Ok, so another little niggle -

I've switched the DRL's off as it's one of those little quirks that just doesn't do anything for me :nono:.

Now that they are set to 'off', these 2 lights seem to be rendered useless i.e. I was expecting these lights to act as my sidelights, but when I switch my lights on these don't light up, only the headlights.

The switch on the indicator stalk has 2 settings (off and on) - is there a way of using the DRL's as sidelights without having to switch on my full headlights? :chin:

No. But your main beams are down there too, by the way, so they are not entirely redundant.

There are so many oxymorons in this post I don't know where to start...

Let me get this straight... You dont want drls... but you want sidelights...
Would you be happier if the drls were called sidelights? The two are practically the same, they serve the same purpose to make you more visible on the road.

LittleLuigi said:

The switch on the indicator stalk has 2 settings (off and on) - is there a way of using the DRL's as sidelights without having to switch on my full headlights? :chin:

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YES! Dont switch the drls off!

heaven forbid you should be more visible to other road users!

Prospero said:

Would you be happier if the drls were called sidelights? The two are practically the same, they serve the same purpose to make you more visible on the road.

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You're right in saying they serve much the same purpose.

The key difference is that sidelights can be quickly and easily selected on or off whilst driving, whereas drls can only be selected on or off by stopping the car, switching off & going through a complicated and fiddly menu system.

The OP has a perfectly valid point - not being able to easily switch the conspicuity lighting on & off to suit the conditions whilst driving is an annoying niggle which reduces the functionality of the car for those who choose not to leave the drls permanently on.

jrkitching said:

You're right in saying they serve much the same purpose.

The key difference is that sidelights can be quickly and easily selected on or off whilst driving, whereas drls can only be selected on or off by stopping the car, switching off & going through a complicated and fiddly menu system.

The OP has a perfectly valid point - not being able to easily switch the conspicuity lighting on & off to suit the conditions whilst driving is an annoying niggle which reduces the functionality of the car for those who choose not to leave the drls permanently on.

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Whilst what you say is factually correct, I still don't quite get the issue? Sidelights or parking lights as they're more correctly known are REALLY never meant to be used whilst the car is in motion, they are parking lights that you can leave on when the car is parked somewhere unlit for instance but on a road.

To dust off an old chestnut, if it's dark enough to need to be illuminated then you should be putting your headlights on. DRL's are a good safety feature and really there shouldn't be an option to put them off. There are far too many cars which go around at dusk with either no lights on or pissy little parking lights which do virtually nothing to help you see the other car. DRL's mean that every car with them fitted will at least be more visible at all times of the day, how this is a bad thing I'll never know.

In the summer I'll run around with DRL's on all the time and in the winter I'll have my dipped beams on all the time.

Coming from Australia we don't really have this silly culture of no headlights in the day, parking lights at dusk and headlights only when you need the road ahead to be lit because you're beginning to find it hard to see what you're about to crash into.

Prospero said:

The two are practically the same, they serve the same purpose to make you more visible on the road.

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jrkitching said:

You're right in saying they serve much the same purpose.

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No no NO!

For heavens sake they are nothing a like!

Both serve completly different purposes and operate differently, Maxi has said enough above so I won't go on to much more in this post.

I love Fiat's system of if you turn the car off the lights turn off itself even in the lights on position. You can leave the parking light if you turn the light switch off and on again while the car is off. Consequently, i always drive with my lights on so DRL's are irrelevant to me. From what i see in Greece most people with Fiat 500's have theirs off so no lights whatsoever which i dont think looks cool (maybe that explains why my battery died after less than 2 years, but oh well it was fixed under warranty! either that or it was a cheap chinese one haha. doesnt bosch give a 3 year warranty on their new batteries? maybe i should get one of those if i ever have to pay for one.)

Most Easterly Pandas said:

No no NO!

For heavens sake they are nothing a like!

Both serve completly different purposes and operate differently, Maxi has said enough above so I won't go on to much more in this post.

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How are they different?

On some cars I agree that DRLs are different in that they are much brighter (and of course stupid aggressive shapes on Audis). But on the 500 I really can't see a significant difference bewteen the DRLs and what I would expect sidelights to look like if the car had them.

The 500 does have parking lights. Next time you're behind another vehicle in traffic and can see the reflection of your DRL's or parking lights in the back of the other car then turn your headlights on/off and you'll see the resulting change in the light from the bulbs.

306maxi said:

To dust off an old chestnut, if it's dark enough to need to be illuminated then you should be putting your headlights on. DRL's are a good safety feature and really there shouldn't be an option to put them off. There are far too many cars which go around at dusk with either no lights on or pissy little parking lights which do virtually nothing to help you see the other car. DRL's mean that every car with them fitted will at least be more visible at all times of the day, how this is a bad thing I'll never know.

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It's motorcyclists that need to be more visible, having their headlights on all the time made it better. But now with every car having DRLs they just get lost in a sea of light so we're back to square one again.

Dom

RobinPJ said:

How are they different?

On some cars I agree that DRLs are different in that they are much brighter (and of course stupid aggressive shapes on Audis). But on the 500 I really can't see a significant difference bewteen the DRLs and what I would expect sidelights to look like if the car had them.

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Light output and beam pattern for starters, how they are operated, and what is operated with them.

Due to the light output and beam pattern differences their visibility is completely different in either really bright or rainy conditions to each other. Ie DRLs visible, parking lights often are not.

To many idiots who seems to think that parking lights are adequate when it's chucking it down heavily with rain :bang:

dombooth said:

It's motorcyclists that need to be more visible, having their headlights on all the time made it better. But now with every car having DRLs they just get lost in a sea of light so we're back to square one again.

Dom

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Well not really tbh, if it moves and is lit up then you'll know to avoid it.

It's my personal opinion and we've had this discussion on DRL's before, but ours aint switched on, they aint getting switched on and to be honest, I don't ever have any difficulties seeing other road users. If it gets gloomy, the sidelights go on. When it's no longer gloomy, they go off. Simples!

The problem with new Fiat's is giving people the option to switch them on or off. If ours came with them permanently on, I would just suck back and live with it, but because I absolutely hate DRL's with a passion (sorry all! ) and we have been given the option to switch them off, then they're off.

If one really has difficulties seeing traffic coming towards thee, then one should perhaps visit the optician. I do so every two years without fail. Ensuring one's eyes are in good health is left up to the individual. Let's bring in compulsory eye testing for all motorists at least once every five years. That in itself might actually prevent a few accidents.

There, rant over.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

To many idiots who seems to think that parking lights are adequate when it's chucking it down heavily with rain :bang:

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That's because some folks confuse low visibility with low ambient light levels. For the first, you need headlights (and if the vis is really poor, foglights if you have 'em); for the latter, conspicuity lighting may be more appropriate.

Where fitted, you can legally drive with just conspicuity lighting (side & tail lights for cars) for the half hour periods before & after sunrise when ambient light levels are lower, but should always use headlights when visibility is reduced by fog, rain or falling snow.

As the 500 does not have conspicuity lighting, headlights must be used between sunset & sunrise - the drls are not sufficient because the tail lights will not be lit.

Most times, there'll be enough oncoming traffic displaying (or not) a variety of different lighting options for the thinking person to be able to make a rational choice about what's most appropriate for the conditions.

It'll always be a controversial subject, but provided they keep within the law, I believe everyone is entitled to have their personal choice and opinion respected.

frupi said:

If it gets gloomy, the sidelights go on. When it's no longer gloomy, they go off. Simples!

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So your one of those who come out of the gloomy fog at 50mph with sidelights on meaning I've got to risk being T-boned when crossing the dual carriageway locally because you were not visible, where as those with dipped beam headlights are - thanks

Eyesight has little to do with if DRLs are of benefit or not, driving in an out of dense forestation during a bright sunny, DRLs will make you a lot more visible to those coming into the darker forestation from the open sunshine, fact!

Equally they help people view others easier when they haven't got the sence to use dipped beam headlights. Nanny state, maybe, but why should I be injured in a collission because some idiot wasn't visible due to their inability to operate their headlights

Going back to sidelights and their uses, from memory they can only legally be used in residential areas during periods of darkness should one wish and on motorways it is only dipped beam headlights that can be used, regardless of the conditions.

This type of forum thread discussion is bound to get some people's backs up!

Look, I don't particularly agree with many of the arguments here about DRL's. There appears to be far too much pontification on the subject imo.

Personally, I think DRL's are being been forced upon us all by Eurocrats who honestly believe running (sorry, ruining) our lives, is their full time job.

I'm sorry, but, yes, boring I know, but having now been driving quite happily and successfully for 25 years without notable incident (none of us are perfect though and I admit I've done some silly things!), I'm quite happy that I know when to operate my sidelights, dipped beam, headlights etc. The moment I need some professional advice, I know where to come!

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Going back to sidelights and their uses, from memory they can only legally be used in residential areas during periods of darkness should one wish and on motorways it is only dipped beam headlights that can be used, regardless of the conditions.

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AIUI, sidelights are legally sufficient on any road for the period half an hour before sunrise & half an hour after sunset provided visibility is not seriously reduced. At night (between the above times), sidelights alone can legally be used (though I wouldn't recommend it) only where there is lit street lighting.

If you don't have sidelights, you must use headlights between sunset & sunrise.

Full rules here.

LittleLuigi said:

Now that they are set to 'off', these 2 lights seem to be rendered useless i.e. I was expecting these lights to act as my sidelights, but when I switch my lights on these don't light up, only the headlights.

The switch on the indicator stalk has 2 settings (off and on) - is there a way of using the DRL's as sidelights without having to switch on my full headlights? :chin:

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Blimey, now look what I've started !

My initial thoughts were that if the DRL's are on constantly I may inadvertently drive with them on when it gets dark. BIG MISTAKE - as the rear lights will still be off. By having the option of using them as side lights, when I switch them on, I would expect them to light up as well as the rear lights also coming on.

I think I must be asking too much from DRL's !

LittleLuigi said:

Blimey, now look what I've started !

My initial thoughts were that if the DRL's are on constantly I may inadvertently drive with them on when it gets dark. BIG MISTAKE - as the rear lights will still be off. By having the option of using them as side lights, when I switch them on, I would expect them to light up as well as the rear lights also coming on.

I think I must be asking too much from DRL's !

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Good one. I was driving one day an an audi infront of me had no rear lights at night so i beeped and flashed until he stopped (maybe he thought i was trying to carjack him) so i shouted out LIGHTS and he turned them on. He had the christmas lights on before but no rear ones!

LittleLuigi said:

Blimey, now look what I've started !

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Don't worry, this topic gets regularly bounced around the forum every few months, with largely predictable responses from the regulars .

LittleLuigi said:

My initial thoughts were that if the DRL's are on constantly I may inadvertently drive with them on when it gets dark.

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Whether you choose to turn them off or leave them on, you needn't be concerned about forgetting at night - on the 500, you'll notice the lack of speedo illumination long before you legally need to put the lights on.

When sidelights are fitted, the risk is real, since the dash illuminates whenever the sidelights are on.