Put Your flippin' Lights On! Is it time daytime running lights are introduced in UK?

[Renegade_8]

if everyone has lights on all the time bikes dont stand out so much.

Not just my opinion, TRRL research proved it. You have to have been on a bike when a big fat Merc driven by a woman with blue hair and thick glasses has come lurching out of a golf club car park in front of you to really understand this. Re LED DLRs, yes of course they are low energy, but only a few cars in te UK fleet have them and what do you think the effect on the environment would be of making shipping and fitting replacments for the other 99% and then sending the old ones to landfill, yes a lot of CO2 emissions and pollution. Choosing a visible colour car makes more sense(my excuse for Black Silk is I got it up the auctions)

 

[sludgeguts]

Not just my opinion, TRRL research proved it. You have to have been on a bike when a big fat Merc driven by a woman with blue hair and thick glasses has come lurching out of a golf club car park in front of you to really understand this. Re LED DLRs, yes of course they are low energy, but only a few cars in te UK fleet have them and what do you think the effect on the environment would be of making shipping and fitting replacments for the other 99% and then sending the old ones to landfill, yes a lot of CO2 emissions and pollution. Choosing a visible colour car makes more sense(my excuse for Black Silk is I got it up the auctions)

You can retro fit LEDs to come on with the ignition & not sidelights so no need to send anything to landfill. As for competing with motorbikes, the pinpoint of an LED will be visible for a long distance but is no competition against the headlight of a bike.
Even the LED screenwash jets will make a difference.
And if DRLs were a detriment to motorbikes, I'm sure the Swedes would have changed their ways years ago - they are quite hot on health & safety issues.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

:yeahthat: Think LED's are the way forward!

 

[lpite]

I think 0.5MPG is a better bet for head lights, if that. As I said there is no noticeible difference, as I'm one of these sad acts that work out my MPG everytime I fill up using an Excel spreadsheet.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I think 0.5MPG is a better bet for head lights, if that. As I said there is no noticeible difference, as I'm one of these sad acts that work out my MPG everytime I fill up using an Excel spreadsheet.

Ditto. I've never noticed a difference with my headlights on. My 1993 Panda will still return upto 57MPG along the dual carrageway!

 

[Renegade_8]

And if DRLs were a detriment to motorbikes, I'm sure the Swedes would have changed their ways years ago - they are quite hot on health & safety issues.

I know Scandinavia pretty well, and I like and admire the people. You have to understand that measures that are justifiable in a country a long way North of most the UK with what that means for the angle of the sun in the sky don't stack up here. I don't think that running headlights on in Denmark makes sense for that reason, and when we have been there with the MGB the exception for dynamo equipped cars meant I could decline. I would not do this up in somewhere like Trondheim.

 

[The Beard]

I'm beginning to think LEDs have a place in this debate. However, I'm still against things being done automatically because I think it is the thin end of the wedge. The more tasks that are taken out of the hands of the driver, the more that will continue to be. Automatic lights? Why not automatic wipers? Good idea? Then what about automatic brakes? We already have the technology to detect a vehicle in front and cut the speed through engine braking, can't be long before the brakes are applied automatically. And then, an old favourite of mine, using GPS to reduce a vehicle's speed as it comes into a new speed limit.

Once again, there have been proposals made to reduce the National Speed Limit on single carriageway roads to 50.

Personally I'm not that worried, I'll be in a home before I've got to buy something with GPS brakes. What do you mean I'm already in a home?

 

[sludgeguts]

Something I have noticed these past few mornings, when driving towards the sun, although the sun is shielde from my eyes, I'm still suffering from the glare off the wet roads - and yet cars with their lights on do stand out.

 

[Focus Owner]

i hate wet roads with sun

 

[sludgeguts]

I'm beginning to think LEDs have a place in this debate. However, I'm still against things being done automatically because I think it is the thin end of the wedge. The more tasks that are taken out of the hands of the driver, the more that will continue to be. Automatic lights? Why not automatic wipers? Good idea? Then what about automatic brakes? We already have the technology to detect a vehicle in front and cut the speed through engine braking, can't be long before the brakes are applied automatically. And then, an old favourite of mine, using GPS to reduce a vehicle's speed as it comes into a new speed limit.

Once again, there have been proposals made to reduce the National Speed Limit on single carriageway roads to 50.

Personally I'm not that worried, I'll be in a home before I've got to buy something with GPS brakes. What do you mean I'm already in a home?

I agree that automating car systems puts us on a road to Big Brother controlling us, however (and I have said this somewhere before) everyone wants the freedom to control their own lives/destiny. With freedom comes responsibility and sad to say there are a lot of drivers out there who do not take their driving responsibly. Drive along the motorway & note how many people are tailgating at 70+, how many treat the 3 lanes as a slalom & how many simply stick to one lane, heck, we've even had people on here talk of smoking weed before/during driving as well as threads where posters are whining about being caught speeding.
Despite the heavy penalties associated with talking on mobiles whilst driving, I still see many drivers every day chatting away - and they tend to be going faster than the posted limits.

I don't advocate handing our lives over to the Government but sadly, the more people dodge their responsibilities & flount the law, the easier it will be for the Government to take control.

We've been talking aboiut this at work & we all agree that the local roads are going to hell in a handcart. Loads of people driving how the heck they like. We've also noticed how few police there seems to be out and about.
Is this a prelude to automation? By giving people enough rope, they'll eventually hang themselves

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Something I have noticed these past few mornings, when driving towards the sun, although the sun is shielde from my eyes, I'm still suffering from the glare off the wet roads - and yet cars with their lights on do stand out.

A reason why DRL should be introduced. Same happens when the sun is really low.

I agree that automating car systems puts us on a road to Big Brother controlling us, however (and I have said this somewhere before) everyone wants the freedom to control their own lives/destiny. With freedom comes responsibility and sad to say there are a lot of drivers out there who do not take their driving responsibly.

:yeahthat: and tbh other peoples liberty to live comes before the liberty of someone to be able to operate their lights than the car to do it for them, and not operating them, causing them to cause a fatal accident