Headlights on all day, and Safespeed

[regmolehusband]

Was I the only one to hear Radio 2 talking about European proposals that we should run with headlights on all day. In Scandinavia they saw a 5% reduction in accidents when they implemented it.

Paul Smith was interviewed and he was against the proposal.

I think it's a good idea

Any views?

"Reg"

>> Edited by regmolehusband on Wednesday 8th March 18:31

[ewenm]

I always have the headlights on (dipped) when I'm driving the Caterham - my feeling is that anything that makes the car more obvious to other road users is a benefit. I've also started doing the same on the A3 for the same reason.

[timmy30]

Apparently, so I was told by an ex traffic cop, studies were conducted in the UK, it made absolutely no difference at all to the visibility or otherwise of the car.

I was quite suprised as I thought it was quite a good idea....... except I dont want my bloody pop-ups up all day long!

[bosshog]

I think its a bad idea.
It will make bikers less visible - and more deaths will follow IMO.

[Mr Whippy]

Not fussed.

Perhaps the accident reductions in Scandinavia were a result of those who hadn't had their headlights on when they should have done, now always having them on.

Eg: rain and dark/overcast today @ 8:45am. Wide single carriageway A-road. Trucks going either way, and a car overtaking down the middle (3 abreast) with no headlights on, and into the opposing lane, through the spray! Asking for trouble, and in his case lights would have made him twice as visible!

Putting them on all the time sounds like a blanket bomb attack, that would easily be solved by people using their brains and putting them on when they feel they would be less visible!

Why carpet bomb a small problem by aiming to hit everyone? Sounds just like speed camera policy!

Dave

[dogwatch]

Enough people seem to have difficulty maintaining two working headlamps for night use (local BiB included). To have to have them on all day as well....

Drifting slightly but one good idea which I was sorry was not made compulsory was the 'dim-dip' headlights which would not allow you to creep around on feeble parking lights. My 1988 Cavalier had these in anticipation of some EU directive or other which was shouted down.

[james_j]

This is typical of an idea which seems good in theory, until you think about the reality.

It'll make all other elements which the driver should take into account, like motorcyclists, stupid pedestrians not looking, partially-obscured side turnings and so on less visible.

The human eye, like the eyes of most creatures, will "close up" when presented with bright lights, thus rendering things that are not so bright, darker.

[anonymous-user]

agree. stupid idea. motorcyclists will get lost in the sea of lights, seeing a flash of lights in the mirrors will no longer alert peoples presence to them.

as a side thought.... bear with me
(dull) car = 75kW, headlights = 50W
europe uses roughly a billion litres of fuel a day, say 2/3 during the day.
so if everyone left their headlights on we'd use an extra 1/2 million litres of fuel a day. infact maybe alot more because that assumes we drive everywhere flat out. eu muppetry.

[dickster]

I thought I heard somewhere t'other day that this is going to become an 'EU' law soon?

In a couple of years or so I thought?

[baskey]

yep volvo style day light running lights are going to be compulsory on all new models introduced (in the eu) after this summer (i **think**). whether this includes facelifts i do not know.

>> Edited by baskey on Wednesday 8th March 18:06

[Raffles]

I was listening to JV today too.

I always drive with my dipped beam on anyway, as I like to feel I'm more visible to other road users. I've felt for a while it would be good if everyone had their lights on when driving on the open road. You would know for sure if anyone was coming if you overtake at dusk/in the rain.

Glad to hear our Mr Smith giving the old rule of thumb; "if you have your wipers on, you should have your lights on." Such good advice...

[dickster]

baskey said:

yep volvo style day light running lights are going to be compulsory on all new models introduced (in the eu) after this summer. whether this includes facelifts i do not know.

Wow Dickster in 'knowing something' shock!!

[Marki]

I have lived in Scaninavian countrys for the last 12 years , and despite what others will say i think its a good thing , the light there is very strange in summer or winter , and i know that since moving to Germany i have had a couple of near miss because of a tt who thinks they are visible in fog or bad light without any side dip lights on.

[motco]

Scandinavia is a poor parallel as there are only 3 cars per square firkin much of the time, whereas here there's 2000 per cubic inch.

[Gruffy]

I tend to run with my lights on too. I've found that when I'm 'making good progress' cars are much quicker to move over for me when I have the lights on. And I'm talking about courteous driving, not intimidating people by tailgating.

I'm often stunned by the number of motorists who fail to spot a loud, stripey car, so I'm all for making myself as visible as possible.

Gruffy

[Egbert Nobacon]

motco said:

Scandinavia is a poor parallel as there are only 3 cars per square firkin much of the time, whereas here there's 2000 per cubic inch.

Yeh, and its dark half the year

[Fat Audi 80]

The problem (as usual ) is the numpties cannot work it out for themselves. When it is not actually lighting up time but dark and wet PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON
When it is raining hard and you are using your wipers PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON
If there is a lot of spray on the motorway PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON.

If everyon thought a bit more instead of texting, doing their makeup, smoking, changing CD's, chatting and generally not concentrating we would not be having this conversation.

The argument that they can dazzle in the daytime is bollox because they are only bright when the contrast is high when dark...

I tend to use my dipped lights a lot. Early mornings, early evening, bright sunlight even.
I also find that if you are "making progress" people notice you a lot sooner in their rear view mirror earlier and tend to get out of the way.

However I think the impact of having them on will be spoilt if we have them on all the time all day.

I summary, a bit more common sense would be nice!

Cheers,

Steve

[Marki]

motco said:

Scandinavia is a poor parallel as there are only 3 cars per square firkin much of the time, whereas here there's 2000 per cubic inch.

Try it some time i speak from real life experience not text books

[cj_eds]

Fat Audi 80 said:

The problem (as usual ) is the numpties cannot work it out for themselves. When it is not actually lighting up time but dark and wet PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON When it is raining hard and you are using your wipers PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON If there is a lot of spray on the motorway PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON. If everyon thought a bit more instead of texting, doing their makeup, smoking, changing CD's, chatting and generally not concentrating we would not be having this conversation. The argument that they can dazzle in the daytime is bollox because they are only bright when the contrast is high when dark... I tend to use my dipped lights a lot. Early mornings, early evening, bright sunlight even. I also find that if you are "making progress" people notice you a lot sooner in their rear view mirror earlier and tend to get out of the way. However I think the impact of having them on will be spoilt if we have them on all the time all day. I summary, a bit more common sense would be nice! Cheers, Steve

Well said! Sadly the nanny-nation is required for half the road-users out there. The amount of times I've been driving in reduced visibility (i.e. rain etc) and someone in a dull coloured car appears out of nowhere and vanishes again. Some common sense says put your lights on. It amazes me in those situations that they can be driving along and every other car on the road has their lights on, and they don't even notice and have the thought that maybe they should put theirs on.

But then, this whole conversation will be irrelevant soon - because of the growing number of foglights that are on as soon as the ignition key is turned!!

[busa_rush]

motco said:

Scandinavia is a poor parallel as there are only 3 cars per square firkin much of the time, whereas here there's 2000 per cubic inch.

It also sees less daylight than Garry Glitter at the moment.