Bulley wrote:

> Actually, no. DRL's are typically high-beams of the vehicle, operated at
> 80% voltage.

I find it strange that the high beams are used as DRLs, all cars here in Norway
has had mandatory automatic DRLs since 1985, and it is usually low beams or fog
lights operated at 70-100% voltage. The requirement for DRLs are that they have
to be bulbs of at least 20w, and with yellow or white light. All pre-1985 cars
have to use lights on at daytime as well, one can get fined for not using
lights, with 500 crowns or $65. There are kits available here, that makes your
low beams into automatic DRLs.

> The purpose is to call attention to the vehicle during
> daylight hours by using a slightly dimmed version of longest range beam of
> the car.

Exactly, and studies have showed that there are less accidents when lights are
used in daytime. That's why we've had this since 1985.

>
>
> The city lamp, on the other hand, is a 5w bulb that does NOTHING toward
> illuminating the road surface, it is there mostly to mark the front of the
> vehicle while driving in the city.

Or to put it more correct, it is the parking lights. In the US, the parking
lights are often incorporated into the turn signals, giving amber parking
lights. Here in Europe, the parking lights are separate units, or incorporated
into the head light and with bulbs of 4 or 5 watts. The parking lights MUST be
white, no amber or yellow or green or blue allowed.

> (Some European cities have wisely chosen
> to forbid headlamps in the city, recognizing that they do more to blind
> oncoming vehicles than they do to illuminate roads that are sufficiently
> illuminated by street lamps).

I have never heard of this, and I have neither felt blinded by other cars
headlights in traffic. (Not speaking from the Vanagons high view point either)

These days, the lights on the car do more than light up the road.

PerL
87 Syncro 112i