Driving lights ...AARRRGGHHH!! (1 Viewer)

[brentl]

Ok folks this really pisses me off.
People driving down the road with headlights and the set on driving lights blaring straight into my eyes.
Ten years ago I put these on a car I had. Used the 30 timesover 5 years.
Why the hell do people leave them on??
I know GM thinks they look cool, they start in the shitty little cavalier and are standard equipment in Cadillacs.
My buddy just got a Grand Prix GT and the salesman says "this has Aux driving lights, they are so cool. I leave mine on all the time".... Yep he's cool!!
Now I can understand the use on a truelly dark night, or fog lights on a foggy night(I've got a set on my car), buut driving down a street with street light .... you look like a moron!!!
TURN EM OFF!!!!
WHEW!!
Rant off!
Brent L
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[Jody C Robins]

Because when your lights are on, it makes other people more likely to see you and less likely to pull out in front of you and cause an accident. That's why insurance companies (at least State Farm) give discounts to people who own cars with automatic running lights.

 

[Jay H]

Umm Jody, I believe Brent is ranting about Driving Lights, also referred to as Fog Lights, although there are technical differences between the two. Not Daytime Running Lights which is a whole different cup of tea.
Mine (when I drive) are 90% of the time off, unless it is real foggy, however I do use them sometimes on roads I know are full of potholes, they do help a bit with pothole avoidance as they brighten up the nearfield vision a bit.
Another odd thing is that on certain cars, you cannot turn on the fog lights unless the parking lights are on so you see people driving around with their parking lights on and the fog lights on... Duh.
If I ever had a car with DRL (w/o the option to turn them off), I'm installing a switch. It makes motorcyclists harder to distinguish themselves if everybody has got them.
Share the road (with motorcycles and cyclists)
Jay
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[Philip_G]

In general my feeling is, driving lights = fog lights, and if it's isn't foggy, TURN THEM OFF DAMNIT.
allthough my motorcycle has a modulater that flips between high and low beam during the day real fast, THAT'S annoying as hell.. but it keeps me from getting run into.

 

[Ted Lee]

aren't fog lights usually amber color and driving lights white? i assume the driving lights are simply for better lighting at night, while amber fog lights actually have the capability to "cut through" the fog better.

my buddy has an acura with the driving lights and i actually liked having them on. it lit up the road better.
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[Ryan Wright]

In general my feeling is, driving lights = fog lights

Driving lights != fog lights. Fog lights are amber colored; driving lights do very little to help you see through the fog (though they do help slightly).
If driving lights are blinding you, then there is a problem. The driving lights on my truck are adjusted correctly, and in their stock position they point down toward the road. The lights are pointed well below the bumper of any car even in my higher up vehicle. Still, I have people flash their brights at me every once in awhile. They see four lights on and imagine they're being blinded, but the reality is driving lights only illuminate the first ~20 feet of road in front of the vehicle. This space is usually dark, as your headlights are aimed further out. Thus, driving lights "round-out" your headlights. They are not pointed anywhere near your eyes and, despite what some might think, they do not blind you.
And yes, mine are on anytime my headlights are on. They increase the visibility immediately in front of my vehicle.
Now, you may have a point with aftermarket driving lights. Who knows where those people are aiming them.
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[MikeAlletto]

I don't have a problem with it at all. I leave mine on and don't care what other people do...its their car, doesn't bother me at all.
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[Philip_G]

quote:
Driving lights != fog lights. Fog lights are amber colored; driving lights do very little to help you see through the fog (though they do help slightly).
If driving lights are blinding you, then there is a problem. The driving lights on my truck are adjusted correctly, and in their stock position they point down toward the road. [/quote]
the general point I was trying to make is neither has any business being on if there's oncoming traffic, unless there is some sort of obscuration.
even OEM headlights and foglights (ok with the exception of HID with an auto leveler..) can and do drift out, and no one checks them. Not to mention every riceboy with whatever watt PIAA's pointed UP to look brighter.
In a lot of states driving lights are to be wired only to work when the hi beams are on (.. according to the PIAA's I had on my jeep)
[Edited last by Philip_G on October 17, 2001 at 10:02 PM]

 

[NickSo]

Yeah, dont mix up fog lights with Daytime Running Lights...
Us canucks have them on 24/7 on all the cars we buy... (DLRS, not Fog Lights

)
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[brentl]

"Now, you may have a point with aftermarket driving lights. Who knows where those people are aiming them."
I've seen maybe 1 in 20 cars with the "fog" lights aimed properly.
I disagree with them helping you to see. I routinly drive around where there aren't streetlights. You don't need to see the first 20 feet in front of you, at 30MPH you're way past that point every quarter of a second.
Brent L
and it doesn't look cool!!

 

[Jody C Robins]

It seems like everyone is talking about something different here. My opinions on all:
Daytime running lights (regular headlights that stay on): No problem, but I don't have them on my car.
Parking lights (amber lights in front and rear that come on when you pull light knob half way out): These are supposed to be used when parking, not driving. Enough said.
Fog/driving lights (amber/white lights near the bottom of one's bumper supposedly used to see better in the fog): I've got them, and they come on when I turn on my regular lights. They won't turn on otherwise, and I wouldn't want them on, anyway. As for those who say some are wired to only come on when the high beams are on, this makes no sense, as high beams make it more difficult to see through fog. Unless, of course, they are driving lights, and not fog lights.

 

[Ryan Wright]

I've got them, and they come on when I turn on my regular lights.

This is the core of the conversation here. Some do not believe these lights should be on - they claim they blind oncoming drivers and should only be used in fog. I disagree. I've yet to come across any driving/fog/whatever-you-want-to-call-them lights that blinded me, with the exception of some obnoxious modified Hondas. My "lower" lights also come on with my headlights. I've always used them that way and I always will.
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-Ryan (http://www.ryanwright.com )
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you do criticize them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

 

[Henry Carmona]

quote: As for those who say some are wired to only come on when the high beams are on, this makes no sense, as high beams make it more difficult to see through fog[/quote]
My fog lights turn off when my high beams come on.
I dont use them.
Whats bad, is that Im always getting flashed by people who think that my high beams are on

Sometimes, a car im in front of will get behind me and turn on his high beams thinking i had my highs on, im like..what did i do?
For you guys that think the new style Chevy Trucks have their high beams on at night just because two bulbs are on, plz dont flash.
The high beams on the new style Chevys are a SINGLE bright ass bulb

Thanks
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"Charlie don't surf."
[Edited last by Henry Carmona on October 18, 2001 at 05:21 PM]

 

[PaulG]

As far as the running lights go, I have a 97 Chevy Suburban, and the headlights come on when the car is started. When I asked the salesman how to turn them off, he said I can't. He was wrong, just press on the parking break until the dash indicator comes on and they turn off. The brake doesn't engage at this point. This is handy when stopped at a train or something and you don't want to shine on the folks in front of you, or in winter keeping warm while waiting. Also was handy when my alternator burned out and I had to drive on the battery for a week.
Just a tip I thought I would share.
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[Carl Johnson]

Are you guys talking about that feature on my 2k1 Tacoma that automatically turns on the headlights whenever I start the vehicle? I think it's cool. Thers's no way that anyone could be blinded by headlights during the day. If spending a couple of bucks per year on bulbs makes my vehicle more visible to oncoming traffic then I'm all for it.