Um pardon my ignorance but... Did the new Focus that's just been released get type approved before the new laws came in or are Ford being lazy again and only installing them to higher spec models as they did with the MK3?

Day time running lights are standard but the white led ones are on specific specs as standard

Day time running lights are standard but the white led ones are on specific specs as standard

Are you sure? i've seen several of the new model now with no lights on at all. I'd expect to see at least the high beams illuminated but they aren't.

Funny you mention that Andy, I have noticed on several newer cars lately that they have absolutely no lights on and could have sworn that DRLs were mandatory now. Maybe I've missed something..

Nope not mandatory unless the car requires type approval ie there are significant changes from the old model..... the mk3 was approved before the law came into effect so it wasn't required but was a good sales ploy... since the 3.5 is pretty much the same car it doesn't have to have them...the rapid failures of the units and the cost to the car companies means more are shying away from fitting them many don't want them at all... in fact its been proved they are nothing more than a ploy devised by the bulb manufacturers and do not prevent accidents in countries where its not dark most of the time such as norway which I where the figures and claim comes from that it cuts accidents and deaths add to that they are failing way too much I know so many people with new cars and at least one drl unit has failed with an expensive bill to have them replaced one Audi at work £380 for a new unit its already had one replaced add to that some new cars have them on even with headlights on I've passed and flashed more than a few as I try to avoid going into a field and they put there fogs on as well !Removed! annoying on unlit roads when you're blinded by a moving Christmas tree

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2011/02/new-cars-to-be-fitted-with-daytime-running-lights-244280/

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/daytime-running-lights.html

And the cherry on the cake http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/35408/watchdog-daytime-running-lights-rip

So under EU directives you don't need fancy expensive drls all you need is an auto function on you're headlights that's it no l.e.d units costing silly money or integrated into the headlight meaning a whole new headlights required to fix the broken led

your right about the normal look running lights, the yellow light and relatively dim appearance doesn't stand out tht well. but good DRLs stand out during the day, and whilst I cant comment for everyone my personal feeling is that they do make you more visible, i certainly find i notice cars that much easier.

so i don't think its a complete con, it is a shame some are just dipped fog lights tho

I remember that back in around 1987 manufacturers toyed with D.R.L.'s & of course Volvo have had them for eons

I also recall a lot of Volvo drivers in the UK pulling the sidelight permanent feed fuses out too.

I remember the days of dim dipped headlights of the ealy 1980's

Yes . . Dim-dip if I recall correctly.

my mk3 (M reg) fiesta had this (dim dip function)

They should have them AFAIK it's an EU law for all new cars to have them. The focus has been revised so the new laws mean that it should have them on all models. The MK7.5 Fiesta has them.

The brochure lists the facelift as having halogen DRLs on lower models...?

EDIT:

Although now I have said that, I can't find it. Sure I read it somewhere...

the new focus doesnt have to have them it was type approved before feb 2011 and since the new model 3.5 is not really much different to the mk3 it also doesnt need type approval therefor it doesnt need drls only a radical design of the focus will require new type approval and mandatory drl..as said ford and others are trying not to fit them as its costing them a packet replacing faulty or burning out units

Hmmm, I tohught EVERY new model was require to have them (ie faceflifted cars too) as it is classed as a "new" model. I do find it strange that the Fiesta got them though?

Hmmm, I tohught EVERY new model was require to have them (ie faceflifted cars too) as it is classed as a "new" model. I do find it strange that the Fiesta got them though?

Chris, you've pretty much taken the words right out of my mouth on this one as I was gonna say the same thing this morning.

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I do not like the EU's specification on DRLs allowing the main beams to be used. Have you ever seen someone flash at you with them? I couldn't really tell if they were or not!

In the US the majority of cars either use a separate bulb like we have on cars here, or use the headlights on reduced power instead leaving the flasher portion of the main beams to work as normal. Granted there is a few "world" model cars over there that use main beams i.e VW/BMW. The other thing with the EU law is they have to be bright enough to compete with the sun, again in the US they do not, and this actually leads to more stupidity from certainly UK road users as they seem to think their cars have auto lights and drive around at night/very low light/rain without turning their lights on at all, so you get blinded by them.

It does say not every new model will have them in the article it its all about approval as the mk3 was done before the approval drls didn't have to be fitted since the 3.5 isn't a drastic design change it doesn't need them either woman at works new fiesta doesn't have them

Here in Slovakia, the MK3 has only LED DRLs as a paid-for-feature (and I think as standard for Titanium) and the new MK3.5 has them as standard, either as reduced-main-beam light, or in higher models with LED stripe.

To be honest, I like the DRLs, I put them on my MK2 as well, combined with fog lights (separate LED bulbs), and I have no problem either with the reduced main/dipped beam DRLs as seen on VW group cars, what, however, I think is a problem, are the drivers who are driving with them at night and don't turn on proper lights thinking "I can see others so they must see me too" or something...so another thing, not brought to an end by EU - when equipping the car with DRLs, you also have to put in the light sensor, which turns on the lights automatically when it's dark outside, and the DRLs would also work only in the "AUTO" position of the light switch, not also when the lights are off - switch in "0" position...so if you want fancy LED DRLs, you put the switch in AUTO position and you will drive safely also, because it switches the dipped lights on in the dark...I think this should be the standard and I also installed the light sensor in my Focus as well...

Interesting...

Not on a Focus but my dads Range Rover has DRLs, and it was dark, so when starting the car I turned the lights to off (normally on auto), and there was no light coming form the front at all!

Maybe this is a safety feature so you can't drive at night with DRLs on?

Exactly, this is how it should be! But, in our company, we have Toyota and Lexus cars, and they, for example, have it like I wrote before, when you switch to "0", the front LEDs are still on! Also, when I see something cheaper, let's say Skoda Fabia, they do have their DRLs on, but I highly doubt that they have any light sensor, or an "AUTO" position on their light switch, so it's again something I wouldn't recommed...people get used to "some light will be on always", so why would I turn the dipped beam on, when I can still see?