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Driving with lights on as standard practise
Foxywarrior
Posts: 375 Forum Member
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How many drive with either their side lights or dipped headlights on in all weather conditions?
My car is not new enough to have the daytime running lights but I have for a long while always made it a habit to at least switch my side lights on (though I use dipped headlights more often than not) when starting the engine. With more vehicles starting to appear on the road with the daytime running lights, I just think those without any form of illumination will 'get lost', especially in poorer visibility (or even very bright sunlight) and increase the risk of an accident.
I know a lot comes down to observance and concentration of each individual driver but I just feel having my lights on makes me a little less vulnerable.
My car is not new enough to have the daytime running lights but I have for a long while always made it a habit to at least switch my side lights on (though I use dipped headlights more often than not) when starting the engine. With more vehicles starting to appear on the road with the daytime running lights, I just think those without any form of illumination will 'get lost', especially in poorer visibility (or even very bright sunlight) and increase the risk of an accident.
I know a lot comes down to observance and concentration of each individual driver but I just feel having my lights on makes me a little less vulnerable.
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Unfortunately DRL (Daytime Running Lights) are going to become the norm as it's now a requirement on all new cars sold in the EU. Personally I remain unconvinced that it improves road safety since the people it's supposed to help (pedestrians) won't be using DRLs so I think they are more likely to be lost in the glare.
As an ex-motor biker I used to have my headlights on ALL the time (and this was even back in the 70's) - it reduced the number of times car drivers pulled straight out in front of you!
Probably reduced it to once or twice a week - instead of a LOT more!.
No, I understand what you are saying. Yes, I will have my lights on most of the time, even in bright sunlight. The reasoning is that you are more likely to be seen (without lights probably not any less). Bright sunlight can dazzle for example, someone at a junction looking into the sun will see a car coming more clearly with lights on. Shade to sunlight can often cause problems too as the eyes adjust to the differing light levels.
While I agree 99 percent of the time the difference is negligible, it only needs that 1 per cent to have an accident that might otherwise be avoided with them switched on.
The HC is quite clear; if visibility is reduced, use dipped headlights. Parking lights don't save enough fuel to to make any difference (and battery life doesn't come into it) but to me indicate that the driver isn't quite sure and thinks he/she ought to do something but for some reason won't go the whole hog and just switch on to dipped h/lights. How often do you see some halfwit appear out of the murky gloom on a dull grey overcast day with a pair of candles lighting his way / making his car known to other road users? Just what benefit is there in a busy urban environment or rural roads in using parking lights? "I want to make some effort, but not too much. Just short of enough will do fine for me thanks".
That's not a direct dig at you OP, just a general thought...
Having spent time in Scandinavian countries in the 80s where dipped h/lights were mandatory from September to March (then, it may have changed since) it became routine to do it. In the UK I'll use dipped H/Ls if visibility is reduced, but not in normal clear bright days.
Im often aghast at the number of silver grey cars which feel that either in very bright dazzling motorway (grey road) conditions OR in grey overcast, drizzly conditions cant understand that by not having their lights on they simply blend into the background.
She drove around the place with hazard lights flashing constantly?
I've never seen that! What on earth is she on about?
Sorry I apologise I meant Fog Light sorry post amended.
Phew.
Fog lamps on constantly. She's a stupid cow.
I think the HC states sidelights at dusk and dawn and headlights at night. Very subjective though, sidelights do also switch on the tail lights so making the rear more visible.
I agree though, side lights are useless most of the time. That's why I generally use dipped beams.
I see what you mean but don't you find that if you see a lot of cars on the motorway with their lights on you start wondering whether the weather's bad up ahead?
In normal urban driving there isn't much chance of a car blending into the background because the background is traffic. You don't not notice one car but notice all the others.
For me fog lights are a real bête noire.
It is incredible just how many drivers have absolutely no idea on their correct usage.
As for sidelights, I would make them a separate switch so when a driver turns on their lights the first turn is for dipped headlights because to me if it is dark, or this time of year foggy, enough for sidelights it is dark enough for dipped headlights. Mind you, I see plenty driving in fog or rain this time of year with no lights at all.
I wonder if some drivers put sidelights on as they feel conditions don't warrant h/lights and then mentally lighting has been dealt with, so when the dark clouds turn to rain, or as it gets darker - as it surely will - it doesn't occur to them that s/ls aren't even close to good enough by now and / or as the dashboard is lit up anyway that triggers the brain into thinking all is well the lights are on.
Your first paragraph, not really? Its more than Im aware that I need to be seen by cars in front of me on the motorway (or oncoming traffic in dappled, shady unpredictable roads). Its easy to see cars in front of you on motorways, its harder to see cars behind in very dark or very light conditions when trying to change lanes.
Your second paragraph, I dont tend to travel in urban areas a huge amount, my driving is more often on motorway, dual carriage ways and country roads.
As for modern turning lights, the fad for clear lenses with coloured bulbs means they are just not as obvious as having a coloured lens with a plain bulb.
On some cars the daytime running light dims when indicating, eg you indicate left and the left hand light dims. Also helps if the car has repeater indicators in the door mirrors as that gives you another opportunity to spot the signal.
Mind you I've also been following cars where you can barely see the rear indicator if the brake lights are on. Fortunately in that instance the brake lights do give you a warning that something is happening which might not be the case if it's a front indicator being swamped by headlights.
'Fog' lamps seem to be 'rain' lamps these days too. Or even general 'dusk' lamps.
I am aghast at the number of drivers along my stretch of the M4 who, when it starts to rain, or gets dusky, put their headlamps AND rear fog lamp on. Why?
I mean, anything that might, in some situations, make a vehicle more visible and reduce the likelihood of an accident is probably a good thing.
What does worry me is the philosophy of doing things arbitrarily rather than making it the responsibility of the driver to THINK about stuff.
Currently most DRL's aren't actually side-lights and that's a good thing, IMO, because it still forces the driver to be responsible for putting his lights on in poor visibility.
If we reach the situation where most cars switch their side-lights on automatically I suspect you'll see an increase in the number of muppets pulled over by the police for having no lights on in urban areas, at night, only to be told "Oh, sorry officer. My old car used to have automatic lights so I didn't realise..."
To be honest, I have become very lazy as my last few cars have had automatic headlights & I just leave it to 'nature' as they come on when the sensors deem it to be be dark enough for them to do so.
In my last car without automatic headlights, I was very vigilant about switchin on the sidelights &/or dipped beam as it was going dark, but I don't know what I'd be like now, as I couldn't imagine having a car without automatic headlights.