1/5 Drivers with one dipped beam out?

[DannyVTS]

Over the past few days, i have noticed far too many people with one headlight out, often sporting foglights to compensate this...

Is this a normal thing this time of year? I must admit it's the first time I've commuted in November..

Coming down the bypass today, i thought i'd count, and out of 20 cars 5 had one headlight out! I knew it wasn't just a coincidence (i know that is 1/4, which contradicts my thread title)

But then when you get to the A1, all but one driver has 2 fully working dipped beams, is it just something that happens every year? This isn't a rant more of a question..

Danny

[Wing Commander]

Unfortunately it is a year round phenomenon which royally fks me off. It is just that you notice it more because the commute is done in darkness at this time of year.

Foglights, incorrect alignment of lights and general lack of attention to detail with regards to their own cars all annoy me more than they should.

[LuS1fer]

Don't forget the one-eyed rear light brigade with only one brakelight.
To some degree, I blame modern electrics - when was the last time you saw a Mondeo Mk III with a full red circle rear light and I've noticed older Passats are now joining that rank too with various semi-circles out.

[y2blade]

I see one every morning with one dipped-beam light out but both fogs on

[jmorgan]

It is too hard for people to check lights. They have to walk all the way to the front of the car.

[DannyVTS]

[redacted]

[Fun Bus]

I nearly started a thread on this myself as in and around Nottingham I'm noticing this alot at the moment too. I had a car follow me last night with one headlight not working at all.
I, like many of us on here would have a bulb replaced as soon as possible on my, or my GF's car.

[g3org3y]

y2blade said:

I see one every morning with one dipped-beam light out but both fogs on

+1

Yesterday morning in light fog (not requiring foglights at all) on the M25 I saw:

- no lights at all (on a black car, despite all other cars around having lights on)
- high beams
- sidelights and front fogs
- dipped beams, front fogs and rear fogs

People seem to have no awareness at all what is going on with their car. I shouldn't care, however when it has the potential to affect me as another road user, it causes me concern.

[jmorgan]

[redacted]

[Bluebarge]

Fun Bus said:

I nearly started a thread on this myself as in and around Nottingham I'm noticing this alot at the moment too. I had a car follow me last night with one headlight not working at all.
I, like many of us on here would have a bulb replaced as soon as possible on my, or my GF's car.

Agreed, but crap modern car design has made many bulb holders inaccessible to all except skilled marmosets. In order to change a headlight bulb on a Volvo v70, you either have to remove the front bumper or rip out the airbox - since I'd rather a Volvo mechanic breaks the car than I do, I have to pop into the local Volvo dealer - that may take a couple of days to arrange, hence driving around for a couple of days with one light u/s. To my mind, it should be a legal requirement that stuff like this should be repairable by Joe Public - it should be no harder than topping up a washer bottle (although even that is beyond some people).

[LuS1fer]

Auto lights.
Driver interpretation - no longer my problem, the car will do it/change bulbs itself etc.

[Torquey]

[redacted]

[Vipers]

jmorgan said:

It is too hard for people to check lights. They have to walk all the way to the front of the car.

Before I had the Volvo, which lets me know a lamp is out (Bulbs you plant in your garden), I used to drive down to the local supermarket, face the windows, check the front lights, side, dipped, full, indicators.

Then turn around, and do the same observing lights in your rear mirror, taint rocket science.

Sadly we just have a load of couldn't care less brigade on our roads, and don't start me on those who insist on keeping the brake on in slow moving traffic. Every night my commute down to the Bridge of Dee in Aberdeen is usually 5 mins of stop, move 4 ft, stop. Me? on handbrake, rest of mankind keep foot on pedel, blinding the car behind you, and I am convinced a lot of drivers change the wattage on their stop lights.

[andye30m3]

mono lights really piss me off at this time of year

I don't think manufacturers make the problem any better by making it a 2 hour task to change the bloody things in some modern cars, seam to remember a friends megane is a bumper off job to change the headlight bulb and a number of cars will need jacking up and having the splash guard removed.

[Dracoro]

y2blade said:

I see one every morning with one dipped-beam light out but both fogs on

I'm not sure if this better or worse.

Better because it *may* indicate that they are aware that they have a light out so putting the fogs on so people can see them OK.

Worse because as if they *are* aware they their light is out, they would fix it!!

[lost in espace]

I went for my mot with one front headlight out, both indicators white as the orange had peeled off and no rear fog lights. I took a box of choccies with me when I returned, I felt a right tt. Now check lights regularly.

[Xavier259]

g3org3y said:

y2blade said:

I see one every morning with one dipped-beam light out but both fogs on

+1

Yesterday morning in light fog (not requiring foglights at all) on the M25 I saw:

- no lights at all (on a black car, despite all other cars around having lights on)
- high beams
- sidelights and front fogs
- dipped beams, front fogs and rear fogs

People seem to have no awareness at all what is going on with their car. I shouldn't care, however when it has the potential to affect me as another road user, it causes me concern.

I was travelling to work last week in fog and passed no less than 5 cars travelling the opposite direction with no lights on whatsoever. All the drivers were either OAP's or young girls. Needless to say I got blank looks when I give them a quick flash of my high beams.

Generally I'm not too bothered how people choose to drive, but I agree with you that when another drivers lack of thought causes danger to other road users it really is a cause for concern. Considering the first thing most drivers do when they start up the car is turn on the radio, it baffles me why so many are unable to turn another knob to turn their fking lights on!

[Vipers]

Dracoro said:

y2blade said:

I see one every morning with one dipped-beam light out but both fogs on

I'm not sure if this better or worse.

Better because it *may* indicate that they are aware that they have a light out so putting the fogs on so people can see them OK.

Worse because as if they *are* aware they their light is out, they would fix it!!

Most were aware of it last year as well no doubt?

[McSam]

Bluebarge said:

Fun Bus said:

I nearly started a thread on this myself as in and around Nottingham I'm noticing this alot at the moment too. I had a car follow me last night with one headlight not working at all.
I, like many of us on here would have a bulb replaced as soon as possible on my, or my GF's car.

Agreed, but crap modern car design has made many bulb holders inaccessible to all except skilled marmosets. In order to change a headlight bulb on a Volvo v70, you either have to remove the front bumper or rip out the airbox - since I'd rather a Volvo mechanic breaks the car than I do, I have to pop into the local Volvo dealer - that may take a couple of days to arrange, hence driving around for a couple of days with one light u/s. To my mind, it should be a legal requirement that stuff like this should be repairable by Joe Public - it should be no harder than topping up a washer bottle (although even that is beyond some people).

A lot of cars aren't bad at all, but your Volvo is a particularly catastrophic example. Of all the cars on the road today, there are perhaps only one in a hundred that someone reasonably skilled/experienced can't change a headlight bulb on. If you wanted anyone to be able to get to it easily and change it on every car, you'd probably spend more time complaining that there's buggerall space inside the car despite the massive size of it! It's all about packaging.

[jmorgan]

Vipers said:

jmorgan said:

It is too hard for people to check lights. They have to walk all the way to the front of the car.

Before I had the Volvo, which lets me know a lamp is out (Bulbs you plant in your garden), I used to drive down to the local supermarket, face the windows, check the front lights, side, dipped, full, indicators.

Then turn around, and do the same observing lights in your rear mirror, taint rocket science.

Sadly we just have a load of couldn't care less brigade on our roads, and don't start me on those who insist on keeping the brake on in slow moving traffic. Every night my commute down to the Bridge of Dee in Aberdeen is usually 5 mins of stop, move 4 ft, stop. Me? on handbrake, rest of mankind keep foot on pedel, blinding the car behind you, and I am convinced a lot of drivers change the wattage on their stop lights.

Reversing on one side of the drive I can see the rears in all their illuminated glory. Helps with the brake lights and reversing lights without a second person. It's not rocket science to check stuff day by day.


Edit, ah hah! fixy fixy..... internet formatting god I am.

Edited by jmorgan on Thursday 18th November 12:53