Daylight Running Lights (DRL's)

[downwind]

I'm sure the majority of drivers in this group are aware that when DRL's are installed on vehicles, the only lights that come on, are the front (usually LED) lights.
I've been riding my bike in some pretty thick fog over the last few days. It's amazing how many drivers don't realise that they have no rear lights showing when driving in poor visibility conditions.
My wife is aware, fortunately, and always drives with manually selected lights (she hates the auto lights fitted to our car).
It may be worth a reminder to wives/partners/other drivers--it may just save an unfortunate rear-end shunt with the excuse that the vehicle in front had no lights on!

 

[User00056]

Good call. I leave my Volvo lights set to 'auto', regardless of conditions.

 

[WW.]

Slight digression but I really dislike my DRLs... I've a CR-V and the options are DRL (automatically turns on with engine), sidelights, headlights or auto. There's no option to sit in a field with the engine on and no lights. Also means drive in cinemas are a no-go. Wish I knew how to install an off button.

 

[sauer]

Daily occupancy here fu*kwits driv9ng with DRL on at night, in bad weather low viz conditions etc but because the dash boards lit up they think lights are on ...
How many crashes been caused because of them ?
Cars should have auto functioned removed

Paul

 

[Donkey Basher]

Good call. I leave my Volvo lights set to 'auto', regardless of conditions.

I’m lead to believe that when set on ‘auto’ the sensors get confused by reflected light in the water droplets in fog & hence why the drls stay on instead of the dipped beam & tail lights coming on.

 

[WalkedUp]

The worst for automation are full bean headlights! Idiotic to use them. Blind pedestrians. Come on whilst on motorways etc. There are very few times a year you will need full beams if your eyes are sharp and you are driving at an appropriate speed for the road.

Cars should have auto functioned removed

I was in my friend’s new L200 on the way to a shoot, car coming the opposite way flashed him. “I wonder what that’s about”… “probably the fact that your dipped beams are clearly miscalibrated and the wash is above horizontal, do you not have people flash you” … “oh yes, lots of people have flashed. I wondered why.” 90 seconds later he had fixed it.

 

[User00056]

I’m lead to believe that when set on ‘auto’ the sensors get confused by reflected light in the water droplets in fog & hence why the drls stay on instead of the dipped beam & tail lights coming on.

Not had any bother whatsoever with mine.

 

[finnbear270]

Black cars / vans, Grey / Silver ones also, No lights thick Fog, Brain Dead drivers.

 

[GWP]

The drl on my car come on front and back but later models are front only makes no sense even Volvo only come on at the front now and they invented the concept they should be front and back or not turn on the dash lights

 

[Hunter 6.5]

Auto is a brilliant function,one should learn how to use it. If you can't be bothered to override it when you don't trust it then more likely you won't turn lights on regardless if there is auto function or not

 

[wytonpjs]

Slight digression but I really dislike my DRLs... I've a CR-V and the options are DRL (automatically turns on with engine), sidelights, headlights or auto. There's no option to sit in a field with the engine on and no lights. Also means drive in cinemas are a no-go. Wish I knew how to install an off button.

Thread 'LR Discovery Sport “Stalking” Mods'

Jul 16, 2024

As some maybe aware from other posts up to Christmas last I was a fervent Freelander 2 abuser taking my trusty stead off-road weekly stalking. Sadly, I passed her on at Christmas after an unfounded engine scare to a fellow stalker and ended up with a dS. I have finally got around to putting the same “stalking” mods onto the dS - not an easy job due to the very modern electronics and differences in build. Next weekend I have a cunning plan to fit a winch to the dS - not as capable as the one in my old FL2 but hopefully adequate enough to get me out of some mishaps.

Installed mods are...

• wytonpjs

• 

 

[Cyres]

M4 5pm last night west bound darkband fog a car in lane 1 no rear lights. Suicidal.
D

 

[bluesako]

like the biker who rear ended my mates car yesterday in bad misty conditions, my mate had his lights on waiting at t/ lights, biker went straight in the back of him, it was nothing to do with lights, it might have been because the idiot biker, who by the way didnt have any lights on his bike, was texting on his phone, and then tried to blame my mate, but the best is 2 yards left was a bike lne biker p**S me off bs

 

[Hunter300]

I too ride a bike but would rather not call my self a biker as the name “biker” carries as “bad stigma” with most people. I have been in 2 accidents in 20 years and fortunately none serious and I’ll put my hand up 1 of the 2 was my fault. I have seen MANY motorcycle accidents actually happen and unfortunately I must admit 90% of them were the rider’s fault rather than the driver’s.
Having said that I avoided quite a few accidents after attending a “advanced riding course” and even on the course the thing we were told to look out the most times for was this very DRL issue…

 

[Hunter300]

Auto is a brilliant function,one should learn how to use it. If you can't be bothered to override it when you don't trust it then more likely you won't turn lights on regardless if there is auto function or not

I agree, just put it on auto and you never have to do anything. Having said that I remember as a kid in SA there was one school a request by the traffic police for everyone to drive with their dipped beams on at ALL times. And it reduced accidents so significantly that it became the norm. And I still do that today

 

[ndt man]

Early this year I followed a lady driving on day running lights obviously bright enough for her to see the road (maybe ) ? This was on a main rural road so sat behind her flashing my headlights to no avail eventually got in front of said driver at a junction and she drove round me. and down onto the A34 north bound at night . whoooooo f***

 

[Tom270]

I use my auto setting most of the time, but do use the manual setting in poor visibility. Twice when the car has been in for service I later drove out of the station wondering what was wrong in the dark very soon to realise they had reset it to manual and I had no lights on.
In the old days the dash board only lit up when lights were on which was a good indication you are not lit up.
Strangely there is no dipped beam indicator on the dash just high beam which seems odd.

Just an aside but true, one night the traffic police were in the ambulance station having a brew when there was a call over their radio to another car to respond to a car travelling south on the M1 north bound, the responding car asked for a description of the vehicle, the police officer with us said ,well you will see two big white lights coming towards you.

 

[Namman]

Daily occupancy here fu*kwits driv9ng with DRL on at night, in bad weather low viz conditions etc but because the dash boards lit up they think lights are on ...
How many crashes been caused because of them ?
Cars should have auto functioned removed

Paul

Totally agree.
A friend of mine driving through a dark underpass hit a parked car , he thought his lights were on! It took a split second after entering the unlit underpass to collide.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I use my auto setting most of the time, but do use the manual setting in poor visibility. Twice when the car has been in for service I later drove out of the station wondering what was wrong in the dark very soon to realise they had reset it to manual and I had no lights on.
In the old days the dash board only lit up when lights were on which was a good indication you are not lit up.
Strangely there is no dipped beam indicator on the dash just high beam which seems odd.

Just an aside but true, one night the traffic police were in the ambulance station having a brew when there was a call over their radio to another car to respond to a car travelling south on the M1 north bound, the responding car asked for a description of the vehicle, the police officer with us said ,well you will see two big white lights coming towards you.

We get almost every day on German radio an announcement ref "geister fahrer" on the main roads or autobahns meaning travelling the wrong way then is announced again when the danger has passed ie left the road in question. I never have heard this on UK or US radio stations. I think it means it is too easy to be a knob when joining a German autobahn due to their ineffective road layouts.

 

[long_range_rob]

Most suto lights don’t recognise fog as it is light and the optosensor only recognises low light level. Lights are used in fog so others can see you and not do you can see.