It's right for the night...
Discussion
daz6215 said:
Blakewater said:
daz6215 said:
I would personally like to see manufactures get rid of side lights on the switch, too many people use then when conditions require dipped beam. Lights should be on or off when driving i.e. dipped beam and nothing in between, side lights are of no use to any one when driving and if they are needed when parking the dipped beam should revert to them when the ignition is off!
What would you then use for parking? When parking on a road with a speed limit of 40mph or greater after dark it's a legal requirement to leave your lights on, which means switching your lights to the sidelight position. I remember school Christmas carol services at St Gabriel's Church in Blackburn on Brownhill Drive where nearly every member of the congregation would get booked by the police for disobeying this rule. The vicar ended up having to stand in the pulpit and tell everyone before the service to go out and switch their lights on before the police turned up. Not often traffic law gets preached from the church pulpit.
Blakewater said:
With Golfs that I've had the lights have gone off completely with the ignition and to leave the sidelights on you had to switch the dial round to the sidelight position.
I understand that, but I have also had a number of cars when the ignition is switched off with dipped beam on the lights automatically revert to side light negating the need for any driver input with a switch! Byteme said:
Very few motorists are able to judge 100 metres in perfect conditions, even without any visual impairments like fog and spray.
I don't think we should fixate on the 100 metres number. I don't think it should be taken too precisely - after all, who can judge when visibility is 99m and when it's 101m? I think of it in terms of: if the driver behind can see me by my tail lights, by definition I don't need my fog lights on. Leaving them on then is inconsiderate. Since I don't know whether the driver behind is paying attention or facebooking, I suppose I might decide that the risk of being inconsiderate if it's the former is outweighed by the benefit of being more visible if it's the latter, but I'm not sure. Driving in thick fog behind someone with their fog lights still on can be very disorientating and tiring and judging distance to the car ahead can be quite hard. Do you want to be giving the facebooker those problems to deal with too?Byteme said:
"I think of it in terms of: if the driver behind can see me by my tail lights, by definition I don't need my fog lights on." - I try very hard to constantly improve my driving so any tips relating to the psychic real time perception of other drivers is interesting.
Gosh - aren't we overcomplicating things! Psychic real time perception indeed 
.You're in the same fog - their ability to see is going to be the same as yours isn't it. (Unless you shine a f
king great big red light in their face).LordGrover said:
I'm only suggesting that sometimes, even the most fastidious and advanced driver may have his concentration and attention on driving in variable conditions than fumbling for an often awkward switch for a 20 second clear patch.
Of course. Not crashing is more important than switching lights on or off, but I don't think operating the switch is usually that much of a challenge. Whilst fog patches can start and end quite suddenly, as long as you don't get in a panic and a fluster about responding instantly you should be fine . And actually, is the decision going to change that often anyway? If you didn't need the fog light on in the foggy bit you won't need it in the clear bit. If you had it on in the foggy bit and you decide you'd rather leave it on because you anticipate another similarly bad patch very soon, is that really so much of a problem? An unnecessary fog light in the clear is less of a problem for the driver behind than an unnecessary fog light in fog. And they're still in the same fog as you - they can see it's patchy too so they'll know why your light is on.R_U_LOCAL said:
There is usually no need to dip your lights before you see headlights or tail lights. Many people dip their lights when they see the "halo" of oncoming vehicles but this isn't usually necessary. Some people get quite nippy about it too. I often see the halos of oncoming cars furiously flashing their lights at me before Their lights actually come into view. I always dip at the appropriate point, of course, but its amusing to see how upset some people get before you've even done anything wrong.
I regularly read & appreciate your comments although rarely feel the need to add anything since it's usually already covered by others.I drive regularly at night on lit & unlit B, A and urban roads, and generally will drive with main beam on on all roads where I would not dazzle another road user.
On approach to junctions, blind bends or other hazards where I think another road user would benefit I will 'flash' my lights (switch between main & dipped) several times as a warning of my approach. I do this on the basis that it is safer to assume my 'moving' signal will be noticed by the inattentive than the simple increasing brightness as my car approaches, and prior to your post had assumed no down side for anyone who was already anticipating my approach. It is not done in frustration, but to make my halo as you fittingly describe it as noticeable to others as possible before my headlights come into direct view.
I agree that flashing thanks at night can be dazzling, but I think that if I were to observe another vehicle switch their headlights off & on I would assume they were unfamiliar with the controls or had stalled. I simply hold a hand up as thanks day or night. If they flash a thank you their flash will light up my hand, if they don't then it doesn't matter anyway ;-)
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