Headlights on??

[dreadnought110]

Did you hear they are on about making it compulsory to drive with headlights on all day by 2011??? What do you think.. :shock: :shock:

[Tommo]

WHAAAT!!! and they rant on about cars needing to be super environmentally friendly.

I suspect its just sidelights though like in america.

[V8MoneyPit]

I was under the impression that it was all new cars had to be built to run with lights on all the time, like Volvos are already. But Tommo's comment still applies.... any electrical item left on will consume more fuel.

[Bob696]

stupid idea for this time of year with a low sun. Best form of camoflage to make you even more difficult to see with the sun behind you is to have your lights on :roll:

[muddyjames]

It is the law in Denmark and Sweden to have your headlights on all the time and has been for many years now. Why do you think Volvo's have the headlights built into the cars ignition to come on automaticaly  ;)

[dreadnought110]

I actually use 4 led lights that are wired to be on while the vehicle is running which i think helps during the day?? not sure if they might be on about using day running lights if so leds is the way forward did anyone hear the full programme on Jeremy Vine on Radio 2?? :-.

[Disco Matt]

I do think there is a need for people to use lights more than they do. On overcast days particularly as dark cars tend to blend into the road surface without them. Mind you, I regularly see people driving in torrential rain without lights - they evidently think that as lights don't help them to see then they don't need them, regardless of the rest of us not being able to see them!

[V8MoneyPit]

It is only new cars built after 2011. You will not need to drive your current car with lights on during daylight hours.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/10/nlights110.xml

[muddyjames]

I think windscreen wipers should be linked up to the headlights though.

[Thrasher]

James ... they are on mine. The auto wipers will turn on the auto lights if they are on for a set period of time.

[skip]

Yeah what really good idea that is :roll:  It's going to make bikers virtually invisible. The reason cars from denmark and sweden have lights on all the time is because it is foggy/misty alot more than it is over here.

Lights are mainly to be used during poor visibility not when it's slightly dreary outside the window, consideration has got to be given to the prevailing conditions in this country not the rest of europe.

[tazbabe]

and it uses 5% more fuel. very environmentally friendly!  :?

[auf_wiedersehen_pet]

Why do you think Volvo's have the headlights built into the cars ignition to come on automaticaly  ;)

That's selectable - a bit like a motorbike. Put the lights on and they will then go on/off with the ignition.

and it uses 5% more fuel. very environmentally friendly!  :?

Total waste of fuel.

It is only new cars built after 2011. You will not need to drive your current car with lights on during daylight hours.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/10/nlights110.xml

Good. It's down to not retro fitting cars with safety devices. My old Series 1 has no seat belts as the law came out many years after, etc, etc, etc.

[barnhill4x4]

As said above, LED's are the way to go. Very little consumption so wont affect emmisions anyway near as much as normal bulbs. I hear you on the Bikes though. Maybe just sidelights on cars and headlights on bikes?

[Evilgoat]

YES!

Drive with sidelights oin most of the time, fed up of people saying they didnt see me and driving into me. Never had this problem with the Volvo or Audi 100 which have the hard wired sidelights.

5% more fuel for full beam yes, not for sidelights, especially LED ones. Its done in the states with Indicators on the front and I had seriously debated doing the conversion to mine.

[Thrasher]

Doesn't the TD5 Disco have the "orange" running lights?  :-.

[muddy4x4]

I gotta say I have a 125cc bike and I ride it with the side lights on all the time.  So many people don`t see me

[Evilgoat]

I gotta say I have a 125cc bike and I ride it with the side lights on all the time.  So many people don`t see me

I still ended up sat on the front of a Renault Megane wondering at which point my bike turned into a car. Bikes are something else, I dont think a neon sign would help with some people :(

[eugene]

i think it a good idea as some people on the roads dont use there common sense at all when it poor weaqther and lighting up times i do about 85000 mile a year and  there are some stupid driver out their more so in the early mornings so maybe it could be a good thing

[SteveGoodz]

Yeah what really good idea that is :roll:  It's going to make bikers virtually invisible.

No it won't. It'll make bikes another lamp in a stream of lamps ~ their visibility will be exactly the same as it is now.

[skip]

No it won't. It'll make bikes another lamp in a stream of lamps ~ their visibility will be exactly the same as it is now. 

Do you ride?

[SteveGoodz]

No it won't. It'll make bikes another lamp in a stream of lamps ~ their visibility will be exactly the same as it is now. 

Do you ride?

Yes .. for the past 38 years .. but whether I ride (or not) is irrelevant to my comment above  :)

[Boddle]

WHAAAT!!! and they rant on about cars needing to be super environmentally friendly.

I suspect its just sidelights though like in america.

As far as I'm aware it is Illegal to drive with side only in the UK they are for parking purposes only.

[Thrasher]

Not sure about that, but I guess it might make some sense, as autolights will not put on sides - they turn on dipped beam...(or main if you forgot to pull the switch back ....  )

[V8MoneyPit]

Doesn't the TD5 Disco have the "orange" running lights?  :-.

Yes.

[Sider]

WHAAAT!!! and they rant on about cars needing to be super environmentally friendly.

I suspect its just sidelights though like in america.

As far as I'm aware it is Illegal to drive with side only in the UK they are for parking purposes only.

As far as I know, it is legal as long as it is daylight or you are in an urban area, with regular street illumination and a 30 or lower speed limit.

[Bob696]

I gotta say I have a 125cc bike and I ride it with the side lights on all the time.  So many people don`t see me

My 90 is bright yellow and 7 ft tall(ish) and still people dont see me!!!!  I dread to think how many people dont see me on a bike. I have an american spec ZL600 and it used to have orange running lights (low watt bulb in the indicators that never flashed). It worked a treat and you could tell people had seen you. I was made to disconect them for an MOT and a PC threatened me with prosecution if he saw them on again. :doh:

[skip]

No it won't. It'll make bikes another lamp in a stream of lamps ~ their visibility will be exactly the same as it is now. 

Do you ride?

Yes .. for the past 38 years .. but whether I ride (or not) is irrelevant to my comment above  :)

It is relevant as I could understand your comment as a non rider, but as you are a rider i'm simply bemused.

A motorcycle with it's lights on during the daytime when cars DO NOT have their lights on is visible for more than a  mile away (road conditions permitting) but at least a good deal more than if all vehicles had lights on. If all vehicles had their lights on a motorcycle will be harder to see as it is a smaller object, the light will really make it blend in.

If they do bring in this lights on thing. I will be riding my bike with it turned off, at least that way I will be different to everything else around me and should be more likley to attract attention of other motorists

[hobbit]

Unless the law in Germany since the 80's, in bad weather dipped headlights are mandatory, not just fog, this includes dusk and dawn, rain, sleet, snow, fog, mist, any weather where the conditions mean the visilbility is reduced

Even now if its bad I'll put dipped headlights on, having lights on all day does have a mixed response from people, but how many folks have claimed that they did not see the other vehicle coming

A law for inclement weather compulsary dipped headlights should be brought in, how often have you driven up the motorway, bad spray in daylight form rain, and someone has sidelights on behind you and you cant see them, against a headlighted vehicle

[SteveGoodz]

It is relevant as I could understand your comment as a non rider, but as you are a rider i'm simply bemused.

A motorcycle with it's lights on during the daytime when cars DO NOT have their lights on is visible for more than a  mile away (road conditions permitting) but at least a good deal more than if all vehicles had lights on. If all vehicles had their lights on a motorcycle will be harder to see as it is a smaller object, the light will really make it blend in.

Sorry to disagree, Skip, but your motorcycle headlight does not become suddenly dimmer just because all the other traffic around it has theirs on. At the moment you're expecting the car driver to notice a single headlamp during the second (or two) that he looks in your direction. He might see you .. but there again he might not - SMIDSY. If all the cars (or more of them anyway) also have their lights on same car driver is more likely to see that something is coming and give a second look before deciding to pull out. It could make life safer for bikers.