Daytime Running Lights?

[Stoney1873]

Just noticed that the wife's brand new Punto Easy had this DRL function switched on, ie the two front side lights on all the time

Took me a wee while to get into the menu to find out how to disable them.

Is this the case in all new Fiats?

 

[hayfieldhat]

I think so, I think it's a safety feature for all 2013 reg cars. My dad recently bought a 13 Retford fiesta with daytime running and lights, the new KA's have them as well. I think they're standard now.

 

[CJXY]

Yeah, it is pretty well hidden in the menu... however, I believe the option to switch them off is only there in case you go to a country where they aren't required/allowed.

IIRC, they are now mandatory (for all cars manufactured after 2011), and I don't think you're supposed to have them turned off altogether.

Personally, I don't like them either... but I don't fancy testing as to whether it's another excuse for the cops to give people tickets !

 

[T14086]

No law in the UK says you have to have them on or fitted, other countries they are mandatory or must be used during winter.

 

[CJXY]

Wasn't the RVLR amended afterthe new EC directive was brought in ?

My take on it was that if your car has them fitted, you had to use them - but that there is no requirement for older vehicles to have them retro-fitted ?

No ?

 

[T14086]

Mandatory to be fitted but not to be turned on in UK...yet? Why have the option to turn them off if mandatory?

......think a google search is in order here......

 

[CJXY]

Page 149, point 24 "They must be operational", of VOSAs latest MOT guidelines, and see Note 6 on previous page, suggests an MOT fail if they dont come on with the ignition...

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/IVA N1 Inspection Manual.pdf

 

[CJXY]

Sorry, that was the MOT manual for Light Goods vans, but here's the manual for cars: http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/M1 IVA Inspection Manual.pdf

Page 187, the same note is on 186.

 

[T14086]

lol this is getting confusing....must be operational means not to be used also they can be fitted low down so for those that use front fogs during day can say to the police they are DRL's?

 

[CJXY]

Note 6: Daytime running lamps.

The lamps must be connected so that they switch off automatically when the headlamps are on. (Except for when the headlamps are flashed)

Suggesting they must be 'On' when the headlamps aren't.

RE: The active-cornering foglights, or whatever the hell they are called... If they are combined with the ACTUAL foglights, I believe the cornering ones will operate at a reduced intensity... the same as DRLS do if sidelights are on.

But yes, confusing, and BOTH sets of these new lights are a pain in the arse IMO !

 

[T14086]

Even the police don't know

http://www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?/topic/128916-daytime-running-lightsat-night/

(p.s. love the cycling down motorway comment,lol)

If it is law in UK why are not the police cracking down on all cars less than 2 years old without DRL's on.....infact why aren't they cracking down on drivers using mobile phones

 

[CJXY]

LOL, yeah I read that before too. I doubt they do know, though I did read a comment somewhere else that a lot of cops are turning theirs off because they don't support the whole idea of them. I might just ask the next traffic cop i see !

I found the amendment to the RVLR, it's covered under regulation 18, Schedule 3.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/3/made

 

[Andy Monty]

lol this is getting confusing....must be operational means not to be used also they can be fitted low down so for those that use front fogs during day can say to the police they are DRL's?

fog lights cant be called DRL's They are too higher wattage and do not give the same beam pattern out as DRL's


Only way a copper can verify if they are DRL is to look at the lense for the (e) mark and code


Living in a rural area i leave mine on all the time and you still get dopey :tosser:'s pulling out on you!

 

[dave]

if that audi only had drl on then his back lights wouldnt be on would they?

edit it says that further down

 

[T14086]

fog lights cant be called DRL's They are too higher wattage and do not give the same beam pattern out as DRL's

Yes but it gives the boy racers an excuse to leave front fogs on and look cool but play dumb when stopped by police....'thought they were DRL's officer'

 

[Andy Monty]

Yes but it gives the boy racers an excuse to leave front fogs on and look cool but play dumb when stopped by police....'thought they were DRL's officer'

wonder what excuse they give for the blue washer jets :devil:


Or they mound their "styling lights" outside the bounds of the RVLR or fit about 6 of the LED strips in strange places to look cool :worship:

 

[Red Van Man]

Yes but it gives the boy racers an excuse to leave front fogs on and look cool .....

Look stupid more like

Whatever is the point of enabling 'foglights' to come on with sidelights?

In fog (or snow/hail/plague of locusts) you should have your dipped beam on as a minimum (not referring to any laws here, just plain ol' common sense..) but in Blighty you can turn on just sidelights alone and the muppetry of the world must have some retained thought that if they switch the dips on, it costs more as they're using more electricity.
I'm not sure of the switching mentality in the rest of Europe - I mean, if sidelights alone are even an option - it maybe just dip beam or nothing.

I've never seen the point of the current trend for so-called foglights as all they do is illuminate the pavement, or the road 3ft in front of the car which is negated by the bonnet (unless you drive a Smart). They never do anything for my forward visibility. The red rear one is a goody and again much misused by the forgetful and the plain ignorant.. ("Ooh look, another pretty light on the dashboard!")

R-V-M

 

[sludgeguts]

As far as I can tell, so-called foglights on modern cars are about as much use as a fart in a spacesuit.
During the odd bit of fog I have noticed that, when lit, all the 'fogs' seem to do is light up a lump of fog immediately in front of the car.
Watching cars driving towards me, they looked like they were pushing a small, white, fluffy cloud along.
When I switched my own on, all they seemed to do for me was to illuminate, at best, 1 metre of fog in front & 30cm above my bonnet.
Looked familiar - so I turned them off & went to main beam - more or less the same effect.

Back in the day when most fogs were retro fit, you were given fitting instructions which involved min & max height off the road. They also had to be angled so as to project their beam along the surface of the road & they had to be switched with a yellow illuminated switch.
Modern fogs seem to be nothing more than glorified floodlights.

DRLs, on the other hand, are useful. You'd be amazed at just how many people drive in dull, overcast, drizzly conditions without any lights showing "I can see perfectly, I don't need lights".
What they forget is that other drivers need to see them.
Also, aren't motorbikes supposed to have a light on all the time as an aid to other drivers noticing them?

 

[Andy Monty]

Look stupid more like

Whatever is the point of enabling 'foglights' to come on with sidelights?

In fog (or snow/hail/plague of locusts) you should have your dipped beam on as a minimum (not referring to any laws here, just plain ol' common sense..) but in Blighty you can turn on just sidelights alone and the muppetry of the world must have some retained thought that if they switch the dips on, it costs more as they're using more electricity.
I'm not sure of the switching mentality in the rest of Europe - I mean, if sidelights alone are even an option - it maybe just dip beam or nothing.

I've never seen the point of the current trend for so-called foglights as all they do is illuminate the pavement, or the road 3ft in front of the car which is negated by the bonnet (unless you drive a Smart). They never do anything for my forward visibility. The red rear one is a goody and again much misused by the forgetful and the plain ignorant.. ("Ooh look, another pretty light on the dashboard!")

R-V-M

I find they work well in Thick fog at night or falling snow at night again... next to useless in daylight or at dawn...

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I think so, I think it's a safety feature for all 2013 reg cars.

Nope, all New models (IE newly type approved) from 2011 (Feb iirc).

Just noticed that the wife's brand new Punto Easy had this DRL function switched on, ie the two front side lights on all the time

They're not side lights, and turning them off is a bit silly really.

]Note 6: Daytime running lamps.The lamps must be connected so that they switch off automatically when the headlamps are on. (Except for when the headlamps are flashed)

Suggesting they must be 'On' when the headlamps aren't.

No, that suggests they must be off.

RE: The active-cornering foglights, or whatever the hell they are called... If they are combined with the ACTUAL foglights, I believe the cornering ones will operate at a reduced intensity...

They are the same intensity on nearly ever car I've seen with them, including my Bravo.