Why trigger driving lights from High beams?

belayslave09

belayslave09

Forum Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
37
Location
Tasmania, AUS
I've been mulling this over for quite a while, and no matter to which forum i turn, which 'expert' i speak to at 4WD stores locally, i get most recommending that i should have my driving lights wired via a relay, triggered from the high beams.
Eden agrees it seems:
eden said:
i have this one in the spare fill for the hi beam (spots) which i wired to come on only with the hi beams headlight switch.
Click to expand...

Now i'm not saying this is wrong, but just want to understand why this seems to be the norm? Is it a legal requirement to have it so? or can i simple tap my cig lighter to provide switched 12V to the relay instead?

I am a bit of a control freak and like options, so would like to have the option of turning my driving lights (which will be my soon to be installed Lightforce 170's) whenever i want.

Any thoughts or explanations would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Chris
 
I have the factory low/high and the factory fogs. I also have HELLA 500 driving lights.

They have thier own switch (relay and fuse).

I have never heard of what you are talking about before. I know the logic with the fog lights, and i use my driving lights with or without the high beams.

nipper
 
hey Nipper, see that's what i'm thinking i'd like to do, use my driving lights with or without high beams. there seems to be much confusion as to whether it's a legal requirement in Australia to have it attached to your high beams or not.
 
belayslave09 said:
there seems to be much confusion as to whether it's a legal requirement in Australia to have it attached to your high beams or not.
Click to expand...

Belayslave i wouldn't give a crap about the legalities of it because you'll never get busted for it. every car ivé owned ivé had spots and it never come up at rego time. and i think it's more a state law than the whole of Oz. the reason i have mine controlled by the hi beams is so that if someone is coming in the opposite direction and you have to dip down for a few seconds you just simply flick the stick insted of mucking around with two switches. now i cant understand why anyone would want to have powerfull spots on with just low beams. isn't the idea to have a sh1t load of light? if you still want it the way you described there is a way where you can have both options. you will need a toggle or slider type switch with two switching options. ( its called a two pole switch.)
 
Here in the states we are limited to six light the rest have to have covers. I am having no luck googling the subject from my end of the planet. Ask a local Jeep club or whoever inspects/licenses cars there. NEVER listen to a sutoparts store, as I find them the least informed.

I did find this, which i think will steer you in the right direction

https://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Topic/4432/Spot_light_regulations.aspx

Post 4
 
I think you will find it's a requirement in most states to have your spotties wired to your high beam. It's to do with the safety of other road users.
You have to dim your lights if a car is coming the other way and wired this way you can't 'forget' to turn your spotties off. Makes sense to me.
Mucking around with 2 switches could be dangerous to the other driver.
As someone said, why would you want your spotties on with low beam anyway? Just seems easier to do it the other way to me.
In reality, in NSW, if you have spotties fitted they should be checking it with the annual rego check.
 
^ "spotlights" aka driving lights be they broad and/or pencil beam. Mine are armed via a dash switch and then a relay linked to high beam.
 
As I understand the legislation in NSW, driving lights- as opposed to fog lights, need to be linked to the high beams. The correct way to do that is via a fused relay and some 5mm cable- just make sure it is not all insulation! I think there also needs to be a switch inside the cabin, although I do not run that. Not sure what the advantage would be of having them come on independant of the high beams, as the most convenient switch for turning them on is the high beam switch at your fingers.

How the laws in different states- or countries- applies I do not know, but I thought most states in Australia have pretty similar laws
 
Thats right Rally. You are supposed to have a seperate switch in the cabin that turns the spotties (driving lights) on or off but they are actually operated by the high beam switch.
I think NSW has a rule or 2 about the use of foggies doesn't it? Only on in low light or something, unlike QLD where every bugger turns them on.
 
Foggies are illegal to use in NSW except in fog or fog light conditions- such as heavy rain. Commodore SS & Falcon XR drivers use their front foggies all the time, and Hyundai drivers love using their rear ones. All are most annoying, Subaru ones are so useless they are not such a problem!
 
Agree 100%. It's one of my pet hates. I put some foggies on my 05 to try and get SOME light on the road for nighttime country driving after discovering how bad the std headlights were, even put better globes in them and they ARE useless. Spotties are the only answer if you want to avoid the kangas.
 
I've previously had driving lights wired to operate in both low beam and high beam switching. When switched to low beam the driving lights came on with low beam. The reason for this was the trucks 100W low beams were great but the low beam globes cut out when you switched to high beam, leaving a dark void in front of the truck even with driving lights. In high beam mode the driving lights orpated as normal - e.g. only came on when highbeam was activated which is ok for highway driving where you don't need to see everything immediately in front, but no good driving a b-double at night on logging tracks thus driving lights and low beam were the best combination.
 
Having driving lights switched to high beam is a requirement of the ADRs as well as being covered by state laws. I'd only expect you'd get picked up for it if you were some B&S type with a million spotties on the roof of your Commodore ute and were doing circle work in a public space.
 
Last edited:
It has become trendy in recent years for a number of B&S utes to get around Sydney. A mate I knew decided to go that way. He got the biggest bullbar you have seen on a car, the lights, the mudflaps, the aerials- the full nine yards. The Lights were on the bar, the roof- typical B&S ute. Trouble was, the mounting brackets were so big as well, combined h had trouble getting in and out of driveways even with raised suspension!

Speaking of B&S utes, has anyone ever gone to the Ute Muster?
 
Thanks for all the great replies and info everyone. May do my install in the next few days otherwise i might have to wait for a while. will let you know if i come up with some good links or docs regarding the actual laws as i intend on getting some confirmation on what's been mentioned.


hoadie said:
Having driving lights switched to high beam is a requirement of the ADRs as well as being covered by state laws. I'd only expect you'd get picked up for it if you were some B&S type with a million spotties on the roof of your Commodore ute and were doing circle work in a public space.
Click to expand...

Maybe i should know this, maybe i do... but what are ADRs?
 
It's always been my understanding that driving lights had to switched with the high beams. I've had Auto Electricians refuse to do it any other way - but after what I saw today i now have my doubts.... spotted a Victoria Police station car driving towards me in full daylight with driving lights on - obviously switched independently of the high beams because the head lights were not on...

onebob
 
Back
Top