Why will people not use main beam?
Discussion
As per the title really, I've noticed more and more recently that lots of people don't bother using main beam when the opportunity presents itself.
As a result they can't see feck all and then feel the urge to brake for every kink in the road or hint of a corner.
To make matters worse it then makes it a bugger to see if the road is straight/long enough to overtake them as usually they struggle to go above 40mph.
I'll add it to my manifesto for my global presidency bid to add mini guns to the front of cars to blow said cretins off the road.
As a result they can't see feck all and then feel the urge to brake for every kink in the road or hint of a corner.
To make matters worse it then makes it a bugger to see if the road is straight/long enough to overtake them as usually they struggle to go above 40mph.
I'll add it to my manifesto for my global presidency bid to add mini guns to the front of cars to blow said cretins off the road.
Flip side - I live where there are no street lights and to be honest I hate the cretins who DO use main beams. They just aren't needed with modern bulbs being so good on dip lights and the traffic is so dense in most parts that you'd forever be turning them off every time you see anyone coming the other way! Either that or just be like the morond who leave them on until they can see what colour shirt im wearing and my eyes are bleeding...
gothatway said:
Easy one - because they're plonkers.
Yep.For example:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20...
I think some drivers find it too difficult to do more than one thing at a time..
I used to commute 30 miles on b-roads with a mix of 30, 40 and 60 limits. Some of the driving was plainly horrendous, typically I'd be sat behind a car at anywhere between 40-55mph, the driver would be using high beam - fine. Then we'd come to a bend, no real need to slow much as they are gentle bends with good visibility, but on the brakes we go, we lose 20mph.. then we'd better knock off high beam, now we can't see, so braking again, now we're through the bend, high beam on, back up to 50+. This was repeated at any bend, curve, crest etc.
All that was needed is to back off the throttle and be ready to dip the beam should another car approach (for which you'd have plenty of warning).
If a car came the other way during this little ritual everything went out the window, on more than one occasion I saw cars traversing the centre line of the road or braking sharply, I can only presume distracted by the oncoming vehicle and the need to improvise rather than follow the ritual.
Then we'd arrive in a village, street lit, 30mph, commonly less due to traffic/pedestrian crossing etc. Guess what? high beam on, bouncing off on coming vehicles, pedestrians on pavements, shop fronts..
For these drivers, clearly switching beams whilst driving is hard work and probably only used when needing to rapidly flash someone who had the tenacity to overtake..
I used to commute 30 miles on b-roads with a mix of 30, 40 and 60 limits. Some of the driving was plainly horrendous, typically I'd be sat behind a car at anywhere between 40-55mph, the driver would be using high beam - fine. Then we'd come to a bend, no real need to slow much as they are gentle bends with good visibility, but on the brakes we go, we lose 20mph.. then we'd better knock off high beam, now we can't see, so braking again, now we're through the bend, high beam on, back up to 50+. This was repeated at any bend, curve, crest etc.
All that was needed is to back off the throttle and be ready to dip the beam should another car approach (for which you'd have plenty of warning).
If a car came the other way during this little ritual everything went out the window, on more than one occasion I saw cars traversing the centre line of the road or braking sharply, I can only presume distracted by the oncoming vehicle and the need to improvise rather than follow the ritual.
Then we'd arrive in a village, street lit, 30mph, commonly less due to traffic/pedestrian crossing etc. Guess what? high beam on, bouncing off on coming vehicles, pedestrians on pavements, shop fronts..
For these drivers, clearly switching beams whilst driving is hard work and probably only used when needing to rapidly flash someone who had the tenacity to overtake..
Because most people only consider the 100yds in front of their car. You see it at traffic lights. People carry on doing 40mph until they have to brake for a queue, rather than easing off and allowing the queue to start moving. If it isn't happening in the 100yds past their bonnet it isn't happening at all.
Speed Kills! and if you slow down you won't have an accident regardless of whether you bother to forward plan your driving or not. They can see 100yds with dipped beam on and 40mph is safe, Brake says so.
Speed Kills! and if you slow down you won't have an accident regardless of whether you bother to forward plan your driving or not. They can see 100yds with dipped beam on and 40mph is safe, Brake says so.
JamesK said:
Flip side - I live where there are no street lights and to be honest I hate the cretins who DO use main beams. They just aren't needed with modern bulbs being so good on dip lights and the traffic is so dense in most parts that you'd forever be turning them off every time you see anyone coming the other way! Either that or just be like the morond who leave them on until they can see what colour shirt im wearing and my eyes are bleeding...
I live in a village with no street lights and I use main beam when there is no traffic in front of me. Why exactly am I a cretin? Driving down some very dark county lanes last week on a night-time, the other-halves mum pipes up from the back seat "Do you know you've got your big lights on?"....
I reminded her that we where driving down a dark county lane. I don't think she got it.
I reminded her that we where driving down a dark county lane. I don't think she got it.
Edited by DMN on Tuesday 27th November 09:34
Captain Muppet said:
JamesK said:
Flip side - I live where there are no street lights and to be honest I hate the cretins who DO use main beams. They just aren't needed with modern bulbs being so good on dip lights and the traffic is so dense in most parts that you'd forever be turning them off every time you see anyone coming the other way! Either that or just be like the morond who leave them on until they can see what colour shirt im wearing and my eyes are bleeding...
I live in a village with no street lights and I use main beam when there is no traffic in front of me. Why exactly am I a cretin? 
As with anything, people doing it properly are doing nothing wrong!I still hate the people who seem to leave their main beams on until they are next to me tho
XDA said:
What's even more annoying are those people who insist on keeping their main beam on when there's a car ahead of them in the distance and going in the same direction as them. They seem to think that's because the car isn't coming towards them, they can leave their main beam on.
And in many cases when you are heading towards them.. Perhaps that is just Suffolk...
k out of oncomeing traffic because they still have their headlights on.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff