Daytime running lights...

[hks_kansei]

Headlights on required switching both on an off and whilst it is reasonable popular I still think its annoying to other road users. .

It might be a personal preference thing, I personally find headlights to be much easier on my eyes than the DRLs.

The DRLs are such a piercing bright light with little to no glare shielding, I find I get spots before my eyes with them much easier than a normal headlight.
I'm talking about the OEM ones on Audis and Mercedes', the cheap garbage that kids are putting on their clapped out commodores is even worse!



But then again, I also dislike projector lights and HID lights for the same reasons.
I find that a properly adjusted halogen light in a reflector housing it best at reducing glare for other users.

[manga_blue]

You still need a minimum number of leds to provide sufficient light - one will not do it.

The problem is that the clean front of an NA leaves nowhere to place a string of LEDs, unless you start playing with popup setups as Patrick has or drill out a row of holes in the front bar. Risk of attracting unwanted attention means that any solution needs to be legal, effective and very low-key. Single, stealthy lamps of around 120-250 lumens seem the way to go. These ones are less than the cost of a pint, including delivery.

[Mr Morlock]

Lighting always fires people up and we have our theories- me included. A drl is certainly a bright light and that is the purpose but it does not have any penetration - it says "see me" and thats probably why some makers go overboard with lights that would look good on ferris wheels ie gaudy, bad taste, akin to costume jewellery. Funnily enough some of the standard drls on more ordinary Euro cars are more restrained whereas an HSV makes me cringe. I agree with MG that a drl is not an easy thing for an MX5- and its worth a bit of fiddling and trial to work something out.

[Silvia]

The DRLs for an MX5 are a special case - that of being so low many other drivers don't see it.
The lights facing forward are ok for BMW etc but you also need side visibility to prevent being unseen and the threat that results in. I'm often encountering cars moving in from the side and they just don't see the little silver car that's there

[Crapweasel]

The DRLs for an MX5 are a special case - that of being so low many other drivers don't see it.
The lights facing forward are ok for BMW etc but you also need side visibility to prevent being unseen and the threat that results in. I'm often encountering cars moving in from the side and they just don't see the little silver car that's there

I can attest to this... didn't end well.

[Mr Morlock]

Friends tell me that they can spot my MX5 very easily though of course the cars is low and all the more reason for having some extra illumination. DRLs have no side visibility - test it by watching a car with drls and when it draws level the light is not visible. Trucks use a variety of marker lamps often LEDs and in theory these could be used on a car- presumably amber for the side or front facing white or red facing the rear - not sure of the legalities on a car? The only lights as far as I am aware that you would see on a car on the side are t/sigs / repeaters and they would flash amber. One thing we may have all forgotten is that DRLs were all incandescent at one stage but leds have taken over. The concern about a small car ie a low car like the MX5 is valid and some guys reckon a flag or other add on is of use. A recent show I saw on telly convinced me that our observation skills and brain recognition and known deficiencies mean things do not get seen esp motorcycles.I have experienced it myself - not seeing a vehicle in plain sight

[Red Dragon]

This style for NC2 is a complete section replacement, from memory the owner imported them from the UK back in 2010 about $300

[greenMachine]

Headlights on required switching both on an off and whilst it is reasonable popular I still think its annoying to other road users. .

It might be a personal preference thing, I personally find headlights to be much easier on my eyes than the DRLs.

+1

The DRLs are such a piercing bright light with little to no glare shielding, I find I get spots before my eyes with them much easier than a normal headlight.
I'm talking about the OEM ones on Audis and Mercedes', the cheap garbage that kids are putting on their clapped out commodores is even worse!

But then again, I also dislike projector lights and HID lights for the same reasons.
I find that a properly adjusted halogen light in a reflector housing it best at reducing glare for other users.

HKS, I have exactly the same issue with these.

If you can't be seen with low beam on, nothing legal is going to fix the problem

I remain to be convinced that ANY light will assist in traffic. The MX problem, to the extent that people look before changing lanes etc, is that it is low and they are looking over us. Lights will not fix that. And if they don't look ....

[Mr Morlock]

There is scientific data around that finds drls are effective in daylight to improve visibility- it's not fiction, nor opinion its' proven and that's why some countries legislate for it to be mandatory. A drl works very effectively for oncoming traffic. Automotive lighting co's invented drls to be seen in the day and to avoid having to run a battery of lights i.e. 2 headlamps and 2 taillights. The purpose of the drl is visbility so noticing it is the purpose- if you cannot see it then its no value. I am sure you are better off with a drl than without one in a car like an MX5 or say a thing like a Clubman. When you drive a typical large SUV or 4WD you have a large outline. We said it before h/lights are legal in the day but its still optional if they are turned on - with a drl you don't have to think about it.

I am not sure if they will ever legislate in Au for drl's but my guess is that new car makers will fit them anyway and these will be legal spec.

[hks_kansei]

There is scientific data around that finds drls are effective in daylight to improve visibility- it's not fiction, nor opinion its' proven and that's why some countries legislate for it to be mandatory.

We aren't debating that they make a car more visible, what we are debating is that the location of where that car is visible may or may not be ideal.


ie: DRLs make a car more visible when it is directly behind you, or coming towards you. Basically, the car must be facing you.
My point is that when a car is directly behind you, or coming towards you, it's already quite visible.


In an MX5 (and other low cars) the main danger is when you are alongside another car, in which case, DRLs won't help at all (being visble only from the front)






I've got to add though, it seems Mercedes have thought of this on one of theri big 4x4 things. I noticed the other day when one went past me that as he was alongside me there was a row of bright red LEDs lit up on the side mirror glass, and as the car was past mine the LEDs went out. It had some kind of system to basically let the driver know there's something next to you, don't change lanes.

[Silvia]

Yeah, a set of replacement mirrors with LED lights would do the job well. Haven't seen any though.
Meantime it's headlamps on all times for me....

[sailaholic]

Called blind spot warning system or something I think the new commodore had it as well
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[hks_kansei]

Called blind spot warning system or something I think the new commodore had it as well
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Yeah, it's a great idea.

Anything that helps stop idiots changing lanes into people (although, it still doesn't force them to actually look at the mirror)

[Mr Morlock]

Come back to basics- drls are for visibility front on and following - thats the functional requirement. It should not be confused with seeing a car from the side nor blind spots etc. Why do workers and safety service guys etc where fluro vests- to make them more visible. You are better off with DRls and certainly so for MX5s which can easily blend into the background and be at least half the height of many other cars. You might see an eagle coming toward you but maybe not the swallow.

Some sobering real life situations- most of us including me can sometimes fail to see a car in plain sight. The recent and still running program Brain Test (SBS) shows staggering proof that peoples observations skills can fail completely. A US study apparently proved that drivers in certain situations failed to see motorcylists even though plain to see- you simply are not safe on a bike or motorcycle- drivers are not looking for them.

[Silvia]

I was once stopped by a policewoman who told me I had just missed a motorcycle , hadn't I seen it?
And I hadn't !
Completely missed seeing it, as I was prepared to see cars I suppose.
Add to that a few near misses , where people clearly hadn't seen me too, and I now would prefer to be more visible particularly from the front sides, as in adjoining lanes.
The mirrors with lights would be best I feel.