the light wars

[forddeliveryboy]

Oncoming drivers dipping only once they can see you and they're dazzling has been commonplace for more than a decade here - I sometimes give them a similar length of time before we pass if I'm the wrong way out. But has anyone else noticed an increase in people who don't dip their lights at all, until you flash yours?

[Bobthebeard]

Oncoming drivers dipping only once they can see you and they're dazzling has been commonplace for more than a decade here - I sometimes give them a similar length of time before we pass if I'm the wrong way out. But has anyone else noticed an increase in people who don't dip their lights at all, until you flash yours?

Given how selfish most people seem to be nowadays, more a case of 'who blinks first' seems to apply...

Although some dipped beams are brighter than a nuclear explosion anyway.

[Bear]

People don't seem to drive planning ahead. Remember when drivers used to watch the hedgerows and houses 250-500 yards ahead for the reflection of oncoming lights, and dipped in advanced (and probably slowed, made sure their line was good, etc.) rather than waiting until the last minute to react?

[HH-R]

There's a pelican crossing near me that has been put in in the last year or two. The green light for cars must be a 3kW bulb or something, the road is long and straight and you can't see ANYTHING else for this light.

[forddeliveryboy]

People don't seem to drive planning ahead. Remember when drivers used to watch the hedgerows and houses 250-500 yards ahead for the reflection of oncoming lights, and dipped in advanced (and probably slowed, made sure their line was good, etc.) rather than waiting until the last minute to react?

 

 

To be fair, probably more than half the local traffic does behave like this. Very rewarding when you both dip at the same time!

 

I tend to dip the lights along small roads when running on main beam when I'm not sure if someone's coming. And vice-versa if on dipped, so that someone approaching knows there's a car coming. It's courteous, safer and not least makes for more rapid progress.

 

The best manners I've met have been in the North West of Scotland. Going up a long pass with passing places, an oncoming driver flashed his lights briefly to let me know he'd seen a passing place and would use it, then switched to sidelights once stationary so I could see where I was going. That sort of behaviour makes you pleased to be part of the human race, courtesy can be infectious. It's always the minority who destroy endemic helpful behaviour,

 

In the same part of the world, most locals will pull over and let you pass if it's clear you're wanting to go faster than they're travelling. In England, just overtaking some people is enough to set them into a war-like mindset, such is their feebleness of their character.

[cros]

Last night about 8.30 I'd just joined the A14 from the M11 when up ahead I could see a car sideways across the outer carriageway. A police van overtook me and then stopped in the outside lane. I stuck my hazards on (not original on a 1951 Seddon) and after clocking that the way was clear, trickled past. What struck me was that the police van with a blue light on the rear door just didn't stand out enough against the general traffic which are mostly lit up like the foyer of a strip club. 2 miles further on I saw a Scania which had its entire front decorated with bright blue LEDs.
Its just cuntish.

[Noel Tidybeard]

"oh dear one of my headlights doesn't work- never mind there's 2 more if i push this sticky thing forwards- hmm what does that blue light mean- ah never mind"

 

they really are oblivious

[vulgalour]

Remember when drivers used to watch the hedgerows and houses 250-500 yards ahead for the reflection of oncoming lights, and dipped in advanced (and probably slowed, made sure their line was good, etc.) rather than waiting until the last minute to react?

 

Remember?  I thought that's what you were supposed to do, it's certainly what I do.  Almost impossible to make any kind of decent smooth progress on unlit country roads without doing it.

[Bear]

Yeah. Which is why my pootling about on the roads around here (you know them, I think!) is invariably much faster than what looks like frenzied, panicked progress from the cars in front. That usually sail through villages at 40, too...

 

The Borders, last time I was up, showed a deterioration in an area where driving well was the only way to survive - no real public transport, no lighting, no dual carriageways, and everything from rally drivers to tractors. Was really surprised to find people crossing the lines on blind bends, dawdling, weaving. Depressing.

[Eddie Honda]

Try an xm's headlamps- a coal miner's safety lamp gives off a more useful glow!

I've not tried those, but I have driven at least 700-odd mostly motorway miles in a 6V DAF 44. That's real piss-trickle 35W tungsten lighting. Only thing worse than that was an Italjet D50, which at least had the excuse it was officially a moped, so effectively just had candela of a pair of sidelights. Not very helpful as it was de-rizzed.

[Luxxo Waftybarger]

New land rovers and range rovers are hideous as driven by the father in law who blinds me with his Evoque. Asked him if he felt bad about driving a car with such unpleasant lights for everyone else. He gave the same reason everyone votes Tory, drives diesel in towns etc. "I'm alright jack".

[mossymossy]

Driving back to work the other night. Really bright emergency lights coming up from behind. I'm in my transit, so only getting blinded in the wing mirrors. It was an estate car marked ambulance. Only doing about the legal limit, empty M5. His blues were absolutely blinding. I slowed down to around 50 to let him get ahead. Why are they so bright, and why did he have them on?

[FakeConcern]

now you know why honda fitted a split rear screen on the spaceship civic- it blocks these cock lights perfectly!

My C4 VTS has this same design feature!

[alf892]

Just be grateful that we get bloody cats eyes here. What a marvellous invention. Someone tell the French. But yes, XM headlamps are dreadful. My Dyane on old-type bulbs is actually better on dipped beam.

 

 

 

I thought I was the only one! I seriously get narked by this. First noticed it on Peugeot 307CCs.

And that's another thing! White lines and cats eyes seem to be in a piss poor state too.........unmaintained. White lines are supposed to be reflective but often they are so worn as to become useless.

 

This taken with the modern lights is making things very dodgey........add a bit of rain and it is nasty.

[Taff]

I yearn for the good old days when my stopping distance at night was further than my feeble bulbs could illuminate

[HH-R]

It was a bit foggy here yesterday, I can just imagine the excitement of all those running round with fuggin rear fogs burning everyone's eyes out as they could legitimately press those magic buttons of joy on the dashboard. Close, but no cigar. Was way too little fog for them, but no one seems to know that.

 

I've never actually owned a car WITH front fogs...

[UltraWomble]

Try an xm's headlamps- a coal miner's safety lamp gives off a more useful glow!

Must be a Citroen thing

BX were terrible

c8 Equally as shite

[J-Rod]

I'm thinking that they are on full beam half the time. I am usually about to flash them when I realise that they aren't. Trouble is that I own an Astra G, a Defender and Mk2 Golf all of which have notoriously poor head lights.

Yeah, I've found that too. Also, as many people have said, DRLs are needlessly intimidating to most and almost entirely pointless. 

 

And what is up with the whole 'front foglight on when you turn' thing? I'd bet a tenner drivers of said vehicles don't even know their car is doing it. 

[gordonbennet]

Oh bugger i'm going to give an own goal now, my lorry is fitted with those turn lights, but they are lights for that purpose only not the normal fog/spot light and my DRL's are switched off permanently, by me, its the brightest painted tanker you'll ever see if you can't see the bloody thing without those two silly fairy lights get a white stick.

 

Anyway, the turn lights work when you operate the indicator at typical turn speeds only, they only put a small amount of light forward but a considerable spread on the ground in the direction you are turning, for the job they do when turning into dark customers premises they are indeed very good.

[Eddie Honda]

YMMV with those turn/fogs. My mother-in-law [insert 1970s gag here] has a i10. It has the "front foglight on when you turn" thing, indicators not required. I think it works depending speed+steering. In reverse gear it works on opposite fog lights.

 

DRLs don't get me started on that pile of wank.

[J-Rod]

To be fair, if you're in a truck and 10ft off the floor, turning into a potholed yard after dark, seems like a sensible thing. 

 

Not so sure about a Nissan Juke on the school run... 

[Christine]

When i were a lad , you had to have yellow anti dazzle headlight covers if you went  to France ... and any visiting frog car would have yellow headlights over here ... they always looked dim , but as everyone had the same , it worked .

[Bone]

Indicators in the headlamp unit. Designed so that when turning right onto a main road at night you have to look at the headlamp to decide if the oncoming car is turning left. and so its safe to pull out, or its going straight on. By then it doesn't matter because after looking directly at a headlamp you cant see anyway.

[Junkman]

A gentleman doesn't drive by night.

[pshome]

surprised nobody mentioned the stupid arrogant bikers that intentionally keep the high beam on, god knows why.

Blinds me so much that i have no choice but to immediately stear my car to the middle of the road and turn on all the lights i have...  for safety reasons

[Bone]

surprised nobody mentioned the stupid arrogant bikers that intentionally keep the high beam on, god knows why.

Blinds me so much that i have no choice but to immediately stear my car to the middle of the road and turn on all the lights i have...  for safety reasons

Can't turn the lights off on my bike, they don't have light switches anymore.

 

Stupid arrogant EU regulations I believe.

[Junkman]

People don't seem to drive planning ahead. Remember when drivers used to watch the hedgerows and houses 250-500 yards ahead for the reflection of oncoming lights, and dipped in advanced (and probably slowed, made sure their line was good, etc.) rather than waiting until the last minute to react?

 

May I please be forgiven because driving P6?

Until I find that bloody dip switch, it's always too late.

[pshome]

Can't turn the lights off on my bike, they don't have light switches anymore.

 

Stupid arrogant EU regulations I believe.

but you can switch between high beam and low beam... that makes a difference:

 

 

 

[Bone]

but you can switch between high beam and low beam... that makes a difference:

 

 

 

Fully agree, but of all the bike riders I know I'm not aware of a ride round on full beam thing going on. The mot test checks beam alignment, maybe its local to you?

Its not something I've noticed when in the car.

[Bone]

Oh and please dont drive to the middle of the road at a bike.....bad form that is....and dangerous.