headlights during the daytime

[KMB]

Triumph Man said:

Sometimes I find myself using them in the daytime because the dashboard can be quite dark, so I like to light it up.

Other times, as someone has said, When I'm driving away from the sun I tend to put them on.

On most modern cars putting the lights on makes dashboard lighting more dim.

[Triumph Man]

KMB said:

On most modern cars putting the lights on makes dashboard lighting more dim.

I don't have any dashboard lighting without lights on! I suppose this applies to cars with permanently lit dash lights?

[KMB]

Triumph Man said:

I don't have any dashboard lighting without lights on! I suppose this applies to cars with permanently lit dash lights?

Yes indeed (I thought you might have an older car from your forum name), certainly Renault, VW and Honda seem to have progressed this way.

[mikeveal]

Fleckers said:

this ooooooooh look I have lights on so I can be seen it rubbish, if you feel that bad about the need ot be seen in case someone has not seen you you have the option to flash your lights and use your horn but I guess you are too busy doing getting your high viz jacket on and wearing a crash helmet just in case someone get a bit close.

maybe its just me, but I dont want to drive with my lights on thinking I am in mortal danger

Yeah it's just you.

Driving when there's low sun, either towards or from, the fronts or rear will make your car more visible.

When the sun is high, bright and the road you're driving along has intermittent patches of tree cover then headlights are a good idea. The pupils of a driver in the sunny spot will have closed right down, making it difficult for him to see what's going on in the shady spot he's hurtling towards at 60mph. Just as you can't see what's in a tunnel from 50 yards away on a sunny day. If you're in the shady spot and you want to make yourself visible to thouse outside - switch yer bloody lights on.

No real need for headlights when the sun is high and there aren't patches of shade.

[Snowboy]

My old BMW had auto lights.
I just let it decide when to put them on, which seemed like almost all the time.

I get more annoyed with people that have them off when it’s dim then I do with people who have them on when it’s light.

[Herbs]

smartphone hater said:

I know but I liken this topic to the ten builders on a building site, if one is wearing a high vis jacket he'll stand out. If all ten are wearing high vis jackets then there's ten builders on a building site.

Thats's just reinforced the point - you know there are 10 builders there rather than what builders?

[smartphone hater]

Herbs said:

Thats's just reinforced the point - you know there are 10 builders there rather than what builders?

But we knew there was ten builders there without the hi vis jackets. I counted them.

[Herbs]

smartphone hater said:

But we knew there was ten builders there without the hi vis jackets. I counted them.

Yes but you still need to know they are there to be able to count them

[XDA]

GTIR said:

Al this means is it'll become normal and as a result bikers won't be seen and motorcycle - car accidents will rise.

Mark my words.

Not really. Bikers use main beam so it's impossible not be blinded/fail to spot them

DRL's/car dipped beam isn't as bright as motorbike full beam.

[sneijder]

Headlights on all the time for everyone in Norway.

It's much better on the Motorway, your peripheral vision is increased so much.

In lieu of this, all vehicles have BMW flasher relays fitted here, you can have a picnic waiting to get over a roundabout sometimes.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Wafflesmk2 said:

I put mine on yesterday afternoon. Why?

Well, the sun was about 3 inches from the floor and was brighter than holding your face against a nuke as it goes off.

I had the sun behind me so was coming at other motorists out of the sun (narrrrrrr dagga dagga dagga) and thought it might be a little easier for them to see me if the lights were on.

lmfao

[lesstatt]

My Insignia has adaptive automatic lights and it put them on yesterday afternoon for some reason................... god knows why

[jatinder]

I have always had sidelights on since passing my test, helps people see you more easily, also stops people pulling out.

On my VX220 it's a very important I find people can miss it quite easily.

[sparks_E39]

If I'm on the motorway the lights go on. Very common in Europe and I think it's a good idea.

[billzeebub]

I always turn sidelights on if cloudy, overcast or raining

[PumpkinSteve]

vescaegg said:

PumpkinSteve said:

I have a new Polo and only sidelights stay on all the time as far as I'm aware.

It's defo my full (dipped) beams that are always on. When I flick the light switch at night when it's dark to turn the instrument lights on, the strength of the lights stays the same. Only way up from there is 'full' full beam....

Odd. Perhaps I'll browse the book.

I was mistaken, I checked yesterday and it does use the headlights.

[Typhoon2]

I'm 20, with good eyesight but I put my dipped beam on all the time.

I have to pull out of my house using a mirror, as our drive is totally blind. You really do notice cars with lights on much sooner -even on a bright day, as I'm in the sticks darker cars do blend in. If it helps me, it'll also help Joe Bloggs, so I see no good reason to turn them off.

[cptsideways]

billzeebub said:

I always turn sidelights on if cloudy, overcast or raining

Generally speaking sidelighs (correct term is parking lights) are low wattage & not bright, there is little point putting them on in all honesty, hence use the dipped beam, especially when its wet & rainy.

There is a simple test you can do when its wet, when parked in a layby on a busy main road check in your side mirrors which are typlically wet themselves & count down for how long a car is visible for. Typivally cars with light headlights on are visible for double or triple the time. The safety margin is obvious one would hope.

[henrycrun]

Why has the current DRL standard (front lights) been made inferior to the old Swedish standard (front and rear lights) ?

When driving in drizzle or low sun or overhanging trees or tunnels or poor visibility etc etc, don't we need front AND back to be illuminated ?

[NelsonR32]

I always put the sidelights on unless it's really sunny.

(headlights during the night of course )