrong. Lighting which is too bright for purpose has become a feature of the roads & there is no shortage of misguided, unknowing/uncaring people or downright ignorant show-offs to fit such units to their cars (badly) even if the manufacturer hasn't. I find a selection of them are quite prevalent in the 75/ZT fraternity, especially on the faceache pages. Though that's probably a feature of the modern car market in general.

Rant ongoing. :mad:
 
Dave3066 said:
Modern lights are more than bright enough to throw sufficient light onto the roads and into the bends without adding to them.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not all of them are. I much prefer driving the Mk 1 Mondeo at night over the X-type. The X-type has small plastic light lenses with one H1 compared to the big glass twin lamp units in the Mondeo. They are absolutely hopeless!!
Regards,
Dave
 
I was unfortunate enough to drive a hired Toyota Avensis the other day and admit to my shame that I forgot to turn the lights on for a mile in town at night. The entire dash illuminated like a Christmas tree when I started the engine and I could see the bright DRLs reflected from the wall in front before I reversed out of the parking space so I thought the lights were on. It's a very easy mistake to make with badly designed modern cars like this.
And in 300 miles, I never did get the wiper delay to do what I wanted.
The SatNav was rubbish too.
And the seats were nowhere near as comfy as those in the P6.
 
I had the misfortune to be in front of a Porsche Cayenne the other day with Xenon lights and of course these are somewhat higher than a regular car. I've been blinded by lights in the mirror before but this was the first time the glare from the white headlining in my VW was bright enough to blind me!
 
I appear to be in a (small/miniscule) minority here; I appreciate them and have retro-fitted them to both the P6 and MX5.
I live on a main road close to an M25 junction with high traffic volumes and notice DRL equipped cars far more easily. Given that increasing numbers of vehicles have them - I want them too!
Addressing Rockdemon's point re cycling I have small but intense flashing lamps front & rear, + one on my bike helmet. I may irritate you but that's better than you inadvertently trying to occupy the bit of road I'm already using!
 
I also don't see the point of DRLs. I have them desactivated in my C5.
On the other hand, i find the cornering lights (proper ones, included in the main headlamp body, not the "fake" one-side-on-fogs like VW does) very useful on dark country roads.
I think that the problems from the brightness of the modern headlights stem from the fact that modern drivers don't bother to lower their aim when necessary. Despite that for years now it's dead easy to use those small rotary switches that alter the aim of the headlights, they just plough on regardless that they are dazzling the oncoming traffic. Well, if you don't think of, and respect the others, what would you expect?
 
smokin1942 said:
I appear to be in a (small/miniscule) minority here; I appreciate them and have retro-fitted them to both the P6 and MX5.
Click to expand...
I'd imagine very few people are against the idea totally. It's just that some are badly designed/fitted and others are just misunderstood by owners. Back in the old days when introduced by the Volvo, it was done properly, i.e. absolutely no risk of driving around without tail lights, but as stated above with the example of the Avensis it is so easy to drive around without tail lights!
It's like taking a good idea from Volvo and having it developed by British Leyland!!
Regards,
Dave
 
And I think that the matter of the switch to alter the rake of the headlights is completely covered by either 'unknowing/uncaring' or 'downright ignorant'. After all, they can see better with the lights at maximum height so what's the problem?
 
Yes I have seen plenty of drivers with no lights on other than daytime running lights, the one that made me jump was at 3.30 am on the M5, this car just shot past me at well over the limit, I did not see it in my rear view, scared the .... out of me, no lights on just the DTRL on.
These coupled with back lit instruments are the reason. Not a good combination, and will lead to someone getting hurt.
 
Personal dislike - the amount of moderns where rear indicator (integral to rear light) becomes near invisible when brake lights are on.
As mentioned above how can this comply ?

Mark.
 
Haaa I'll weigh in as well! Had someone at work whinging that people on the way in to work all had no lights on aaargh (etc etc). I said oh, it's propbably because it wasn't dark enough to trigger the auto lights which is dangerous. She went quiet and said oh, mine are always set to auto too.... Additionally, it auto lights the inside dash lights irrespective of the outside ones, so you don't even have the peering at the dials in the dark to make you put the lights on....

Oh, and while we're on - electronic handbrakes? What's that all about? Hateful hateful hateful things.
 
electronic handbrake is an odd thing. Had one in a qashqai hire car recently. It's behaviour was actually helpful when it did stop start on hills.... otherwise it just means you have less control of the vehicle.
 
1396midget said:
Oh, and while we're on - electronic handbrakes? What's that all about? Hateful hateful hateful things.
Click to expand...

Oh yes, they are no good for handbrake turns! :D
And you can have hill start control without electronic hanbrakes!
Actually i firmly believe that any decent driver should be able to perform faultless hill starts on a manual gearbox car just by using the pedals.

It is true that modern cars make significantly worse drivers...:(
 
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