Stupid tail lights

[AW111]

So what blithering idiot signed off on a (fairly recent) Golf tailight?

The one where the indicator is in the middle of a red ring taillight, half of which is also the brake light

In poor light conditions, the indicator is almost invisible when the brake light is on! Aaahgh!

Some other recent cars do the same thing - bury the indicator in the middle of a cluster of other lights. Why?

[Funk]

I've often thought the same of cars where the indicator is on the inside of a headlight - you have to look directly into the headlight in order to see the indicator!

Poor design imo; indicators should be at the outermost edge of the light cluster.

[Martin_Hx]

Was following a new Chinese looking mini and it's the same, red ring with tiny orange light difficult to spot

[CrutyRammers]

Yeah, vag cars are particularly bad for this. Wafer thin indicators right next to/inside brake lights or DRLS or headlights.

[Gixer]

/\ this. Golf is probably the worse one IMO though. Really not helped by those that indicate after slamming their brakes on.

[civicduty]

Tail light of new Beetle, invisible indicator.

Edited by civicduty on Tuesday 10th June 10:13

[unpc]

Probably Golf Mk5 you're talking about. I'm surprised they got away with that. Downright dangerous.

[swisstoni]

Really is design over function when other road users can't make out the darn indicators.

[Coldfuse]

The previous generation FFRR with the LED tail lights was bad for this as well, when braking into a junction and indicating you often could not see the indicator for the bright ring of red lights around the slightly more orange light of the indicator.

[otolith]

Lighting clusters "styled" rather than "engineered"?

[Coldfuse]

In saying that, a lot of people start braking before they indicate, when they should be indicating before they brake.

[judas]

Glad it's not just me that thinks this design trend is completely idiotic then.

[nixon1]

i saw a truck that dimmed the headlight to allow sufficient contrast between the dipped beam and indicator. maybe it would make sense on the rear also?


after a google, looks like Seat do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaMvF7s1lw4
however, not sure it is enough? and what about the rear?

[AW111]

judas said:

Glad it's not just me that thinks this design trend is completely idiotic then.

That was my thought as all the replies started coming in.

Worst case is when brake lights come on first, or headlights, in damp city conditions.

As another poster said, I am surprised that the worst of them are legal, presumably world-wide.

[Chicane-UK]

judas said:

Glad it's not just me that thinks this design trend is completely idiotic then.

Ditto - been feeling the same and thinking "Is it just me?" - obviously not

[AlexHat]

Most current Audi's have a IMO stupidly small and thin indicator for the size of the rear lamps. Is it that hard to make an indicator obvious?

[Monty Python]

I don't know if it's me but sometimes when I'm following a car and the sun is behind me, the light clusters on some cars become so reflective it's hard to see when any of them are actually working.

[Lanby]

I've noticed that a few times recently, downright bloody dangerous IMO

[rodericb]

Yes, I wonder about it too. Volkswagen seem to be pretty bad with it. Years ago I remember BMW touting their red dashboard lighting as the best way as the eye can recognize it quickest at night etc etc. A few years later all the fancier VW's come out with blue lighting, which is one of the worst colours in that regard. Then the Mk IV Golf comes out with those headlights with the feeble indicators in the headlight housing.

There should be better design rules around vehicle lighting, such as indicators must be outboard of headlights and with a minimum gap between the headlight and indicator. Stricter design rules should there for tail lights too - gap between brake light and indicator, brightness, area which is actually lit...

[vanordinaire]

Have you seen the rear light clusters on the new Transits? Yeuch!

Edited by vanordinaire on Tuesday 10th June 11:37