Marker side lights

[HillmanImp]

Has anyone else on here been caught out by those bloody marker side lights on lorries and vans?On more than 1 occasion whilst overtaking a lorry the light has caught my eye for some reason and for a moment i have thought the lorry is indicating to pull out making me brown my trousers.They seem to catch my attention as they pass the A pillar. Would it not have been a better idea to make these green or something, rather than amber?It would certainly help my nerves.

[mnde]

YES!I've had at least one occasion at night where the tarpaulin of the lorry was flapping and obscuring the marker lights in such a way that they looked like flashing indicators.... Mind you, the amount of times I've been partway through overtaking a lorry, and the dreaded indicator has started flashing, it starts edging over and I've had to stand on the anchors... Why, oh why, do they:a) stay in the left filter lane until the last minute before deciding they don't actually want to come off the motorway thereb) drive in convoy with other lorries blocking 2 lanes of the motorwayc) try stupid overtaking manoeuvers uphill when they're already on the bloody limiter.

[HillmanImp]

After riding a 125 cc motorbike to work some years ago i can no longer complain about lorries getting stuck overtaking each other. I lost count of the amount of times i had the run on the lorry only to get stuck in the turbulance at the front causing a bit of a tailback (sorry to anyone who was swearing at me during this process). I must practice what i preach.It is crappy being sat behind the same lorry for ages, its like sitting looking at a wall, which is why i used to take a punt at getting past (as they probably do). They should put huge DVD players on the back and the problem would be solved as i would be happy to sit behind a lorry watching a film. Maybe not 'Duel' though.

[Richard]

It's the invisible lights that annoy me, how do the manufacturers get away with it? The standard 80s/90s arrangement of indicators beside the headlight was bad enough, they can be difficult to see with the headlights on, but the current practice of putting the indicator inside the headlight is just nonsense. Even with the headlight off they are very difficult to see.VW's combined brake light and indicator is another one. When the brake light is on, as it often is when signalling, it's nearly impossible to see the indicator.Don't get me started on Xenons

[Albert Ross]

Peugeot 206, Golf Mk4, Mk1.5 Focus 2001-2005,I hate the lot of em as you sit patiently at a junction, waiting for them to pass, and they turn in, apparently no signals, and you miss a gap in traffic, all following drivers think you have a box of tissues and a tartan blanket! As for the current VW Passat/Jetta/Golf "idea" of the ring indicator, around a 21 watt stop lamp, yeah great! OH, while I'm at it, imagine a drizzly dusk commute home, and a queue of traffic, and the driver in front of you insists on keping their foot on the brake pedal. THANKS NUMPTY! Why is there no timed cut out on the circuit, to extinguish the lamps if the vehicle has been stationary for more than 4 seconds or so. Surely in these days of ECUs for EVERYTHING, this is possible. I recall replacing a headlamp bulb in a current model Astra (through the inner wheelarch BTW) and it didnt work. I had to tell the car (via a diagnostic computer) a new bulb had been fitted, as apparently if you fit a new bulb with the lamp circuit turned on, it does this!

[ChinaTom]

I have a scary lorry pet-hate too. Out here when we are driving through the mountains, there is usually only one road linking places, and every piece of freight needs to use it. Some of these roads are very steep, and the lorries are 200% overladen in most cases. Their brakes get very hot and they would fade unless they rigged up little water pipes to dribble water on them at a flick of a switch from the cabin. during the day, they check their mirrors to see that there is steam coming off the wheels - if not, they need to stop and top up the tank. At night on these roads it is as black as possible - moon often behind the mountain, and no glow from settlements to illuminate the ambience. So, they mount bright lamps (motorcycle headlamps usually) on their rear mudguards pointed at the rear wheels (i.e. shining backwards) to light up the area for the steam checks. The d-i-y set-ups mean switches always fail and they leave these lights on permanently. These lorries crawl up the 1:6 inclines in first gear. Now imagine bombing up the road, turning on a tight switchback and being blinded by these lamps on a lorry 20 feet in front of you. I don't know if this description does the feeling justice, but it is just as if there is a f*cking great truck coming at you. A popping the brown champaign moment I can tell you!

 

Edit:

 

 

The truck lying down has taken this a stage further by actually mounting rear-facing "head-lamps" for this purpose. Mounting them behind the wheels has the same usefulness believe it or not.

 

And yes that is 93grade fuel dribbling down the road. That's the policeman telling us rubberneckers to extinguish our Marly Lights.

[fiatdaft]

just wait till you see more of"hit the brakes hard and the hazards come on "only a few have it just now,but will get more common

[Richard]

My wife's C5 has that. The last time I set it off I couldn't find the hazard switch to switch them off again.The C5 also has the indicator-in-headlamp and the standard issue "daylight for six feet and nothing beyond" headlights. I used to have a Renault 21 with normal H4 headlights and they were great. Then I got a series 1.5 Xantia with dip and main beam on separate H1 bulbs and they were pretty poor. Then I got an S2 Xantia and the lights were even worse. Then we got the C5 and they were worse again.

[HillmanImp]

As for the current VW Passat/Jetta/Golf "idea" of the ring indicator, around a 21 watt stop lamp, yeah great!

I noticed this for the first time the other day. They have put art above function. I mean it looks lovely with your circular indicators but its impossible to see.

[205 gti]

Its even worse in America where every car has to have side lights that are always on and are the same colour as the indicator, mounted in the bumper on the side.Number of times i've looked like a total dick crossing the street over there. Sprinting half way accross convinced a car is about to turn right and mow me down, only to look really stupid as it continues straight on.

[Ross_K]

just wait till you see more of"hit the brakes hard and the hazards come on "only a few have it just now,but will get more common

I thought cars for the UK market had that feature deactivated as moving with your hazards on is illegal?

[MrRegieRitmo]

just wait till you see more of"hit the brakes hard and the hazards come on "only a few have it just now,but will get more common

I thought cars for the UK market had that feature deactivated as moving with your hazards on is illegal?

I see people do it all the time to let people know you're coming up to a traffic jam on motorways & dual carriageways

[Cavcraft]

Some of the drivers I talk to are up in arms because they're company makes them drive with headlight on all the time AND they aren't allowed to go over 50mph to save fuel. Apparantly when being overtaken by faster lorries they see the headlights and think they are being flashed in so start coming back in to that lane earlier than they should meaning a lot of braking and cursing.

[pogweasel]

Some of the drivers I talk to are up in arms because they're company makes them drive with headlight on all the time AND they aren't allowed to go over 50mph to save fuel. Apparantly when being overtaken by faster lorries they see the headlights and think they are being flashed in so start coming back in to that lane earlier than they should meaning a lot of braking and cursing.

That sounds like mega-bollocks!If someone told me I had to scuttle along at sub-HGV speeds, I'd tell them to go eat their nanna's minge. And permanant headlights? How does that work, aside from kitting everyone out with 1982 Volvo's & Saabs?(Actually I like the idea of that last bit)

[outlaw118]

The bit about the speed restrictions may well be correct; we've had a memo "recommending" we restrict our speed to 56mph in our signwritten vans, "to save fuel, and for improved elf and safety".Whilst only a "recommendation", does anyone else think its a strange coincidence that trackers have just been fitted?

[pogweasel]

My van's unwritten and untracked and it will stay that way!

 

(Signwriting would double the insurance.... why is that???)

[HillmanImp]

My griff is not with lorries but with VOSA who put in the legislation re the lights. I know that they are bloody everywhere, but what the hell would we do without them (am slightly concerned i may have accidentally started a lorry witch hunt here). These markers are on all vehicles of a certain length built after 96 including horse boxes (and probably caravans???).I do think the government should have done more to keep a sustained use of rail freight and i am sure they would in Hindsight (where is Hindsight, i cant find it on a map and it sounds a lovely place ), but lorries are there and as we demand more and more stuff our need for them increases. However i would be interested to know how any lorry drivers on here feel about this:http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/45bn-driveon-rail-route-for.4371171.jpBefore we know costs etc its hard to say if it is feisable, but assuming the track works and trains are regular and on time it seems a good idea as it clears the roads at least a bit, is apparently enviromentally friendly and will avoid traffic etc.Will probably never happen as in my eyes it seems a good idea.