Daytime running lights

[RDH]

Just been reading this months evo and read that the new meg 250 will have daytime running lights, along with the new scirocco R.

What's the crack with the things then? I think they looked good on the R8 when it first come out, but now every company seems to be fitting them to their cars.

I think they've gone way over the top now and on most cars just look stupid.

What do you lads think?

 

[ForceIndia]

They are a legal requirement on new cars in 2010/2011.

 

[RDH]

So EVERY new car in those years will have them?

 

[ForceIndia]

In September 2008 the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive that will introduce dedicated daytime running light (DRL) on all new types of passenger cars and small delivery vans from February 2011 onwards. Trucks and buses will follow from August 2012 onwards.

 

[RDH]

Ah right, didn't know that.

Probably a good thing anyway as I often struggle to see oncoming traffic in broad daylight

 

[Michael172]

f**k sake.

Were all gunna look like volvo's.

 

[Bazzon]

Save the enviroment waste energy on lights in daylight FTW

 

[fUbAr]

Save the enviroment waste energy on lights in daylight FTW

lol, do you know how much energy an LED uses?

 

[ForceIndia]

lol, do you know how much energy an LED uses?

Exactly, fuckall!

 

[Bazzon]

lol, do you know how much energy an LED uses?

Yeh but energy is energy isnt???.........

and with xxxmillion cars on the roads.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Yeh but energy is energy isnt???.........

and with xxxmillion cars on the roads.

No point worrying about such small amounts though, when a few flashes of high beam will use more energy than an hour or two of LED running lights.

 

[Poopensharten]

I like the guys that put them on Golfs under there headlights.

Heros touch that is

 

[Bazzon]

Yeh but with it being law the car design industry will be restricted once again and car will start to look more generic, same waay that new bonnet hights and clearences have restricted front end design.

I know there is more to worry about than a few LEDs but working in one of the UKs large car design studios you get to see all the rules and how they affect designs.

and the fact that there is more costs in manufacture and that if you need to replace LEDs for any reason its usually a ball ache.

 

[jonathanedew]

I just seen a notice on a lamp post outside my house. My local council are now turning off the street lights between midnight and 0500 hrs.

So... yet more vandalised wing mirrors to look forward to :dapprove:

Sorry, I digress. What exactly are 'running lights'? I still call side lights 'parking lights' (and IMHO that's only what they should be used for).

 

[Aaron182.]

well during my A levels a few years ago we worked out that
Red LEDs have a forward voltage of about 1.7 volts (V) and draw about 20 milliamperes (mA). Multiplying those together, a red LED uses about 34 milliwatts (mW). Multiplying that by 24 hours in a day and 365.25 days in a year, a red LED uses about 298 watt-hours (Wh) a year of electricity. so about 0.3KWH

but as most systems run off say 12v they use resistors wasting power so its nearer 0.6KWH

1 unit is about 10p so 1 LED running all year would cost you 6 p



im guessting running lights have about 20 LEDS each. so thats 40.


so 2 running lights on all year would cost about £2.40 :O

of course we dont have the lights on aaaaaall year lol.
maybe just 2 hours a day???


but if we do that for every car in the world. say their are 500million...... i have no idea lol

thats still only £1200million a year


£100million or so i think to run for 2 hours a day

 

[Aaron182.]

sorryyyyyyyy am reallllllllly bored

went for a read through my old school books

 

[Dave138]

Xenons on all day everyday FTW anyway so won't make a difference for me.

And nice calculations above.

 

[JCC]

Xenons on all day everyday FTW anyway so won't make a difference for me.

+1

 

[jesus]

The upper model Insignias have LED ones. Xenons on 24/7 ftw!

 

[Curtis!]

What is it with people and trying to be different cars these days...

 

[jonathanedew]

I had a car like that when I was 6.

 

[Bazzon]

What is it with people and trying to be different cars these days...

Yeh the C1 looks like that for a reason, because of "pedestrian safety" having bonnet clearences incase you hit some one and bonnet edges need to be hip hieght now so that if you hit someon they are safer ect! :dapprove:

 

[Curtis!]

Yeh the C1 looks like that for a reason, because of "pedestrian safety" having bonnet clearences incase you hit some one and bonnet edges need to be hip hieght now so that if you hit someon they are safer ect! :dapprove:

But does it really have to look like :

?

 

[R20 CWH]

I like the guys that put them on Golfs under there headlights.

Heros touch that is

theres some ticket round these shores that has them on his range rover, very pimp

 

[Bazzon]

But does it really have to look like :

?

Yes to get the high needed, the new regs have destroyed car design in the smaller cars, hence why new "small" cars are bigger than old "medium" cars.

 

[Curtis!]

Im on about the silver mouth, nearly the same vent inserts and lower lip on the front bumper mate.

But true what you say, compare a 106/saxo to a clio for example, or the old mini to the new one.