[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by Samurai

As a result, I never had to turn on the headlights in my 30 months of ownership of that car. When I upgraded to Acura 3.2TL after that, I found it quite irritating that I had to turn on headlights at night manually.

This is what we need so bad in India where its next to impossible to educate the masses. Look at all the confusion on the forum even with the educated folks around what lights in what situation!

Auto sensing lights are such a vital piece of automation for India. I get so hopelessly blind when oncoming traffic in cities drive around on high beams even in well lit areas!! Its absolutely scary esp when turning on a junction with the blinding lights completely blocking your view of whats coming behind that one car and at what speed!!

If the car manufacturers build in automation in the vehicles that let it switch on and off the lights based on the ambient light available, and hide that manual override switch (like Ford positions the bonnet latch far away from the driver in some cars!), we would have safer roads. Please Ford, indigenize the car for us on these aspects and not just the ride quality,cost and type of fuel!

Sorry for going OT!!

[ampere]

- Idea of a DRL is to be conspicuous so that others can notice it.
- During day time we all can see, but the point is we may not observe. DRL makes that presence very clear by being conspicuous.
- May be one can use head lamps for the same. But the question is do you want to spend so much power/battery.
- DRLs consume way less power/battery as they are a small set of LEDs

[itwasntme]

To add to the usefulness of DRLs in gloomy conditions, I think I would find them to be of great help on sunny days on tree-lined highways, where the combination of light and shade change continuosly.

This is particularly so on the older 2 lane NH/SH, where road-widening is yet to wreak havoc on the old gulmohar/rain/banyan trees. I find spotting the smaller neutral coloured vehicles a real challenge during such drives! I don't hesitate to switch on my sidelights during such conditions.

However, modern DRLs are outright bling (e.g. i20, certain Audis, Mercs) and spoils/cheapens/overwhelms the overall look, rather than augmenting it.

[vvb8530]

Originally Posted by vb-san

OT: I believe in some countries in Europe DRLs are now mandatory by law. It looks quite ornamental because the manufacturers are getting quite imaginative with its implementation

In some European countries for example Austria, it is mandatory as per law to keep headlights on even while driving during the day. It is for this very reason that the concept of DRL's was started by few manufacturers with Audi being the first if i am not wrong. So that you need not have to remember each time to switch on the headlights, as soon as you switch on the ignition the DRL's would switch on automatically which would suffice the law.

The DRL's these days being used by all manufacturers especially in countries where such a law does not exist is purely for ornamental purposes and does not serve any purpose. Although i do think it is a good habit to keep your headlights switched on even during the day when driving on the highways in the fast lane, I am not sure if the DRL's would do the job.

[Red Liner]

The vehicles which REALLY ought to have DRL's mandatory are motorbikes and scooters. In afternoon heat, every single bit of attention seeing wizardry is required by the two wheeler rider to keep his bones intact on the highway.

That said, the DRL's on the ecosport do look good.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by diffsoft

During the day sunlight does a good job in India throughout the year almost everywhere.

Not in all seasons. Sometimes I go without seeing the sun for weeks.

Originally Posted by diffsoft

From what you said above, it is the sensor that would turn on the lights automatically that you missed in the Acura and not the DRL.

Moot point, the Acura didn't have DRLs.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by diffsoft

Yes, I agree that DRLs will help here, maybe do a better job than a headlight because a headlight will "blinden" the vehicle on the other side. Many people, including me, use hazard light, which I also find equally serving the purpose, though may not be meant for the same.

Check this thread out to find out more about why using hazard lights while on the move is dangerous

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning...iving-fog.html

[GTO]

DRLs also greatly increase your visibility in the rear view mirrors of other cars. It's easier to miss a regular car in your ORVM when shifting lanes, than if that car had its DRLs on. Until DRLs become commonplace in India, I'm keeping my low beam switched on for highway runs.

Related Thread

[fundagenie]

Originally Posted by diffsoft

I was always wondering what the DRLs are for, but the above doesn't make sense to me.

If the main function of the DRL is to be spotted by other motorists, then what are the headlights for? Are you saying that headlights do not perform the function of being seen by others? That's wrong. Or that they are seen by others but can be harsh?

Thanks in advance.

In some parts of India, driving with the headlights ON would mean an hospital emergency situation. Like if you see a car behind you with the headlights ON, it is allowed to overtake since in 99% cases it would be heading to some hospital with a critical patient. I too have used this technique a couple of times to transport a critical friend or relative to the hospital and the vehicles ahead just gave me space to overtake and the police constable at one of the signal lights even let me cross the red light while he stopped other traffic.

A DRL on the other hand would not mean an emergency and it would serve the purpose of just to make other motorist spot the vehicle. And ofcourse give the car some kinda style.

FundaG

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by GTO

Until DRLs become commonplace in India, I'm keeping my low beam switched on for highway runs.

Related Thread

Exact same reason I keep my foglamps on for highway journeys. I feel safer that someone is able to see my vehicle that much more.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by GTO

DRLs also greatly increase your visibility in the rear view mirrors of other cars. It's easier to miss a regular car in your ORVM when shifting lanes, than if that car had its DRLs on. Until DRLs become commonplace in India, I'm keeping my low beam switched on for highway runs.

Related Thread

I learned that habit from Rush in Pawana last year and now that I have corona rings as parking lights, use them as DRLs most of the time!

[parsh]

A great discussion and a lot many valid points have been already discussed till now highlighting need for the DRLs even with explicit depiction on how various lights work etc.

When in motion in daytime, due to the daylight reflections, the speed of the vehicle, focus of the driver and tunnel vision caused due to the same can cause incorrect perception of vision between stationary and moving (or atleast switched on) vehicle. Owing to this, I have seen it may not always be possible for even a keen driver to notice a small thing as a moving (or switched on) vehicle either coming from front or rear and maneuver accordingly. I have literally heard comments from drivers as to a particular vehicle on the other side is moving or stationary while on straight highway. Those who say it is not possible must be great great drivers, salute to them. Especially it will be true of vehicles which run relatively low on ground, let us not consider trucks etc right now. In these situations, the DRLs can serve the right purpose at the same time economizing on power consumption instead of having to use headlights. These could be very useful even for an expert driver instead of relying on overconfidence and landing up in messy situation. I think there may already be accident cases due this only not pin-pointedly highlighted.

It may not seem necessary to many. But so do quite a few other things which are not common in vehicles like fog lamps (which are not truely fog lamps but as explicated in above comments and Samurai's depiction increase the vision for very near and side areas which are not covered by headlamps).

I hope to see it becoming standardized as a preventive measure in one and all. But I guess, again, manufacturers will start using this as premium feature to charge even more premium providing them on the top variants of their cars, so the common man will still end up with car without DRLs having to resort to additional genuine accessories or after-market DRL fitting. I am ofcourse not speaking of the premium cars which already boast of DRLs. Let us remember that speeds at which people drive are just increasing day by day, so the need to be more cautious does call for some preventive measure and that is where standardization of DRLs will help.

This may be OT: Why did Mahindra chose to use the DRL type lights for Parking and not as DRLs? Did somebody mistook the design and wired the DRLs with H/Ls?

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

The vehicles which REALLY ought to have DRL's mandatory are motorbikes and scooters. In afternoon heat, every single bit of attention seeing wizardry is required by the two wheeler rider to keep his bones intact on the highway.

That said, the DRL's on the ecosport do look good.

Sirji, guess what, for the time I was in India (on a vacation), I was driving around with either my pilots lamps on or even my Low beams on in my bike, result is - Battery went bust in a month . Its a maintenance free Amaron under warranty. Took it to the workshop, the guy says,

"who asked you run with your H/L's on always? Dikhta nahi hain kya?" Basically, our bike batteries don't have load capacity to run always with H/L's on and also support the starter motor. I would say, if the manufacturers bring in an auto-H/L off mode when the starter motor is engaged, and also make H/L's permenantly ON/provide DRL's will be the best solution for bikes.

2. When I stop in a signal or drive in a single lane road or in streets, I have had several duty conscious citizen brothers of ours indicating me to let me know that my Headlights are ON.

I bet its more than the Manufacturers bringing it in, it would be better if the RTO makes them mandatory. Atleast, the new Apache have DRL's. so I am sure, soon this trend will pickup, fashion or other, somehow if we en"lighten" ourselves, its good for us and for other road users.

[revintup]

Originally Posted by zenren

is there any real utility for the DRLs in Indian conditions, that cannot be satisfied by parking lights?

Originally Posted by diffsoft

I was always wondering what the DRLs are for, but the above doesn't make sense to me.

If the main function of the DRL is to be spotted by other motorists, then what are the headlights for? Are you saying that headlights do not perform the function of being seen by others? That's wrong.

The rear red lights turn on if you switch on your parking lights. In very bright conditions it becomes difficult to notice the braking light coming on if the rear red lights are already on due to lack of contrast.

The DRLs do not switch on the rear reds, hence upon braking the braking lights show up clearly and is easily noticed by a motorist who is following.

The other points like aesthetics, lesser load on the battery, reduced glare etc have already been discussed.

[dkaile]

I have been searching for LED DRL bulbs for a long time. I procured one from abroad but they turned out to give error on the MFD of my Superb. Anyone knowing local reliable source of error free DRL bulbs would be most helpful.