Hi, Michael.
This hoary old beast raises it's silly little head religiously every three
years. I've seen it come around too many times. I thought we'd driven a
wooden stake through it's little heart last time, or the time before.
I was Technical Manager for Road Transport Forum, now the Australian
Trucking Association, for several years and was a member of the Federal
Office of Road Safety Technical Liaison Group for that time. TLG handled
Australian Design Rules matters.
We knocked daytime running lights back. The gain in a high light environment
like Australia, where the most popular car colour is white is probably not
worth the bother. Certainly no one has made a rational, germane in the
Australian context, case for it. A much higher percentage of driving here in
Australia is done in bright daylight than in Sweden and other places where
Seasonal Affective Disorder runs rampant six months of the year.
Unless there has been some radical change in the equation, the next time I
have to participate in putting down a proposal for day time running lights
in Australia, I will do my damnedest to ensure that everyone standing within
30' of it gets collateral damage.
Try it again after LED headlights make it, in 20 years or so (maybe) and
energy/fuel/weight are taken out of the picture.
Do you have any idea of the weight and fuel expended by heavy vehicles
(especially) for lighting, the size of the alternator, the drag it imposes
on the engine, the fuel it eats, the weight of the batteries?
We are just starting to tune heavy vehicles to the lesser current demands of
LED side and tail lights on trailers. As you might imagine, the current draw
of conventional side and tail lights on multi-trailer combinations is
staggering. But I'd hazard a gas that there are energy implications in
alternator and battery size for automobiles as well.
As for the Swedes and their daytime running lights, serves them right for
living in that climate. Day time lighting is part of the cost. The equation
is different here in Oz, thanks.
It just occurs to me that in high speed day time running, the best signal
device on a motor vehicle is a headlight flasher. I've been using them for
years. I used them on road-trains (where you never swerve or go to the floor
with the brake pedal no matter what or who is in the way) to get water
buffalo, cattle, camels, emus and brumbies, roadkill-eating wedge-tail
eagles, magpies, crows and lots of other critters off the road and it works
very well. It also works on motorists. Headlight flashing would be nowhere
near as effective if headlights were on already, even dimmed (if they were
bright enough to do any good).
Good luck scaring up money for yet another study.
If you get it, I can promise you free entertainment in public and that you
will be named in despatches. :)
Could be fun.
Regards,
Bob Murphy
IS Edit Transport & Technical Communications
PO Box 111
Campbells Creek VIC 3451
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 3 5476 4408
5476 4474
Mobile: 0428 312 116
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Paine" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 8:02 AM
Subject: Daytime running lights
> I am undertaking a research project on the possible encouragement of
> daytime running lights in Australia. I am interested in studies of
> effectiveness, technology (eg dimmed high beam Vs low beam Vs dedicated
> lamps), visual ergonomics, running costs and availability from OEM and
> aftermarket suppliers.
> There are numerous studies of the effectiveness of DRL in high latitude
> countries. Peter Cairney from the Australian Road Research Board
> published some research on the case for DRL in Australia during the
> early 1990s and that is most useful. However I am interested in studies
> that may have been carried out since then - particularly the potential
> of "new" technology. For example GM in the USA apparently equip many of
> their vehicles with dimmed high beam headlights for daytime use. Peter
> Bergkvist from GM presented an excellent ESV paper on that initiative.
>
> Any advice, links or contacts you could provide would be appreciated.
>
> If you would prefer to email me directly please click on this link:
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> Otherwise your reply will be circulated on RTT.
> regards
> Michael Paine
> --
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