Daytime running lights

[Stevekid1]

Apparently, another new euro nanny state law comes into force this month; All new cars must be fitted with daytime running lights. Wonder how long it will be before they make us fit them retrospectively.

[whitev8stag]

yeah, its law as no 1st of march.. apparently.
i dont think it will affect us staggers, i did hear it would be cars made after 1990...

Ben

[DJT]

All new cars being submitted for Type Approval from 7th February 2011 must be fitted with Daytime Running Lights. This doesn't mean all new cars built from this date, but any new models or major changes to existing models which require submission for TA. As for retro-fitting, this is from the Which website:

How long until all cars have daytime running lights?

Because the European Commission only states that cars being put forward for type approval must have daytime running lights, not production models, don’t expect every single new production car to come equipped with daytime running lights.
Type approval only occurs when a manufacturer releases a new model, or makes significant changes when updating a current car. But the Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says it won’t be long until we see a rapid growth in daytime running lights on UK roads.
An SMMT spokesperson said: ‘Daytime running lights are an important part of the automotive industry’s ongoing drive to enhance road safety.
‘Already, many new cars on sale today feature daytime running lights as standard. As new models are launched and upgrades are made to existing models, we will see the total number of new cars with daytime running lights increase rapidly.’

[aerosilver]

My daily driver has DRLs, but they're two rows of LEDs mounted low down so can't be confused with anything else, but I've read of other drivers of cars where the DRLs are standard round lamps being constantly flashed because oncoming drivers think they've left their foglights on!

[scarts]

My daily driver has DRLs, but they're two rows of LEDs mounted low down

Audi by chance? Didn't like those LED's at first but they've grown on me. Shudder to think of the replacement cost of a headlight assembly though. Wife recently kissed a wall and although no damage to the front of the assembly it broke the mounts and replacement cost me almost £400 for my '03 Audi A6

[Andrew S]

Who's old enough to remember flashing Volvo's as they had their lights on? It must have been hell being an owner having people telling you that and you cant do anything about it. Shame

[Princejohny]

[Apparently, another new euro nanny state law comes into force this month; All new cars must be fitted with daytime running lights. Wonder how long it will be before they make us fit them retrospectively]

My dad used to be boss of the lorry plating dept in Swansea (not DVLA!). When he was alive I'd ask him questions like this. His usual reply was apart from one instance, it would be very unusual to make a new vehicle regulation to act retrospectively. The only one was windscreen washers in the 1960's. (Remember those little kits with the thumb operated plungers?)
Of course if the owner does retrospective fitting himself, it is testable under the MOT.
As most modern cars have a life of under 10 years, regulations will eventually almost enforce themselves.
Cheers Johny

[mjheathcote]

Remember dim-dip?
My old late 80's Lancia Turbo had that, you couldn't drive with just side lights on, the headlights would also be on but on a dim setting through a resistor pack.
You could still drive with no lights at all though!

[DJT]

Remember dim-dip?
My old late 80's Lancia Turbo had that, you couldn't drive with just side lights on, the headlights would also be on but on a dim setting through a resistor pack.

Yes, I do. My 1988 Mk3 Cavalier had it. It was proposed that these would be universal, but it died a death back then.

You could still drive with no lights at all though!

Plenty still do. That is called Really Dim Dip

[aerosilver]

Audi by chance? Didn't like those LED's at first but they've grown on me. Shudder to think of the replacement cost of a headlight assembly though. Wife recently kissed a wall and although no damage to the front of the assembly it broke the mounts and replacement cost me almost £400 for my '03 Audi A6

No it's a Skoda Octavia vRS - strangely they've only fitted them to the vRS. They're quite subtle compared to the Audi ones that surround the actual headlamp - they are a bit garish IMHO! Mine's below...