Full dipped headlights ON in slightly dull weather a must!

[guest4283]

Having had two boneheads (during the course of 1 week) pull out in front of me from side roads, has made me appreciate the value of LED day time running lights. I'm certainly eager to switch on my full head lights even if it is only slightly dull. I've seen people driving on just their parking lights (similar to Jazz), in dull weather, but they are kidding themselves if they think it greatly improves their visibility.

Car seems not to be seen too clearly by other road users!

[guest1521]

Agree. See... and be seen. The very top rule for safe motoring.

Low bright sun BEHIND you and you should switch dipped headlights on, too. Thinking drivers heading into the sun will often switch their lights on as a 'prompt' to the oncoming traffic. However you shouldn't need that prompt. A top clue (if you have - unthinkingly - yet to notice the low sun behind you) is... if you see oncoming cars with their sunvisors down, switch on. Side lights/parking lights are almost useless if you want to be seen in any poor visibility situation... unless they are bright LED running lights.

[guest4324]

In Switzerland it was recommended to drive with lights on since a couple of years, and now they've gone one step further so that from 01.01.2014 you have to drive with either daytime running lights or dipped beam headlights at all times. This is already the law in Scandinavia, Italy and most balkan countries where statistically it's been proven that the accident rate during the daytime has dropped. I would imagine this will come to the UK soon and new cars have to be built with daytime running lights anyway.
Unfortunately there will always be the odd bonehead (as you rightly named them!) around who wouldn't see you if you had flashing lights and flags waving.

[RichardA]

I was taught not to drive using parking/side lights only, but I did have a driving instructor who taught people how to drive and not only to pass a test.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

[degzi]

I agree there Richard, had my driving instructor shouting at me, but boy did he teach me how to drive.
I just wonder if people see a small car or notice its a jazz and think, hmmmm i'll chance it, when pulling out from junctions. Although you get that with most small cars.

Totally agree with other comments with the sun, get them dipped beams on. If any of you guys dont do it please do.

[guest4283]

I just wonder if people see a small car or notice its a jazz and think, hmmmm i'll chance it, when pulling out from junctions.

Yes I think that maybe part of the problem since I believe most of the owners are statistically in a certain age range the car has been pigeon holed. I don't speed and take a dim view of people who brag about speeding. But I don't like the dawdle either I want to get into top gear so I can get the best mpg. However, I won't slug my engine just 'cause someone in front wants to drive everywhere at 20mph!

Yes, I meant full dipped headlights NOT full high beams in slightly dull weather is a must!.

I swear that some young boy racers actually delay putting on the full dipped headlights to 'show off' how well they can see in the growing darkness. I regularly see them cruising on their parking lights, oblivious to the fact of their cars own poor visibility to other road users. Oh well, accidents waiting to happen... Just hope it doesn't involve me!

[peteo48]

Hadn't thought of the "low sun behind you" scenario at all but it makes absolutely perfect sense. What I have noticed on my 1.4 EX is that the automatic lights are switched on even when the sun is shining towards dusk when it still seems very light. My Civic didn't used to switch on so early.

It makes me wonder if, on more recent cars, a conscious decision has been taken to switch on earlier. This used to annoy me to the extent that I turned the auto function off and just did the lights manually. In the light of the advice above I will go back to auto.

[chrisc]

I had a well-meaning idiot toot me at the traffic lights to say he thought my lights were on during the day.  Some people seem never to head road safety guidelines.  Needless to say, he was wearing a hat.

[madasafish]

My first car had magneto ignition and the directly-driven-from-the-crankshaft dynamo - none of those fancy alternators- would get hot and start to smell over 30mph if you had the lights on. (eek!)

So I suppose some drivers still remember the days of dynamos which lasted until the mid 1970s iirc.

PS I  wear a hat when it's cold or wet but - as inside the car is neither- only outside the car..

[chrisc]

My first car in 1965 was a Mini with a dynamo.  I sold the car to a friend and she said the original battery lasted over 12 years.   Her mechanic brother said it was the pure DC that the dynamo produced that kept the battery in optimum shape.  You had to top it up with distilled water.  The Chinese junk sold today has an 18 month guarantee and my neighbour who runs a motor spares distributor says they get more battery returns than any other component.  Some stop working after 3 months.  People work according to price without thinking of quality

[RichardA]

An issue with OEM daylights is that the tail lights are not lit.

[culzean]

An issue with OEM daylights is that the tail lights are not lit.

quite right,  i had someone coming towards me a couple of days ago with daytime running lights on,  but when he went past i saw in my mirror that  his tail lights we not lit - it was about 6-45 in the morning and both dark and foggy.

there must be a reason they are called 'daytime running lights' - but i suppose if he hadn't had those come on automatically he may well have had no lights at all on.

[guest2913]

we'll I past my driving test 3 years ago this December, this is really untouched subject and it does state in highway code book on roads marked 30 or less you can just use your side lights in dark condition, a friend in Germany is really confused about the rules in this country, over there its illegal to use your side lights but called park lights there when the car is in motion and must use your side light when parked in the road

[culzean]

some peoples headlights, even on dip are so badly aligned and 'glarey' (is that a real word ?) that I wish they would leave them off.  people who put HID bulbs into standard headlights and funnily enough expensive German vehicles with 'projector' headlights are the worst.  The HiD in wrong reflector just throw light everywhere, and the projector headlights are supposed to be self levelling but they always seem to level themselves at the roof lining if my car. If only German car makers would fit automatic direction indicators to their cars that would be great, because the manual ones that they fit never seem to work.

[guest4283]

...it does state in highway code book on roads marked 30 or less you can just use your side lights in dark condition...

Well that may be the case but the side lights/parking lights fitted to cars these days are just too small. I don't want people mistaking me for a cyclist I want them to see me for a 1 ton car. I would have my dipped beams on all the time (as I don't have day-time-running LED strips), if it were not for people flashing me to say "you've left you're light on". Let's not forget that Volvo, the  pioneers of safety, had day-time-running lights decades ago.

With alternators there's no fear of running the battery down and there is even a buzzer (I think) to tell you if you walk away with keys and leave your lights on.