EU plans for daytime running lights

[MBManInKen]

As per this link from the telegraph.

Good idea or not? I don't like cars with lights in the daytime, partly because of my OCD tendencies ...

Opinions?

 

[Dieselman]

It's coming in from 2011 for cars and a year later for LCV.

I'm not sure as to the effectiveness.

 

[ukcodger]

No, No, No. Because as a country, during daylight, it will produce extra CO2 equivalent to about one half of a big modern power station (1GW). Based on 10,000,000 cars running at any one time, at 100 watts per car.
The environment will suffer, let alone the extra fuel costs.
It's typical non-engineering air head politicians at it again!!!

 

[MBManInKen]

It's coming in from 2011 for cars and a year later for LCV.

I'll be curious to see if they can actually get it passed Parliament and Council in time. Both the Parliament and the Commission are stepping down early 2009 and these co-decision procedures normally take a long time...

 

[AANDYY]

Why not just prosecute the dorks that don't switch on there headlights in heavy rain!

 

[tmaoahthfte]

Hi, my first post. Can't see the point of this, once we're all driving with headlights on won't we be back to square one? Will be harder to pick out pedestrians, cyclists, bikers etc surely?

 

[Dieselman]

Courtesy SMMT.
Daytime Running Lights
The directive on Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
was adopted this week. The mandatory
introduction of dedicated DRL was discussed in
the Commission's High Level Group CARS 21
(Competitive Automotive Regulatory System for
the 21st Century) with high level executives
from member states, industry and
non-governmental organisations and received
unanimous approval. The Directive foresees that
from 7 February 2011 onwards, all new types of
passenger cars and small delivery vans will have
to be equipped with DRL. Trucks and buses will
follow 18 months later, in August 2012. More
from [email protected]

 

[MBManInKen]

Still needs to pass the vote in the Parliament before it can come into force.

 

[ckember]

Motor cycle groups are already trying to get this stopped as it will make them less obvious, as most bikers use there headlights during the day.

 

[CiaranMcKeown]

Am i missing something really obvious here? How does having your lights on produce more Carbon Dioxide? Having your lights on does not make you use more fuel, surley.

 

[Dieselman]

Am i missing something really obvious here? How does having your lights on produce more Carbon Dioxide? Having your lights on does not make you use more fuel, surley.

Yes it does as the alternator has to generate more electricity.

 

[lynall]

I have always ran with my lights on this is prob a carry on from my motorbike days but have done it ever since.



Lynall

 

[HughJarse]

Am i missing something really obvious here? How does having your lights on produce more Carbon Dioxide? Having your lights on does not make you use more fuel, surley.

If that were the case We could light up the whole world from a car engine... think about it...

 

[Dryce]

Based on 10,000,000 cars running at any one time, at 100 watts per car.

Well on the assumption of 100W per car perhaps an alternative way of looking at it is 28,000,000 cars running on average for 2 hours per day.

That's about 0.25GW average.

I would reckon about 20% of my running would be with lights on anyway. So if that was applied across the board that gives 0.2GW average.

So 1GW may be a bit over the mark.

However mandated running lights might be lower power so that would possibly reduce the figures further.

I would be inclined to tighten up the rules and enforcment as to when lights are to be used rather than mandate them as being on all the time.

 

[Marque]

This idea originally came from Sweden, where it is compulsory. Many years ago, the entire country changed from driving on the left to driving on the right. In order to remind everyone that this had happened, the authorities ordered all drivers to drive with their lights on from the date of the change.

Someone noticed after a year or so that the road accident rate had declined significantly, so they made this rule a permanent one and later required all new cars to switch on their headlights automatically when the engine was running.

Research showed that the lower accident rate was due to greater visibility in poor daylight. Northern countries have many hours of twilight, even in the summer, and there are many roads through forests in Scandinavia. Similar conditions occur in Scotland, for example, and my headlights will often come on automatically when I drive up there in the daytime.

Driving conditions in Mediterranean countries are rather different. The light is much stronger and twilight is much shorter, so driving with headlights on in the daytime is rather pointless in Spain, for example.

Another example of EU bureaucrats trying to standardise everything with little overall benefit.

 

[crockers]

Doesn't Canada have a similar law ?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

...the reason why Volvos have them as standard

 

[Diesel Benz]

This idea originally came from Sweden, where it is compulsory. Many years ago, the entire country changed from driving on the left to driving on the right. In order to remind everyone that this had happened, the authorities ordered all drivers to drive with their lights on from the date of the change.

Someone noticed after a year or so that the road accident rate had declined significantly, so they made this rule a permanent one and later required all new cars to switch on their headlights automatically when the engine was running.

Research showed that the lower accident rate was due to greater visibility in poor daylight. Northern countries have many hours of twilight, even in the summer, and there are many roads through forests in Scandinavia. Similar conditions occur in Scotland, for example, and my headlights will often come on automatically when I drive up there in the daytime.

Driving conditions in Mediterranean countries are rather different. The light is much stronger and twilight is much shorter, so driving with headlights on in the daytime is rather pointless in Spain, for example.

Another example of EU bureaucrats trying to standardise everything with little overall benefit.

Sweden changed to right hand driving a lot earlier than this daylight driving lights were invented. The studies actually showed most advantage at city centres.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Doesn't Canada have a similar law ?

I believe so, but pretty many US MB owners drive with lights always on.

 

[Diesel Benz]

...the reason why Volvos have them as standard

Probably something MB "copied" later. All modern MBs should have this option available from the IC menu.