Daytime running lights

[car10002]

Hi bought some daytime running lights from a market that are e4 marked the person said they're ok when asked about Australian use would they be ok if put at the width and height in the ADR specs.

Found a mighty car mods Australian page you know the nsw one on YouTube that said how to make the drls legal

[GASWAGON]

O.k, wots your point or question???

[car10002]

Means if those lights are placed at the width and height the ADR rules say and wired on with ign and off when headlights are on will they be ok each is 8x1w leds

[zdcol71]

"The daytime running light was first mandated, and safety benefits first perceived, in Scandinavian countries where it is persistently dark during the winter season. As ambient light levels increase, the potential safety benefit decreases while the DRL intensity required for a safety improvement increases. The safety benefit produced by DRLs in relatively dark Nordic countries is roughly triple the benefit observed in relatively bright America"

Quoted from everybodys' favourite authority, Wiki...
Substitute America with Australia, put your daytime running lights on ,then expect the same derision from me as I would impart on any knob that runs fog lamps in daytime (or night time for that matter, in most parts) Australia

[ebxr8240]

They are low watt LEDS .. Calm down..

[Nikked]

They work really good at dusk, and not as intense as fog lights...

[ebxr8240]

Proper fog lights shouldn't be bright anyway ! They are designed to point under any fog up close.. Driving lights are bright and set just under horizontal ..

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by zdcol71

put your daytime running lights on ,then expect the same derision from me as I would impart on any knob that runs fog lamps in daytime (or night time for that matter, in most parts) Australia

Presumably you don't live in the country then. I live in the country and the majority of country drivers in my observation have their lights on when on long roads (i.e. out of town). I reckon you can pick the city nobs at holiday time because they don't keep left and don't have their lights on. ;)

The fact is, even in bright sunlight, you can judge the distance of an approaching car better with lights on than off. Casually I've observed that people coming out of side roads are more likely to give way to you if you have your lights on. They can judge your distance and speed better.

Also I hope you don't drive a dark-coloured car if you're planning on country driving without lights. It's not all clear bright sunshine in Australia. You get a lot of dappled effects with roadside trees etc.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by new2ford

The fact is, even in bright sunlight, you can judge the distance of an approaching car better with lights on than off. Casually I've observed that people coming out of side roads are more likely to give way to you if you have your lights on. They can judge your distance and speed better.

Only if they aren't distracted because they're fiddling with the touchscreen GPS , on the phone or texting or applying make up or playing pocket billiards.

Fact is that there are way too may distractions. Personally , I don't find cars with DRL's any safer than without. If someone can't make out an oncoming car during the daylight or even dusk , then there are other issues that need to be examined by a medical practitioner.

Next we'll need people walking around with LED's on their sleeves so that we don't have pedestrian collisions in heavy city walkways.....

For the Northern European low lux daytime situations , I understand the benefits. For the rest , it's just a &/:;(

[Elks]

Thanks new2ford.

I do lots of country running and DRL, Low beam Lights and yes even fog lights when its not foggy are a great idea. On undulating roads you get stop on coming traffic way earlier which makes for safer cruising. I agree the look dumb, but i'd rather that than get t-boned but some 1/2 asleep numbskull. Particularly with silver/grey cars that blend to the road. I'm only talking in fractions, but thats usually the differnence between a hit and a near miss.

Im also cranky and perplexed by the fog light rule. Fog light by design throw a relatively short, low wide beam to go under fog. If there is no fog about thy still throw a short low wide beam. How people are being dazzled by that, I have no idea. It can only think that people have replaced fog lights with driving lights (because they're the same aren't they) or miss aligned them or put in bazillion watt arctic ice blue meg globes or in some way stuffed them.

Rear fog lights are a different matter. by design very bright. If your to stupid or do not have the courtesy to switch them off when not required, then you should hand your licence in.

I would love meet the person that made the change to the fog light rules and ask why?

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

If someone can't make out an oncoming car during the daylight or even dusk , then there are other issues that need to be examined by a medical practitioner.

I assume that you're talking about White or other bright colours, as there are a great deal of other colours that blend in with the road/countryside, these can be near invisible on open highways.

[JaguarDave]

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

If someone can't make out an oncoming car during the daylight or even dusk , then there are other issues that need to be examined by a medical practitioner.

There are many thousands of drivers on the road that have undiagnosed medical conditions affecting their eyes. There are many thousands of drivers on the road affected by drugs or alcohol. There are many thousands of drivers on the road that are distracted in some small way by kids, music, telephones, smoking, drinking coffee etc.

Anything at all that I can do to make myself more visible and less likely to be hit on a country road by one of those people I will do, thus I am happy that I drive a vehicle that has DRL's.

[BHDOGS]

I just chuck on the high beams whenever I see those stupid waste of time drls in the city or suburbs

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

If someone can't make out an oncoming car during the daylight or even dusk , then there are other issues that need to be examined by a medical practitioner.

This is the stupidest thing I have read about this topic.

Actually...

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

I just chuck on the high beams whenever I see those stupid waste of time drls in the city or suburbs

X2

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Nikked

This is the stupidest thing I have read about this topic.

Actually...



X2

And why is that ? IMHO , people should be road tested every 5 years. Sticking DRL's on your car does not miraculously make the situation safer if you don't turn your friggin head around , concentrate and react accordingly.
Being on the road in charge of a car requires concentration and absolute respect for the task at hand. Respect for your own safety and that of others. Driving a car should be a privilege and not a right. Too many distractions and too much bad attitude are fast making our roads a war zone. People are becoming less attentive and are expecting others to make up for their incompetence. If that makes my comment stupid , I'll live with that. Happily.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

I just chuck on the high beams whenever I see those stupid waste of time drls in the city or suburbs

Your high beam switch must be pretty worn out by now, as just about every 2nd car on the road now has DRL's.

They are ON whenever the engine is running and headlights are off, so these drivers have no choice when driving in the suburbs.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

And why is that ? IMHO , people should be road tested every 5 years. Sticking DRL's on your car does not miraculously make the situation safer if you don't turn your friggin head around , concentrate and react accordingly.
Being on the road in charge of a car requires concentration and absolute respect for the task at hand. Respect for your own safety and that of others. Driving a car should be a privilege and not a right. Too many distractions and too much bad attitude are fast making our roads a war zone. People are becoming less attentive and are expecting others to make up for their incompetence. If that makes my comment stupid , I'll live with that. Happily.

Nothing to do with being distracted or respecting other drivers.

Its all about being more visible especially on country secondary roads when in bright or not so bright sunlight. Trees cast shade across the road, making cars passing through these shaded stretches much less visible and very easy to miss, when oncoming drivers are looking at overtaking. If you cannot understand this, obviously you don't do much country driving.

DRLs' are a safety feature.

I have had ADR approved DRL's on my FG for about 2- 1/2 years. I do quite a bit of driving on secondary country roads, and reactions from other drivers are quite different now that they can better see me coming along. For the better.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

Nothing to do with being distracted or respecting other drivers.

.

And that kind of comment is the biggest issue....by far.
Modern day cars are full of added safety features . Traction control , blind spot monitoring , ABS , stability control. They are no substitute for a lack of concentration or lack of respect.

When I'm driving on country roads or long open highways - I will turn my headlights on if I feel the conditions warrant them. Simple.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

I just chuck on the high beams whenever I see those stupid waste of time drls in the city or suburbs

I think we have the leading contender for the COTY award right here.

[BHDOGS]

loves it

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Bluey-GT

When I'm driving on country roads or long open highways - I will turn my headlights on if I feel the conditions warrant them. Simple.

Really no different having DRL's fitted or having headlights on during the day, with DRL's they are on permanently until switched off or dim down when other lights are switched on.

[ebxr8240]

A little peer pressure from the WRX / Skyline P platter from years past where these cars had fog lights fitted as std.. Which created some resentment . In people saying they do it for look at me syndrome!
Better get over it as most new cars coming out now have drl's fitted .. If I remember correctly the motorbike association want lights on for bikes..

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

I just chuck on the high beams whenever I see those stupid waste of time drls in the city or suburbs

Idiot...

It's been proven that countries that make DRLs mandatory have less fatalities on the road.

If ADR's follow Europe they will soon be manditory here. Even current TOyota Hiaces come standard with them now.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

. If I remember correctly the motorbike association want lights on for bikes..

My bikes headlight is already hard wired on, I think most new bikes these days are the same.

[CoupeKing]

Went to the states in 2000 for a Holiday. For the most part I used Greyhound to travel. They stop on a semi-regular basis. Speaking to a driver I asked him why they drove with their lights/parkers on. He told me that since it was introduced the companies accident rate dropped by 20%. Then again, Greyhound`s paint scheme had a dull silver colour.

[Nova 8]

DRLs are great, in my old VE you could notice a distinct difference between the number of people pulling out without enough distance when you had your lows off compared to on. People pull out in front of dark cars all the time. I can't really comment on how much the DRLs help in the VF as its bright orange so it kinda stands out.

Either way, if you find DRLs distracting maybe you should hand in your license, how you drive at night is beyound me. Driving us not hard, those who believe it is must be media brainwashed. Same goes for fog lights, never have I been driving down a road (esp at night) and thought "damn, those dimmer and lower lights are far more 'dazzling' than the lowbeams"

[Professor Farnsworth]

Our bright white Rio has DRLs, very bright. Still. Get the same amount of idiots pulling stupid moves in front of that compared with my other two cars.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

DRLs are great, in my old VE you could notice a distinct difference between the number of people pulling out without enough distance when you had your lows off compared to on. People pull out in front of dark cars all the time. I can't really comment on how much the DRLs help in the VF as its bright orange so it kinda stands out.

Either way, if you find DRLs distracting maybe you should hand in your license, how you drive at night is beyound me. Driving us not hard, those who believe it is must be media brainwashed. Same goes for fog lights, never have I been driving down a road (esp at night) and thought "damn, those dimmer and lower lights are far more 'dazzling' than the lowbeams"

I think you will find misaligned lights will dazzle, I know a lot of truckies & their big gripes are the commodores with the fog lights.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by trublu

I know a lot of truckies & their big gripes are the commodores with the fog lights.

And the Territory's and Falcons

[Nova 8]

I see a lot of ford rangers with theirs on, but yes only light from commodores can dazzle cause ford installs dazzleless fog lights.