Lights on during the day

[grazza]

I have started this topic to ask people what their reasons for running with headlights on during the day.

It seems more and more cars are doing this, even in brilliant sunshine.

I know that some northern European countries mandate this but they typically have terrible driving conditions in winter.

I have seen an article which says that the increased usage of the alternator to drive the lights can reduce fuel consumption by up to 6%, see
http://mb-soft.com/public/headlite.html
I find this hard to believe since the alternator pulley should not load up when producing more amps.

Personally I find vehicles with their lights on distracting, but I guess that would not be a problem if everyone did it.

A freind of mine rides a motorbike and he claims that it is harder to judge the distance to a vehicle with their lights on?

[Tasrocky]

Normally as a rule I drive with the lights off because it's too easy to leave the lights on and end up with a flat battery.

What gets me though is the number of cars and trucks that drive aroundin the fog and rain without lights on when I can barely see infront of my bonnet.

[blkmav]

I drive a black car and I find people see me better during the day with my headlights on.

I believe in 2007 it will be an ADR in AU to have lights on.

[auto_eng]

I always run my light on on the hwy. The colour of some cars can fade into the back ground. Never know if hte guy comming the other way is tired/drunk/sms ing. Most of my hwy driving is on one lane each way with no separation.

When daytime running lamps, separate to the headlamp, were introduced in the US they had a significant drop in frontal collisions.

Cheap insurance on the hwy.

[-Scott-]

In my last job I did a fair amount of country driving during the day. It didn't take me long to realise that most car colours can disappear into the road under the wrong combination of ambient light (typically overcast) and road colour. White, yellow, red, orange are about the only ones that don't seem to do it. More than a few times I pulled out to overtake on what I thought was a clear road, only to have a car "appear" coming in the other direction. I never had that problem if the oncoming car had lights on.

I had a few Commodores while in the job (VR, VS, VT) and they all would turn the lights off automatically, so I left the switch permanently on.

I've got two cars now (one white, one red ) and neither turn the lights off, so I don't have mine on as often - but generally, the first time I notice a car didn't stand out too well, I turn my headlights on.

And don't drive with parking lights - they're for parking, not driving!

Cheers,

Scott

[grazza]

Will the ADR in 2007 be for headlights or park lights? (Or both?, I have noticed that many cars run headlights, park lights and fog lights)


I imagine if older cars will have to comply then the RAC are going to be busy with all the flat batteries, unless an warning system is fitted.


I am all for it if everyone has to do it.

[-Scott-]

Will the ADR in 2007 be for headlights or park lights? (Or both?, I have noticed that many cars run headlights, park lights and fog lights)


I imagine if older cars will have to comply then the RAC are going to be busy with all the flat batteries, unless an warning system is fitted.


I am all for it if everyone has to do it.

ADRs aren't retrospective - they only apply to new cars. That's why old cars don't need as much emissions stuff, and older ones don't need seat belts.

But it's not too hard to design a circuit to turn your headlights into DRLs - the wiring is more complex than the controller.

Cheers,

Scott

[grazza]

I have always wondered what "parking lights" are for.
I have only used them in poor daylight conditions, like heavy rain (not bad enough for headlights)

In hindsight perhaps they are a waste of time, just have headlights.

[muppet_man67]

I always put my headlights on when following vehicles on dusty roads. It makes a big differance to how soon you see an oncoming car if their headlights are on.

[turps]

Telstra supposedly get all there vehicles from the manufacture setup so that when ever they are running. They turn the headlights on. Its company policy.

[toughnut]

What gets me though is the number of cars and trucks that drive aroundin the fog and rain without lights on when I can barely see infront of my bonnet.

These are usually the guys that have them turned on just so they look cool and all they do is piss everyone else off.

[Macca177]

get this question a few times a week at work...basiclly its so you can be seen and noticed as others have already been said... but yes it can be distracting but this is half the intead purpose. would you of noticed the car as early if it didnt distract you?

parkers are basiclly just there if ur headlioghts fail to at least guide other cars of where u are.

[toughnut]

I was thinking more of the d**kheads that goto supercheap and buy a set of fog lights and don't have them adjusted properly. Parking lights are just that. If you park on the side of the road they are a way of warning others of your presence with minimal drain on your battery. Originally designed for situations such as tempary break downs and changing tyres etc.

[Big Red Toy]

i would also add
"i do if its pissing down rain"

PAD

[RUFF]

Around town i rarely do it but travelling more than an hour down the highway i do. it is just so much more noticable when a car is comming towards you with it lights on. So it has to be more noticable to others if i have my lights on.

[bogged]

I believe in 2007 it will be an ADR in AU to have lights on.

they already tried that on bikes, it didnt work, they changed the rules back...

[Vsicks Pathy]

I love people that drive with their headlights on high beam in daylight. It can be just as blinding as night time. I imagine that it would also be harder for them to see the little blue light that tells them their high beems are on.

[HRZOOK]

I thought diving round with your lights on in the middle of the day was a volvo thing

[holeyhardtop]

i turn mine on when conditions warrant it. as i tell my wife they cost nothing too run and you are more visible to all the other stooges on the road

[scotto]

CONVOY otherwise they're off

[MYTTUF]

Telstra supposedly get all there vehicles from the manufacture setup so that when ever they are running. They turn the headlights on. Its company policy.

So yes I drive with them on during the day.
And yes I have them on, on the 80 when Highway driving or in poor weather conditions as i think it makes me stand out to others, as others with lights on, stand out to me in above mentioned conditions.

[grazza]

Is it not illegal to run with fog lights on when not necessary?
Especially those bright rear red lights that look like they have left their handbrake on.

What is the purpose of the extra driving lights you see on new hig-spec Commodores, Subarus, etc. The ones that sit lower in the bumper. They are not powerful enough to be spotlights and they dont even look like they would make much difference at night. Are these intended to be daytime lights instead of headlights?

[GUJohnno]

I tend to think my car stands out in normal conditions....

But when ever I put my wipers on I all ways turn my head lights on as well. Also a good idea to have them on in convoy on dusty roads.

[Heathx4]

as i tell my wife they cost nothing too run

Well... of course they cost something. You never get energy for free. If you have lights on, you're using more petrol. Whether that amount is neglible or not I'm not sure. It is unlikely to be much more than that that goes into wasted heat charging a full battery anyway.

What is the purpose of the extra driving lights you see on new hig-spec Commodores, Subarus, etc. The ones that sit lower in the bumper.

Ah... they're fog lights. Lower down to try to get below the fog to the road ahead, and not just reflect straight back to the eyes. The bright red (often single) light on the back low down (like on Excels) is also a fog light. The front ones are designed to help the driver see as well as help others see the car, while the rear one is just to make the car more visible.

[Thonger]

I tend to run lights on during day when high way driving. Partly cause I think it makes car more visiable, and partly habit. We always convoy drive with our lights on but makes sense with Cammo vehicles on highway.

[Vsicks Pathy]

Is it not illegal to run with fog lights on when not necessary?
Especially those bright rear red lights that look like they have left their handbrake on.

BMW have the brightest of bright tail lights. You can't tell if they are braking or not.

[-Scott-]

as i tell my wife they cost nothing too run

Well... of course they cost something. You never get energy for free. If you have lights on, you're using more petrol. Whether that amount is neglible or not I'm not sure. It is unlikely to be much more than that that goes into wasted heat charging a full battery anyway.

A couple hundred watts for lights versus kilowatts for moving the car along - yes, you will use extra fuel, but you'd have to check real carefully to measure it.

What is the purpose of the extra driving lights you see on new hig-spec Commodores, Subarus, etc. The ones that sit lower in the bumper.

Ah... they're fog lights. Lower down to try to get below the fog to the road ahead, and not just reflect straight back to the eyes. The bright red (often single) light on the back low down (like on Excels) is also a fog light. The front ones are designed to help the driver see as well as help others see the car, while the rear one is just to make the car more visible.

And it's illegal to drive with them on in conditions other than low visibility - not that you'd ever notice, based on the number of tickets issued.

Getting stuck behind a high-vis taillight is one of my pet hates.

Scott

[MissDrew]

Telstra supposedly get all there vehicles from the manufacture setup so that when ever they are running. They turn the headlights on. Its company policy.

I have an ex telstra van and its lights are on when ever the key is on. I like the setup as when night comes you don`t even have to turn them on to use high beam.

Its easy to dissconnect if I want as its only a black box in the loom, dissconnect the box and lights are back to normal.

[holeyhardtop]

ok i said they cost nothing to run.
maybe they do but the cost of any accident both personally and financially would far outweigh any cost of running them in dodgy conditions.

[-Richo-]

I thought diving round with your lights on in the middle of the day was a volvo thing

It annoys me only when people are running them when its bright and sunny, whats the point? High beams give me the willies too, though a quick flash of the spotties snaps these tools out of it