The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

It's that time of the year when dark mornings and early sunset is upon us and people seem to forget that lights on cars are important.

With the advent of modern technology and the new TFT/digi type screen in cars I am noticing a bit of a trend. Many cars now have DRL's which look very good and will illuminate when the ignition is turned on. At the same time the dash lights up, rev counter, speedo and info screens.

But people seem to forget to turn the normal headlights on when it's dark. I have now pulled up at traffic lights at night on a few occassions and told people that their lights are off or they only have the DRL's on.

Any one else notice any of these muppets?

Public service announcement over.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Half of them are probably doing it deliberately to 'save fuel'

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

richs2891

Not noticed many with lights off but loads recently with at least one headlight bulb out.
Lazy so and so get them changed makes life easier for you and for others on the road.

Richard

dpb

What you need headlights for, when the place illuminated allready

..mainly to compete with some chav in his nova/audi a3 sporting ridiculously bright lighting .

They should ban street lighting, especially where I'm trying to get to sleep

richs2891

I was thinking on the way home last night that they should stop lighting motorways up, as all cars have lights, so is it only me that A) see it as a complete waste of electricity, and
B) easier on your eyes to drive on unlit sections ?

Richard

Cpt Jack Sparrow

iTrader: (14)

its front and rear fogs on, on a clear stary night that ***** my swede...

Why oh why

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

They have done that round here and it worls well apart from the one or two complete kn0bjockeys that think having full beam on regardless of whether or not there is anyone in front of them is a good idea

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

After market blue bulb HID's.

Bugatti

It doesn't help that manufacturers are making changing light bulbs harder and harder.

I recently changed the front (in headlight casing) indicator bulb on a new shape Civic for a friend. Had to jack car up, take the wheel off, remove wheel arch lining held on using plastic studs which broke whilst removing them, remove a plastic air duct pipe before I could get to the bulb. Then a trip to car parts place to get replacement studs.

Ridiculous design.

hodgy0_2

I find driving on unlit sections of the motorway much much more tiring

I think it an age thing tbh

wrx300scooby

Got to agree, I find night time motorway driving much easier on lit sections, I also agree with the age thing 'cos I'm an old git too

mickywrx

iTrader: (29)

Same as everything with modern cars, I think they are trying to make them so you have to go to the dealers for even simple things.

See loads of people round here with no lights on at night, clown tonight on a national speed limit A road with no lights on, then proceded to join an unlit section of motorway, still with no lights on and not bothering to indicate.

CharlySkunkWeed

iTrader: (7)

I was behind a car for about 10 miles last night , (she) had rear fog on the whole feckin time ! I flashed my headlights at her quite a few times (whenever there was no oncoming traffic) and she was oblivious to me. Its not exactly blinding light , but it is distracting and makes it harder to see brake light.

The amount of cars with bulbs blown these nights is beyond me , how don't they notice ?

Adrian F

I find it easier and safer to drive on roads with street lights and my commute each night is on a motorway with a mix of lit and unlit sections in poor weather unlit sections are much more difficult to judge distances of cars behind in mirrors

Obvioulsy turning them off saves money but it does make it more dangerous shame we only seem to spend money when it makes the motorists life worse like sleeping policemen and speed cameras

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

They've been doing that on cars without DRLs fitted for years now...just blindly pottering around using the side lights (which are parking lights...for highway code readers..they are not "dim dip" )

At least DRLs are more visible than sidelamps (21watt or equiv output per lamp output vs 5watts), so those idiots driving grey cars on a grey drizzly day can at last now be seen without the need for them to know how to work the light switch.

Still a pet hate of mine...more so than front fogs. Oh and drivers that sit inches from the steering wheel and lean forward. Which basically makes their blind spots to each side ten times larger...if driving on the continent, they usually drive a Dacia (every Dacia I have seen so far has been badly driven).....the next replacement car for old duffers and idiots that used to drive a Micra who currently drive a Kia, and used to drive a Metro before it rotted to pieces. )

And all street lights should be turned off. If you can't see...work out how to use the light switch, get an eye test, get the beam aim sorted (another pet hate), and fix that blown bulb.

And all pedestrians and bikers must wear reflective clothing when using the roads (including joggers that refuse to use footpaths). Punishable by law...I think a week in the stocks ought to suffice

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

I'm surprised the cars with DRLs don't have auto lights, both mine do and they're both pretty run of the mill cars.

mamoon2

Winds me up seeing people driving with side lights on like Ali said. Are these people stupid?

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

You are right about the unlit sections when the weather is poor, but I actually prefer them unlit when it is dry and clear.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

I have a 5 series BMW and the lights just come on automatically, saves annoying people who seem to get bothered by it

moley1967

Deleted post .. sorry im having a BAD day at work .

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

They may get hit/hit someone before the law pulls them.

mart360

******* who flash you every morning for having no lights on, when

A ) Its clear enough to see without them

B) Past lighting off time

If you need a car to have its headlights on to see it, then you shouldn't be on the bloody road

Mart

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I used to think like this until I bought a silver (grey) car. The amount of time I get cut up in broad daylight is unbelievable, I think they see me but have poor perception that I'm moving as people look and appear to make eye contact but pull away anyway.

If its dismal or cloudy, basically anything other than a perfect day my lights are on. It does make a difference. They turn on automatically anyway if I go above 40mph (auto highway lights), and when the wipers turn on (rain lights).

Current annoyance is the low sun at this time of year - it is blinding and at certain times it's impossible to see oncoming cars that aren't using any lights.

corradoboy

What's the point of DRL's ? Why did we need a totally new class of lighting when all that was needed was a minor alteration in the construction and use regulations telling manufacturers to ensure sidelights come on with the ignition ! Now we have a load of numpties driving around with DRL's in the dark, not realising they have no rear lights on at all.

And then there's these phuktardz.....

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Yep.

A couple of nights ago, I was just about to turn right at my local traffic light junction, after the lights turned green. I was horrified, as this geezer on a bicycle came flying through (he had clearly jumped the lights from a few metres back, peddling at speed).

You guessed it; no lights on his bike. Plus he and his bike were all in black (and he was black to boot lol!).

If I had been literally half a second earlier - thankfully, I was a little slow off the mark - I have no doubt 'I' would have taken him out.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Because sidelights should only be used when the car is stationary. Not when driving. Nobody realises this either, they are useless and pointless for any situation where exterior lighting is required other than to give lighting without draining the battery ( which is why they always used 5watt bulbs ).

Unfortunately phuktards will be phuktards so either we club together and start a campaign to slap every one of these idiots with enough force that may reengage their brain, Or we are going to see a lot more of them

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

A couple of examples of 'novel' lighting arrangements I've come across in recent weeks:
1. Driver in a newish Audi/Merc/BMW (can't remember which), with rear number-plate lights so bright the back of his car could have passed for the front of one coming the other way (with headlamps on). No way could they have been standard spec bulbs, although I'm still yet to find out exactly what the regs on maximum permitted wattage are. Thankfully this was on a dual-carriageway, so at some point I decided to brave the glare and go past the eedgit.
2. Driver in slightly pimped up 3-door hatch, probably a VW, whose brake-lights were permanently on. How do I know this? Well, the center/high-level lamp never came off once for the whole mile and a half I followed him, including when pulling away from roundabouts and junctions, and I never saw a second light come on in the main cluster when slowing down for junctions, so obviously the real rear lamps were completely inoperative, and all that was working was the brake-lights. Judging from the look of the car, it wouldn't surprise me if the genius inside had made a botch of wiring-in some LEDs or HIDs, and this was the result.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Faulty brake light switches on VW/Audis is very common...I replaced two myself last weekend (easy fix; remove trim, remove connector, then twist and pull, then fit new switch).....

Quite interesting when the switch fails the other way with a automatic/DSG equipped car....makes engaing drive or reverse somewhat interesting as it needs a working brake switch to work (can be done, but it needs a bit of trickery ).

Raptorman

iTrader: (1)

Spotted tonight a FedEx van with no lights on
and he was busy chatting on his mobile too!