Undue Dazzle?
Author
Discussion

tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

275 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
How many people know that its illegal (obviously when dark),to sit in traffic with your foot on the brake pedal with the result that you are illuminating the face of the car driver behind?

Plotloss

67,280 posts

290 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
Which is presumably why they teach you to use your handbrake when stopped?

tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

275 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
Yes, its a £30 Fixed Penalty ticket and the offence code is under Reg 27 of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regs 1989.


Hands up who does this?

liszt

4,334 posts

290 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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Not me, I just put the car in "Park"

puggit

49,336 posts

268 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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Ever done someone for it Tony?

I'd assume if you did you would get some abuse?!!!

Edt

5,214 posts

304 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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I was stuck behind a new merc the other night, who kept it's brakes on. Fair enough I was knackered, eyes tired etc.. but it was so bright I had to shut my eyes
Ed

tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

275 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
Personally i havent, but again...its a very useful tool.
Not that i ever square people up!

trefor

14,709 posts

303 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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I guessed it might be and I'm pleased to see this. Can't see many drivers of automatic cars doing this though - park is too much trouble for them . It is certainly not nice looking at a set of bright brake lights when in a traffic jam.

But I think it's lower down the list of priorities than nicking inappropriate foglight users and what seems like 10% of the population with at least one head/tail light out. FFS! Halfwits even fit them for you for 5 pounds.

Edited to say I use my handbrake after a 5 second or so pause or straight away if it looks like I'll be there a while. Saves my foot, never mind the guy behind's eyes.

>> Edited by trefor on Wednesday 26th November 15:54

tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

275 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
Im in a very difficult situation here.
Having just bought one of those Volvo 4x4 school run jobbies the handbrake is the worst thing about the car.
You put it on with a pedal on the floor and take it off with a handle on the Dash....it gives a loud clunk when you take it off and doesnt sound too nice if you know what i mean.

However, the rear lights are soooo big and plentyful that if i do hold it on the brake then it lights the whole street up.
Thats what made me think about this. subject...........'i should keep taking those pills'

chief-0369

1,195 posts

272 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
Plotloss said:
Which is presumably why they teach you to use your handbrake when stopped?


Not any more. I was taught (two years or so ago) only use your handbrake, when facing uphill, on the flat or a downhill slope, just use the footbrake. go figure

toad_oftoadhall

936 posts

271 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
tonyrec said:
How many people know that its illegal (obviously when dark),to sit in traffic with your foot on the brake pedal with the result that you are illuminating the face of the car driver behind?


I didn't but new ways to p*ss people off are always welcome. ;-)

In the same way it ought to be illegal to *be* dazzled because older, inferior eyes are *much* more suceptable to dazzling.

But since speed kills eyesight couldn't be a factor.


trefor

14,709 posts

303 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
tonyrec said:
Im in a very difficult situation here.
Having just bought one of those Volvo 4x4 school run jobbies the handbrake is the worst thing about the car.
You put it on with a pedal on the floor and take it off with a handle on the Dash....it gives a loud clunk when you take it off and doesnt sound too nice if you know what i mean.

However, the rear lights are soooo big and plentyful that if i do hold it on the brake then it lights the whole street up.
Thats what made me think about this. subject...........'i should keep taking those pills'


Sorry Tony, but it serves you right for falling into the SUV trap. Now to stay legal your commute (or whatever) will be a succession of clonks and cursing. Buy an A6 or Volvo AWD Estate thingy if you want a big family car with a big of dingability.

Note: drive any car you like, just don't complain about the inabilities of lesser vehicles

icamm

2,153 posts

280 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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chief-0369 said:

Plotloss said:
Which is presumably why they teach you to use your handbrake when stopped?



Not any more. I was taught (two years or so ago) only use your handbrake, when facing uphill, on the flat or a downhill slope, just use the footbrake. go figure
So driving instructors are now teaching people how to drive illegally . Next you'll be telling us the first lesson is how to switch on the foglights and switching them off is only for advanced courses like the IAM.

Tony, maybe you should write to the people who license driving instructors making this point. Their members could then point this out to pupils.

I was taught to use the handbrake so that there was no chance of your foot slipping off the brake pedal if you were hit whilst stationary. Which means there is less chance of you being punted into the car in front or, even worse, the stream of cross traffic.

It also means that there is no way you can start rolling in any direction before you have control of the car using the clutch and throttle. IE if you use the foot brake then you have to completely release the brakes, and leave the car to it's own devices, before taking up drive and control of the vehicle.

oggs

8,815 posts

274 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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:handup: I do but it depends on what motor im driving

Munta

304 posts

269 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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I'll come clean guvner. You got me bang upto rights and no mistakin'

Davel

8,982 posts

278 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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Fair cop mate looks like I'm goin darn!

But not any more.....

stooz

3,005 posts

304 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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I never knew that tony..!! I do now. I dont think anybody else does though..

petercam

273 posts

293 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
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I've resorted to using my sun visor at night to shield my eyes when sitting behind some cars at traffic lights at night.
I only use the handbrake if I see someone approaching behind me.

oggs

8,815 posts

274 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
Heres a tough one for you Tony...

If your at a set of traffic lights on a dual carriageway behind someone with there foot on the brake *Dazzle Dazzle* and in the next lane a numpty in say a corsa with there fog lights on *Blind Blind*(they have 2 lights on them).....
Which one is most for the pull and why.....

If you can't answer it Tony don't worry about it.... I'll quiz you next time i see ya

tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

275 months

Wednesday 26th November 2003
quotequote all
I would go for the Fog light one everytime mate.

At least when the lights change, the one in front will take his foot off the pedal....the fog light one will still be driving along with his thumb up his ar*e, either oblivious to the fact or thinking that its cool to be a prat