Is it possible to purchase a brand new vehicle in 2020 not fitted with DRL?

[Syndrome]

In recent years there has been an explosion of cars fitted with daytime running lights. Lots of oncoming traffic seem to have them, most of them fitted with the bright white LEDs.

I believe BMW started this trend with the light rings on their E39 model released in 2001.

[fiestaz]

Plenty still about that do not have them at all or have halogen running lights instead.

Not sure why you would want to go without them to be honest.

[.:4:.]

My new ute has halogen drls. They annoy me. They do turn off with the headlights on, and the headlights turn off key out when you open the door. I just leave my headlights on all the time.

[XR Martin]

Volvo 740s had drls a long time before anything else.

Current Kia Cerato has halogen drls in the same spot as fog lights.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

Volvo 740s had drls a long time before anything else.

No. I was expecting somebody to say this. Volvo had the "headlights always on feature". DRLs are not headlights and are not powerful enough to drive in the dark with. Cars with DRLs still need the main headlights turned on at night.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

No. I was expecting somebody to say this. Volvo had the "headlights always on feature". DRLs are not headlights and are not powerful enough to drive in the dark with. Cars with DRLs still need the main headlights turned on at night.

Thats exactly what annoys me about the drls on me ute. I get in at stupid am in the morning. See light on the fence driving down my driveway still half asleep and just forget. Drls dont turn on tail lights. Hence why i leave my headlights on. Just so my tail lights are on. So people in front and behind can see. My last ute had auto headlights and no drls. I liked that a lot better.

[ute83]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

No. I was expecting somebody to say this. Volvo had the "headlights always on feature". DRLs are not headlights and are not powerful enough to drive in the dark with. Cars with DRLs still need the main headlights turned on at night.

Same idea but. As for drl's not being bright enough at night, i had to tell a young asian girl in a newish lexus to turn her headlights on once i caught up to her whilst driving home from the big smoke. She was going quite well. Only caught up to her at some traffic lights in Traf.

[baboon]

Originally Posted by ute83

Same idea but. As for drl's not being bright enough at night, i had to tell a young asian girl in a newish lexus to turn her headlights on once i caught up to her whilst driving home from the big smoke. She was going quite well. Only caught up to her at some traffic lights in Traf.

Same thing here too. Tried to indicate their tail lights were off but thought I was crazy. Took a few Km's of driving before they realised what I was on about.

What is the international hand signal for "turn your headlights on"? I was using the clenched fist to open hand 3 times? ...

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

No. I was expecting somebody to say this. Volvo had the "headlights always on feature". DRLs are not headlights and are not powerful enough to drive in the dark with. Cars with DRLs still need the main headlights turned on at night.

Nope.
These lights I'm talking about.
More like park lights always on feature if you want to split hairs. But they were actually referred to as 'perception lights'.

[XR Martin]

Oh I don't think the current Yaris has DRLs, but that's about to be superceded.
Pretty sure the LC70 Landcruiser doesn't either.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

Nope.
These lights I'm talking about.
More like park lights always on feature if you want to split hairs. But they were actually referred to as 'perception lights'.

image

Yep Volvo's had them years ago, my uncles 1971 144 had the same as pictured. No doubt due to Swedish dark winter days.

In case you were wondering who started the modern trend, tanker trucks for safety reasons.

[Syndrome]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

Nope.
These lights I'm talking about.
More like park lights always on feature if you want to split hairs. But they were actually referred to as 'perception lights'.

image

I stand corrected. But weren't some of the older Volvo models fitted with headlights always on feature?

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

Nope.
These lights I'm talking about.
More like park lights always on feature if you want to split hairs. But they were actually referred to as 'perception lights'.

Back in the day, Sweden (and possibly a few others) mandated that these running lights always be on. They were functionally and aesthetically equivalent to the parking lights on other cars, except they turned on with the ignition. Volvo opted to keep the feature on the cars imported here. I'm guessing it helped solidify their safety image.

Sometime in the 80's, Sweden changed to mandatory headlights. Volvo thought Australia wasn't ready for that, and had the feature disabled.

As for who started the modern trend towards headlights always on, it has been SOP on most mine sites for a long time. Most companies now specify their headlights hard-wired.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

No. I was expecting somebody to say this. Volvo had the "headlights always on feature". DRLs are not headlights and are not powerful enough to drive in the dark with. Cars with DRLs still need the main headlights turned on at night.

You sure.

All the old Volvos I saw when I was a kid had the outer parking light (DRL) on all the time ... with low beam off.

[jstanovic]

I heard it is part of getting the car a 5-star safety rating.

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

In recent years there has been an explosion of cars fitted with daytime running lights. Lots of oncoming traffic seem to have them, most of them fitted with the bright white LEDs.

I believe BMW started this trend with the light rings on their E39 model released in 2001.

I believe both SAABs & Volvos of the mid-70s were the first to have DRLs in Aust. I think it was compulsory in Sweden at the time.

They were just parking lights & tail-lights fitted with 21W globes, which dimmed to the 5W filament when the headlights were switched on.

Dr Terry

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Dr Terry

I believe both SAABs & Volvos of the mid-70s were the first to have DRLs in Aust. I think it was compulsory in Sweden at the time.

They were just parking lights & tail-lights fitted with 21W globes, which dimmed to the 5W filament when the headlights were switched on.

Dr Terry

Cars in Sweden have to have their headlights on 24hrs a day.Cars built after 2009 fitted with DRL’s may use these.Most other Nordic countries have much the similar rules regarding this.

[Poetic Justice]

I thought it was Audi that started the modern interpretation of it with the R8?

[DK30RB]

My 5 series BMW has the option to turn the DRL's off. Maybe some of the other brands do that too.

[Bossxr8]

It's mandatory for any vehicle sold in Europe to have DRL's. It was brought into law there a year or 2 ago. With that being the case every car out of Europe, or pretty much any car sold into Europe will have them standard. So that covers the majority of the market these days.

[Vekgib]

I'm fairly sure that Corollas don't have DRLs

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Vekgib

I'm fairly sure that Corollas don't have DRLs

Yeah they do

[Citroënbender]

As a seemingly frequent driver of an “invisible car” I firmly believe anything that makes the clueless brigade slightly more aware, has to be an improvement.

I’ve driven with either park lights or low beam on always, for years, and consider it part of responsibility to my insurer in respect of taking due care to avoid a loss.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

I’ve driven with either park lights or low beam on always, for years, and consider it part of responsibility to my insurer in respect of taking due care to avoid a loss.

I have to say that I've never understood those who use parkers as a form of making yourself visible whilst driving. In my experience, when approaching from the front, I tend to be able to see the vehicle well before I see the parkers, even in inclement conditions. And if it's dark enough to warrant having the tail lights on, then surely going the extra position on the light switch and having the headlights on would be warranted too?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

I have to say that I've never understood those who use parkers as a form of making yourself visible whilst driving. In my experience, when approaching from the front, I tend to be able to see the vehicle well before I see the parkers, even in inclement conditions. And if it's dark enough to warrant having the tail lights on, then surely going the extra position on the light switch and having the headlights on would be warranted too?

I'm still not convinced I need to have headlights, parkers or LED's on during perfect daytime driving.
We seemed to have managed and survived for years without this stuff. Next we will be sticking conspicuity (hi Vis) tape all down the sides of cars.
As a kid the only cars you saw with headlights on in the daytime were in a funeral procession or were Seventh day Adventist.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

I have to say that I've never understood those who use parkers as a form of making yourself visible whilst driving. In my experience, when approaching from the front, I tend to be able to see the vehicle well before I see the parkers, even in inclement conditions. And if it's dark enough to warrant having the tail lights on, then surely going the extra position on the light switch and having the headlights on would be warranted too?

Parkers ... or positions lights are to show other traffic where you are located if stopped off the side of the road .... in the dark or inclement weather ... nothing more.

Although .... if fog in the dark is really bad ... parkers/position lists are fine when used in conjunction with low fog lights. Or if you don't have foglights .... you are allowed to use hazard lights.

I drive with low beam/main beam on when driving all of the time ... I have found that it is needed in traffic .... and I know when checking mirrors quickly ... a vehicle with lights on it picked up much quicker than one without. I did this more after starting doing courier deliveries around Sydney ... and have done it ever since.

People in silver/light grey cars that drive without lights in rainy conditions .... need to be shot onsite.

[MercuryT]

They look completely rubbish.

I'd pick a car without them.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

They look completely rubbish.

I'd pick a car without them.

Some that just have a basic strip in the bumper or round halogen lights look pretty boring, but most cars that has them designed nicely into the headlight housing look pretty good.
I think my Jeep DRLs look pretty nice, yet my Jimny DRLs look rubbish.

[MustangStevo63]

Some clowns forget to turn headlight/tail lights on and you see them with DRL's at night time , dash lit up and totally oblivious to the fact, happens so often now
I mean if you haven't got auto lights on , since when do you get in a car on not manually turn on the headlights when dark?

[Smoke Pursuit]

Some cars still don't have them standard... They should be standard. I have always driven with my lights on and or fitted DRL's. We fit them to everything from utes to Kenworths these days. The research is there and you avoid things like this....