Keep your headlights on during the Bank Holiday

Berty

Hello All,

I read this and heard it also on the lunchtime news

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1024/1224715115555.html

You are being asked to keep your headlights on over the weekend on account of the limited daylight hours in the afternoon.

There is talk then of the government moving to bring in a law to make us keep our headlights on all day.

Of course the scandanavian countries are now doing this and their accident rates are down 10%.

The Gardai are now doing this however they are doing it the wrong way in so much that they are keeping Halogen bulbs glowing all day and this is having a negative effect on the environment and burn out much quicker than HID bulbs which the scandanavian countries have.

Vehicle manufacturers are making new cars with daytime running lights which are LED's using little to no power.

I would welcome having daylight running lights on permanently but I would not like a rule coming in telling us to keep our headlights on all day because a lot of people do not replace their headlights when they blow and some barely turn on their headlights in the rain or dark early mornings/evenings.

Cookie_Monster

+1 on the above, I've been converted to having at least my side lights on at all time.

quirke_folder wrote: »

Vehicle manufacturers are making new cars with daytime running lights which are LED's using little to no power.

Are there any you can retro-fit to existing cars?

JoeySully

there is a law in New York that if your wipers are on then so should your dipped headlights - this could be easily implemented here yet probably not enforced:rolleyes: as the number of people that drive around with parking lights/front fog lights/ rear fog lights/ or no lights at all at an incorrect time is not enforced at alll

Berty

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

+1 on the above, I've been converted to having at least my side lights on at all time.


Are there any you can retro-fit to existing cars?

Yes if a little tacky

http://cgi.ebay.ie/LED-DAYTIME-FRONT-RUNNING-LIGHTS-AUDI-R8-LOOK-EASY-FIT_W0QQitemZ390002737957QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item390002737957&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

John Mason

I think the problem is silver car drivers.

They appear to like being invisable in bad weather conditions and putting their lights on would mean that other people could actually see them :mad:

Cookie_Monster

quirke_folder wrote: »

Yes if a little tacky

http://cgi.ebay.ie/LED-DAYTIME-FRONT-RUNNING-LIGHTS-AUDI-R8-LOOK-EASY-FIT_W0QQitemZ390002737957QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item390002737957&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Jasus, they're awful looking

pink fluffy bunny wrote: »

I think the problem is silver car drivers.

They appear to like being invisable in bad weather conditions and putting their lights on would mean that other people could actually see them :mad:

It can be quite useful. I often* turn off my lights and stalk other cars. I once actually got inside a lexus before he even noticed i was there:pac:


*not often

caesar

Can I request that this be moved to after hours?

I think most people here are intelligent enough to put there lights on. All you will see here is most people agreeing that we should have DRLs, followed by a discussion on merits of driving with your lights on all the time.

The thread will eventually be locked because of some idiot who comes on and says they swap their bulbs between headlamps to save a few bob and they havent been caught yet.....or something along those lines.

Peasant will get a pic of his lovely camper with its DRLs up before all this locking business happens

Savman

Keep our headlights on entire Bank Hol weekend? Why does it make it easier for the Sniper to zap you with his laser gun?

Sorry but I'm forever cynical about anything this shower come out with.

Honey-ec

quirke_folder wrote: »

a lot of people do not replace their headlights when they blow and some(women) barely turn on their headlights in the rain or dark early mornings/evenings.

Jesus, QF, I think every single one of your posts so far has had some kind of sexist barb in there somewhere. It's getting really, really tired...

BoardsRanger

Think somebody should have told motorists to do this yesterday in torrential rain! it was great fun playing spot me if you can with some idiots!!!
i know that full beams require some power to run but can anyone advise with regards to dipped beams? not that i am condoning not putting your lights on because of cost factors! i think it is a good idea to make it mandatory.

Ice_Box

Savman wrote: »

Keep our headlights on entire Bank Hol weekend? Why does it make it easier for the Sniper to zap you with his laser gun?

Sorry but I'm forever cynical about anything this shower come out with.

you could also try driving within the speed limit.

kikel

BoardsRanger wrote: »

Think somebody should have told motorists to do this yesterday in torrential rain! it was great fun playing spot me if you can with some idiots!!!

The Irish road hauliers were on the radio about this yesterday. The NRA are following their lead. The hauliers point was that they cannot see cars without lights behind them. Because of all the spray a lorry generates.

Zube

quirke_folder wrote: »

some(women) barely turn on their headlights in the rain or dark early mornings/evenings.

This appeal is not aimed at women though, it's aimed at all the jackeens who only venture outside a street-lit area at Halloween and Christmas, who don't realise that driving past Cappataggle in the dusk with the rain blowing sideways and no lights on is a recipe for disaster.

Sure how will the lad driving the unlit tractor up the wrong hard shoulder see you coming?

Berty

caesar wrote: »

Can I request that this be moved to after hours?

It should not be moved because its about "daylight" running lights.

Its a move to make headlights follow the design of lets say Volvo & Saab.

Audi are now heavy into DLR's. The new Sirocco has them but I havent seen a pic with them close up yet. The new A3(Jan) has them but Im unsure about the Golf.

Berty

Another problem will be:

People with misalinged bulbs dazzling people whilst driving.

People with 100W bulbs instead of road legal 55W.

And YES, people with the main beam on all day irregardless of that blue light on the dash which will be harder to see during the daylight.

L1011

Never turn mine off - being a Fiat means that they turn off with the engine and turn on (but cancel full beams and fogs) when you restart. No battery drain possibilities and no forgetting to turn them on!

Berty

As with the Renault Megane, very annoying though because both my parents cannot work them properly and constantly drive around on sidelights + fogs.

BMW have a high beam kill auto function so that if you are on full beam and it detects headlights coming towards you they automatically go to dipped beams and back up after the lights dissipate. This is an extra and not on all cars.

Steve

I agree with this, I normally drive everywhere with dips on.
It should be compulsory in the rain.

It should also be made impossible to just have parking lights on when the engine is running - one switch lights on/lights off - simple. When you start the engine, the dips are used, when you stop it the parking lights are used.

kikel wrote: »

The Irish road hauliers were on the radio about this yesterday. The NRA are following their lead. The hauliers point was that they cannot see cars without lights behind them. Because of all the spray a lorry generates.

In fairness if they told their members to fit proper spray stopping mudflaps like you see on the continent then they wouldn't have this problem.

caesar

quirke_folder wrote: »

It should not be moved because its about "daylight" running lights.

Its a move to make headlights follow the design of lets say Volvo & Saab.

Audi are now heavy into DLR's. The new Sirocco has them but I havent seen a pic with them close up yet. The new A3(Jan) has them but Im unsure about the Golf.

Sorry I quickly looked at the title and read the first few lines. Anway if this thread was soley about telling people to turn on theire lights I would be calling for it to be moved.

Anyway back on topic. I welcome this move

biko

On my last 2 cars SAAB and Volvo the lights come on automatically with the engine. Scandi cars ftw.

It won't be hard to convince male < 25s. They all have fog lights on anyway.

E92

All new cars from 2011 will be required to have DRLs in Europe, thanks to an EU rule even though apparently it increases fuel consumption by 5% to have them on.

I don't see why headlights should be on *all* of the time, don't forget that this is Ireland and our roads, climate etc are very different to what they have up there in Scandinavia, so it doesn't follow that what's good for them is going to be good for us.

I think auto lights should be mandatory though.

Btw, in Portugal it is illegal to have your lights on during the day.

Berty

SteveC wrote: »

In fairness if they told their members to fit proper spray stopping mudflaps like you see on the continent then they wouldn't have this problem.

They have driven with their lights on permanently for quite a while now. Its tipper trucks, concrete trucks, tarmac trucks etc that have mud flaps that can be tied up so stop them getting damaged backing up. They commonly forget to put them back down.

Off Topic: If a company buys a continental trailer and put an Irish number plate on it at least change the mud flaps that tell people to overtake on the left. Some inexperienced driver will see this and pass on the left of the truck then................

If the Government want us to keep our lights on all the time then they can make bulbs free. I drive up to 60 hours a week and if I have my lights on for 60 hours they will blow more frequently.

Savman

Ice_Box wrote: »

you could also try driving within the speed limit.

Wow never thought of that, the Thanks button on here isn't big enough for you :rolleyes:

Steve

E92 wrote: »

Btw, in Portugal it is illegal to have your lights on during the day.

In Poland it's illegal to drive without lights on in winter.

Zube

E92 wrote: »

apparently it increases fuel consumption by 5% to have them on.

LEDs use bugger-all power, a half-assed web search suggests that the Audi A5s LEDs draw 24 watts total.

Steve

quirke_folder wrote: »

If the Government want us to keep our lights on all the time then they can make bulbs free. I drive up to 60 hours a week and if I have my lights on for 60 hours they will blow more frequently.

That makes no sense - you value your own safety less than the cost of a few bulbs????

If bulbs and the environment are an issue then get HID's fitted.

jasonb

I remember a while ago there was a campaign to have dipped lights on in Dublin all the time. It lasted a few weeks / month if I remember correctly?

Anyhow, since then I always have my dipped lights on, it's just habit now. It means I've gone through a lot more bulbs, but it's just what I do.

J.

Vain

I always drive with my lights on 24/7 alot of people never understand why i do it because i can see cars coming alot easyer with lights on. Also with the glare of the winter sun its hard enough to see so having lights on helps you see the car alot sooner

Steve

Zube wrote: »

LEDs use bugger-all power, a half-assed web search suggests that the Audi A5s LEDs draw 24 watts total.

The way the gov't are pushing us in terms of crappy engine power then 24W could well be 5% of the total power in the future..:pac::pac::pac:

Berty

SteveC wrote: »

That makes no sense - you value your own safety less than the cost of a few bulbs????

If bulbs and the environment are an issue then get HID's fitted.

Getting a bit ahead of yourself.

There is a upcoming governent regulation telling us that we must use energy efficient light bulbs in our homes even though if they break the manufacture tells you to "evacuate" the room immediately and do not return to the room for 21minutes because of the Gas Contained within them. So in that case I value both price and safety being that cheaper bulbs cost less and will not damage my health if they break.

The Government is going to subsidise these bulbs because, although the last longer, they cost much more.

back on topic:
Soooo, if I keep my 55w bulbs on for up to 10 hours per day or more then they will burn out faster. The lifespan of an OEM H7 bulb(most common) is 2000hours and this goes up with better quality bulbs(so does price).

I dont feel any less safe by driving without my lights on during the day anyway.
Who is going to pay me for demanding I drive with my lights on all day after they blow 8.6 times faster than before?

Zube

quirke_folder wrote: »

I dont feel any less safe by driving without my lights on during the day anyway.

I smoke 50 a day and drive home after a gallon of Guinness: never killed me yet!