Lights warning indicator

[guest5079]

This incident is nobody's fault but my own. However, what a 'luverly' word, yesterday, was a typical west country day. Low cloud and drizzle. The Jazz auto light system doesn't always pick it up. So before setting off, I switched the headlights on manually, or so I thought. The little light came up in the cluster and I thought all was well. It wasn't. Due to my height I cannot see the light switch behind the steering wheel. When I stopped I saw that I did not have headlights on merely sidelights. Clearly in a senior moment I had turned the switch the wrong way.
What I cannot understand is why if manufacturers put all these gizmos in a car,  can't they put a lights warning symbol that tells you what lights you have on? Fog lights front and rear have a symbol. I am sure it was done in yesteryear.  Or am I being a typical moany ol' git? Please be gentle with me.

[jazzway]

Strange... I have a different symbol shown when having sidelights or headlights on. Or is that maybe because there's no auto light on our car?

[Defender]

I have 'auto lights on' and have had to override it on occasions, not a perfect system as it seems to come on in places that I think it shouldn't, but then I know that the trees end a bit further down the road so there's really no need to put the lights on

[applicationcen]

So before setting off, I switched the headlights on manually, or so I thought. The little light came up in the cluster and I thought all was well. It wasn't. Due to my height I cannot see the light switch behind the steering wheel. When I stopped I saw that I did not have headlights on merely sidelights.

Again this is a Honda 'quirk'. Both my Legend and this jazz have a stalk with quite a complex light control all on the same stick. The steering wheel arm on the left obscures that stalk! Like you I have set off and later in the dark on the motor way got myself in to a tizz experimenting about with the light controls! Non of my previous non-honda vehicles obscured the stalk. Actually - thinking about it, the intermittent wiper control is similarly obscured - I never remember to turn the barrel up or down for heavier or light rain conditions!

[guest5770]

Is this proliferation of automatic systems like this dumbing down driving too much? Is turning the lights on such a complicated or onerous task that we need to be saved from it?

Surely anyone who can pass the driving test and can therefore be trusted with piloting a car should be able to judge when lights or wipers are needed? After all, not putting the lights on when needed come come under the heading of "not being in proper control of a vehicle"?

[applicationcen]

Hillhead - the policy direction on driving is to take away our ability and incentive to drive.

Each GPS/lidar controlled autonomous car on the road is an erosion of our freedom and a de facto extra tax.

Ill put up with irritating stalks and take the opportunity to actually understand the vehicle I drive over whats planned.

This was a slightly tongue in cheek post, but in truth that is the direction government and their masters in corporate investor land want us to all be herded in to.

[culzean]

We are not trusted to do much these days, trouble is that requirements from many countries find their way into our 'global' cars - I guess many come from USA where people's are too lazy to do stuff we take for granted and every car maker is scared of being sued if they are blamed for causing an accident if someone hadn't been told that they need to have  their lights and wipers on at midnight during a rainstorm

[applicationcen]

Traffic lights in most towns and cities are controlled using Cell and GPS data obtained for our mobile phones.

The data is 'meant' to be aggregated separating the user's Subscriber Information Module Sim Card from the locations and speed calculations. By aggregating the data you do not have to be asked for your permission to use data emanating from your phone.

BUT this data remains on file and ANYONE speeding with an active phone is being filed away.

[culzean]

Anyone with a cell phone that is turned on (and an I-phone that is off because apparently an I-phone never really shuts off ) can be tracked just like harry potter's marauders" map. The phone company knows where you are and who is with you and as previous poster said, how fast you are travelling - pretty soon you will get speeding tickets based on the data your treacherous spying cell phone has passed on to authorities 

[mikebore]

Reminds me of a joke going around the aerospace industry a while back, that future aeroplanes would be flown by one man and a dog.

The man's role was to feed the dog, and the dog's role was to bite the man if he touched the controls.