Failing to light up ~ backlit dials and 'day running' lights

Failing to light up ~ backlit dials and 'day running' lights

Author
Discussion

Gary T

Original Poster:

25 posts

202 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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The manufacturers who are fitting back lit dials and/or daylight running lights really need to do something about making drivers aware they ARE NOT switching on their lights at night. In the last week I have followed four cars with no rear lights (I'm talking new, two years old or less) showing. The last one I followed for eight miles and no amount of flashing attracted the attention of the driver. When we eventually went our different ways at a T junction, and I pulled alongside, I told him his lights weren't on and he simply drove off (didn't switch them on).

I live in the sticks and both my wife car and my sons have day running lights and back lit dials and I can see how easy it is to jump in start up and on the basis that you can see where you are going and see the instruments think you have lights switched on. On a clear night reflectors and brake lights are a fail safe for anyone failing to light up but in misty weather out on the moors it won't be long before an eight wheeler comes across one of these drivers and the outcome won't simply be a ticket for no lights.

iva cosworth

44,044 posts

162 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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Saw a 64 Astra doing this tonight.

driver didn't RTFM.

okie592

2,711 posts

166 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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Well no, people who drive with their DRLS only would be driving with no lights on in a older car.

My car has light up dials and when it's getting dark only the needles light up. This is a bottom spec golf with no auto lights or wipers. I assume it's the same across the board. Bmws Defo do it.

It's not a new problem.

JordanTurbo

937 posts

140 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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I know what you mean.

My Audi lights up the dials (needles and numbers) as soon as the ignition is switched on. I can see how it would be quite easy to jump in and forget about lights in the twilight hours when you can still see where your going.

It's a 2001 without DRLs.

Bungleaio

6,324 posts

201 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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I have been guilty of this a couple of times, so I just leave my lights on all the time now.

lemonslap

960 posts

154 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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JordanTurbo said:
I know what you mean.

My Audi lights up the dials (needles and numbers) as soon as the ignition is switched on. I can see how it would be quite easy to jump in and forget about lights in the twilight hours when you can still see where your going.

It's a 2001 without DRLs.
Our Audi S4 B8 won't light up the dash board if the switch is left to off (DLR's only), however if you set the switch to auto or dipped lights the dash is lit up all the time.

Mound Dawg

1,915 posts

173 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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I think God ought to issue a recall on the human race because so people are too stupid to operate a light switch.

JordanTurbo

937 posts

140 months

Friday 31st October 2014
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lemonslap said:
Our Audi S4 B8 won't light up the dash board if the switch is left to off (DLR's only), however if you set the switch to auto or dipped lights the dash is lit up all the time.
No auto lights or DRLs here.

Dials are lit all the time. Rest of the dash buttons light up once you switch to side lights or dips.

towser44

3,472 posts

114 months

Friday 31st October 2014
quotequote all
JordanTurbo said:
I know what you mean.

My Audi lights up the dials (needles and numbers) as soon as the ignition is switched on. I can see how it would be quite easy to jump in and forget about lights in the twilight hours when you can still see where your going.

It's a 2001 without DRLs.
Same here, my dash is completely blank until I put the ignition on being a 2008 Civic and when on it's the same in the day as at night (though is slightly dimmer without the lights on but not really noticeably so)

Plastic chicken

380 posts

203 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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Only yesterday I was behind a lady in a Fiesta, in virtual darkness; she had no lights on, but her dashboard was lit up. Car makers see permanently lit dashboards as progress, but they've assumed that all drivers have the intelligence to turn on the lights..er..when it gets dark.

I hired an Insignia a couple of years ago, and I'm sure that the light switch defaulted to 'auto' whenever the ignition was switched on, ensuring that the car would have lights on, after dark, without any driver input.


If I pulled out of of a junction, in the dark, in front of someone with no lights on & there was a collision...whose fault would it be??

Funk

26,254 posts

208 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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I've said this before: any car fitted with DRLs should have automatic lights by default for the very reasons outlined above. Front DRLs should also be accompanied by illuminated rears - at least then if the numpty fails to turn their lights on, they have rear lights showing.

I can't believe that such a serious safety issue has been overlooked, and also that so many people are so fking dumb that they can't remember to check they have headlights on when it gets dark.

I'm not normally an advocate of 'auto-everything' but in the case of idiots driving around with only front DRLs on, I'm prepared to make an exception in order to protect us from the cockholes who really should have their licences revoked.

Ki3r

7,806 posts

158 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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I used to think how stupid people used to be doing this...and then I've done it, a number of times.

I now just keep my lights on all the time (they auto turn off when the engine is off) so don' have to worry about it.

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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My Jag has front & rear DRLs, well the rears are the tail lights, but they come on as soon as I select drive.

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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Which is exactly why the way Volvo had been doing it for decades made sense. Just have the headlights on, there's your DRLs. But no, the great unwashed want their twinkly LEDs......

trickywoo

11,701 posts

229 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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The law is an ass on this also as it is legal to drive in well lit (iirc 30 limits) without lights.

cptsideways

13,535 posts

251 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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A quick survey round our way suggests about 20% of cars drive round on DRL's at night, its a shockingly high number. Add in the cyclops cars or cylops & fog lights & about 40-50% of cars are incorrectly lit.

whyohwhy

280 posts

211 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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The problem isn't the car. It's the person behind the wheel.

Trouble is we see driving a car as a right as opposed to a licensed privilege.

By expecting technology to do everything for us, we remove responsibility which is probably why we have so many numpties driving cars these days.

We shouldn't be blaming car manufacturers for lighting dials what we should be doing is questioning why drivers don't think to turn their lights on when it's dark?


Riley Blue

20,912 posts

225 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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I did it from the first time yesterday, drove off with dash and satnav shining brightly but no lights. Fortunately I was flashed by the first oncoming car and realised but now I shall add an extra item to my after dark pre-drive check list - 'double check lights are on' .

saaby93

32,038 posts

177 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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New one on me. As far as I know most people with DRLs think theyre front and rear.
you'd only know by getting out and seeing theres nothing lit on the back

Lit up dials are a real pain
If it's approaching dusk and you only want your sidelights on, the instruments dim so you cant see them

plfrench

2,296 posts

267 months

Saturday 1st November 2014
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trickywoo said:
The law is an ass on this also as it is legal to drive in well lit (iirc 30 limits) without lights.
Not quite right - you don't need headlights on roads that are streetlit, but you still need sidelights and registration lights on.