Are they driving lights or fog lights?

[Blade Hunter]

In the MY10GT (And maybe others, I dunno) the lights at the very bottom on the front, are tehy driving lights or fog lights? I had them in my Sportivo and they were classed as "Driving lights" they did nothing extra in adverse conditions but they illuminated the area around the nose of the car that the headlights couldn't reach.

Because of this they were perfectly legal to use at all times. I have never turned the ones in the Lib on before but I was wondering does anyone know what they are? Fog lights or Driving lights?

[jdm rsk]

Fog afaik

Driving light are the big fuckers on the front of rally car that they use at night

[Blade Hunter]

Hmmmm, so we can't legally use them when it is not adverse conditions. I thought Driving lights were the ones that illuminate the small area around the nose of the car, the ones on rally cars are Spotlights.

[teK--]

In the MY10GT (And maybe others, I dunno) the lights at the very bottom on the front, are tehy driving lights or fog lights? I had them in my Sportivo and they were classed as "Driving lights" they did nothing extra in adverse conditions but they illuminated the area around the nose of the car that the headlights couldn't reach.

Because of this they were perfectly legal to use at all times. I have never turned the ones in the Lib on before but I was wondering does anyone know what they are? Fog lights or Driving lights?

Driving lights are not perfectly legal to use at all times. They fall under the same conditions as high beams. You'll find that those lights on the Sportivo have the same attributes as foglights, despite what they call them.

[Hobber]

They are described as fog lights therefore they are... even if they arn't

PS they are USELESS in fog - had massive fog between Goulburn and Cooma Sunday morning, and low beam was more useful than foggies.

[speakafreaka]

In the MY10GT (And maybe others, I dunno) the lights at the very bottom on the front, are tehy driving lights or fog lights? I had them in my Sportivo and they were classed as "Driving lights" they did nothing extra in adverse conditions but they illuminated the area around the nose of the car that the headlights couldn't reach.

Because of this they were perfectly legal to use at all times. I have never turned the ones in the Lib on before but I was wondering does anyone know what they are? Fog lights or Driving lights?

Driving lights are not perfectly legal to use at all times. They fall under the same conditions as high beams. You'll find that those lights on the Sportivo have the same attributes as foglights, despite what they call them.

I think that you're referring to DRLs (Daytime Running Lights), like the LED strips on the Audis, which are perfectly legal to use, in fact, its illegal in sweeden to have a car without them.

[Dave E]

The MY10 Lib standard features brochure lists them as fog lights, even though they are useless in fog.

[jdm rsk]

Hmmmm, so we can't legally use them when it is not adverse conditions. I thought Driving lights were the ones that illuminate the small area around the nose of the car, the ones on rally cars are Spotlights.

arent spotlights the hand held ones used to go hunting

[SMI77]

If one changes the bulbs to LED, as a number of forum members have, do they still remain as useless fog lights, or, are they then daytime running lights?

[speakafreaka]

From the online literature (which is probably bullshit), some people say you need to engineer them, others say its fine. I havent found anything which explicitly states the difference between DRLs and Fogs

regardless, theres also this:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=SL3419

[speakafreaka]

From RTA site:

Daytime running lights

By simply using daytime running lights (DRL's), the visibility of your car is increased substantially to both pedestrians and other drivers.

It is necessary however that the correct lights be used. Fog lights and high beam are inappropriate and parking lights ineffective whilst driving. Until specially designed DRLs are installed, low beam headlights are the most effective way to make your vehicle more visible.

A recent NRMA report has found that DRLs could prevent a quarter of all fatal daylight collisions and more than a quarter of fatal daytime pedestrian accidents.

A combination of a light coloured vehicle and turning your low beam headlights on during the day will make it easier for other road users to not only see you but also to better judge the distance between themselves and your vehicle. This equates to less risky manoeuvres being undertaken

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So, by the letter of the law, you have to either specifically have DRLs installed stock, or install them yourself and hope that they dont yellow sticker you.

[BUDDAH]

From the NRMA

Fog/Driving lights and DRLs
Motoring » Motoring Advice » City driving tips
The correct uses of your vehicle's lights

Not everybody knows the rules when it comes to using the various lights on modern vehicles. Can I use a fog light when it's not foggy? What's a daytime running light? When can I use high beam? We help clarify what's OK and what's not.

Driving lights

Fog lights vs. Driving lights
Front fog lights and driving lights are often confused. The main difference is in the light pattern. They are separate to the main headlights.

Fog lights

* Designed to improve visibility of the road directly ahead of the vehicle in fog or hazardous weather conditions where visibility has been reduced. The Australian Road Rules state that they are not to be used at any other time.
* Front fog lights can emit either a white or yellow light. Rear fog lights must emit a red light.
* Rear fog lights are installed to make a vehicle more easily visible from the rear in fog, mist or hazardous conditions and should be wired independent of the car's other lights.
* Fog lights have a low, flat, wide beam that is meant to illuminate the road below the fog or mist.
* Switch off your fog lights once visibility is clear as they can blind other drivers.

Driving lights

* Have a powerful beam that projects well down the road and are used to supplement high beam, especially when driving in country areas.
* Should be wired to only operate when high beam is used.

Headlights

* Must be switched on when driving between sunset and sunrise
* When there is not enough daylight to be able to see a person wearing dark clothing at a distance of 100 metres.

High beam

* Used on any road, even if there are street lights
* Must be dipped to low beam when a vehicle coming toward you is within 200 metres
* Must be dipped to low beam when driving 200 metres or less behind another vehicle.

Daytime running lights

* DRLs are bright, white, forward-facing lights that improve the forward conspicuousness of vehicles in the daytime
* Usually activated automatically when the engine is running
* DRLs are the same as the main headlights.

NRMA Motoring & Services commissioned a study of DRLs in 2003 which suggested that they should be standard on all vehicles as they could save lives and prevent injuries by increasing vehicle visibility.

Extreme conditions

* Heavy rain, fog or snow - put your headlights onto low beam. High beam in fog will reflect the light, making it difficult to see.
* In hazardous conditions, the law permits you to turn on your hazard lights to help others see you.

[speakafreaka]

Ripped from some other forum. If the fogs on the leggy are in the right position, you could swap them out for a hella type led drl


A number of posts quote ADR76/00. This is the point; there are rules and regulations about adding lights to vehicles. DRLs are allowed as a means of reducing daylight acidents/fatalities. I see many installs, some posted here, that are not effective or illegal. Watch out, ignorance in law is no excuse.
Lights for sale may meet ADR76/00 as a product, too often there are inadequate or total wrong instructions covering installation that will result in non compliance
What to achieve
1. Buy DRLs that conform to ADR76/00 more detail is provided in the UNECE 87 document.
2. Install requirements. Must be only operating during daylight whilst the engine is running. Connect to the ignition switch line. (manual switches or connection to side lights is not legal). Install positions must be no more than 400mm from edge of vehicle, lights must be separated by more than 600mm and vertical height must be between 250mm and 1500mm.
3. Light intensity must be between 400 and 800 Candela. Up to 1200 Candela is permissible but should be dimmed for use at dusk or other low light conditions, these lights should be supplied with automatic dimming with low light conditions. This level of brightness does cause discomfort for other drivers in low light. Warning. There are many Chinese low cost DRLs on sale. These currently have their brilliance quoted in Lumens, this is a serious error and not complying with UNECE 87 or ADR. Additionally there are usually either insufficient or totally incorrect install instructions.
4. Lamp light direction. The lamps have a specified light pattern, different from fog lights and should be installed facing forward, not angled to the forward direction.
5. There is one vendor selling LED replacement lamps for fog lamps to convert it to a DRL. This is most likely illegal because the light pattern of a fog lamp is not DRL. Simple changing the globe does not make it a DRL.

Personal install input. Wire the 12 Volt connection of the DRLs to the ignition switch line. A relay can be avoided if the earth connections are connected to the 12 volt feed line to one headlamp. Much better is to connect both DRL earth connections together; connect two 1 amp or higher amp diodes to these combined leads (with band on each diode away from this connection). Connect the banded end of one diode to one headlight 12 volt feed and the other diode to the remaining headlight feed. This method uses the cold resistance of the headlight to connect the DRL, when the headlights are turned on the DRLs will be off. Connecting two diodes to two headlight feeds ensures that if one head fails the DRLs will still operate.

[Ric]

If you can turn the light on at anytime, it's a foglight.
If the light will only come on with high beam, it's a driving light.

[speakafreaka]

If you can turn the light on at anytime, it's a foglight. Usually only on when the headlights/parkers on, and not a bright LED light.
If the light will only come on with high beam, it's a driving light.

If its on automatically when the the car is in motion and other lights are off, it's a daytime running light