People that drive in the evening with no lights

[Pestilence]

Seen quite a few people recently driving with no lights on when dark, also seen vehicles with HID mods which seem to throw light everywhere and blind you, one was behind me on the way home this evening and passed one yesterday.

Had one behind me on the way home today. Country road, icy, with no ambient lighting, 5pm and almost pitch black, and I swear his lights were adjusted so high they were beaming straight into my rear view and filling the cab of my car with light. Not pleasant at all.

 

[Gaygle]

I was always taught if it's dark enough to use sidelights then just turn your lights on.

God knows why more people don't think like this. Sidelights are utter crap and IMO should not be used on a moving vehicle on the road. It only makes it more annoying that the driver had to have just clicked the switch one more notch to bring on their proper dipped beams which would make them much more visible.

 

[[TW]Fox]

The instrument binnacle in my Accord is permanently lit, turning my lights on just dims it.

I once drove from International Plaza in Tampa along the Interstate for a few miles back to a hotel in the dark and awful rain. The highway was lit but incredibly there were numerous idiots with no lights on at all. I was driving an Infiniti G37S and commented to my girlfriend about how moronic these idiots were to be driving with no lights in conditions like that.

Pulled into the hotel carpark and thought it seemed unusually dark.

Turns out my lights were off too - I'd turned them off of Auto for some reason earlier in the day, forgotten I'd done it and the entire dash was fully lit despite the lights being off.

DOH

 

[bitslice]

I have known this to happen, although i think it was just a caution and not a penalty. having fog lights on without any fog can be quite dazzling and is pretty dangerous at times. I think its quite right for the police to do this especially if you are too stupid to notice.

I've also been pulled for having fogs on (I didn't really understand how the switch worked at the time, new driver... ) but that was decades ago.

The police don't care any more because otherwise they would arrest the whole of the Midlands stretch of the M6, because every single one of the ******* on there has his fog lights on every flipping night.
If you see someone in a silver car with their fog lights off, that's me, so give me a wave

 

[Eddie182]

I was always taught if it's dark enough to use sidelights then just turn your lights on,

This, 1000 times this.

If it's dark enough for lights to be required, turn on your headlights. Sidelights are a total waste of time and IMO they should just remove the option from cars in motion and make them available only as parking lights.

I think a lot of people seem to believe that their head lights are there only to help them see where they are going when it's dark, rather than also being there to help others see them.

Personally I always favour turning the lights on if it's poor weather and/or low light. Far better for them to be on when, perhaps, they are not necessary than not have them on when they are necessary.

 

[DiCe!]

I just dont understand sidelights, on new cars surely they are not needed. On old cars they never where needed. straight to dipped, should be the standard.

 

[LiE]

Had to flash a few people driving last night in the fog, at night, with only side lights on.

 

[StarmanUK]

Personally I always favour turning the lights on if it's poor weather

I couldn't agree more!

 

[mnet674]

I still get caught out occasionally by the always lit dash on the astra when I drive in lit up areas, did about half a mile from the petrol station last night before I noticed >_<

 

[King Damager]

I have, once in my life, forgotten to turn on my lights, I got to the end of the street and quickly realised...

kd

 

[phil675]

I actually find it irritating that people have their headlights on when it isn't really dark enough. Sidelights are sufficient for around town until it gets proper dark, hate having my eyes strained at dusk.

 

[Locky]

Wouldn't know, my lights are set to 'auto' . . . .

Same

along with auto wipers and dimming rear view mirror, bloody zafira's

 

[d_brennen]

I just dont understand sidelights, on new cars surely they are not needed. On old cars they never where needed. straight to dipped, should be the standard.

I never, ever use side lights. It's either bright enough out for no lights or it's getting a bit dark so the headlights go on. What use are piddly side lights? The trend for day running side lights or whatever the term is annoys me more than it should.

I know it's all in the name of safety etc...

 

[phil675]

Sidelights are great for 'look at me I'm here'. Headlights are for 'It's too dark to see in front of me'. For example in the daytime when it's raining a bit, you may want to put the sidelights on to make yourself more visible, you can still see in front of you fine.

 

[acemastr]

I once drove from International Plaza in Tampa along the Interstate for a few miles back to a hotel in the dark and awful rain. The highway was lit but incredibly there were numerous idiots with no lights on at all. I was driving an Infiniti G37S and commented to my girlfriend about how moronic these idiots were to be driving with no lights in conditions like that.

Pulled into the hotel carpark and thought it seemed unusually dark.

Turns out my lights were off too - I'd turned them off of Auto for some reason earlier in the day, forgotten I'd done it and the entire dash was fully lit despite the lights being off.

DOH

I used to live down the road from there, it's Florida law that if your window wipers are on your lights need to be on, great law in my opinion, should be adopted here.

Flashed a guy last night on a deserted country road who had NO lights on, god knows how he could see...

 

[hawker1986]

God knows why more people don't think like this. Sidelights are utter crap and IMO should not be used on a moving vehicle on the road. It only makes it more annoying that the driver had to have just clicked the switch one more notch to bring on their proper dipped beams which would make them much more visible.

I totally agree, side lights only place is to be on when youre parked at the side of the road in the dark. Ive actively looked and I can see a car just as far away with their lights off as with the sidelights. While moving, either lights or no lights.

Back to the OP. I also find this infuriating that people cant tell, I have to admit I did once do this after having auto lights in my car and then getting into my mums, however, this lapse lasted less than 100m till I realised on a lit street. I see people doing this all the time and its mad.

Hawker

 

[DannyDan]

For example in the daytime when it's raining a bit, you may want to put the sidelights on to make yourself more visible

Why not just use headlights, then you're even more visible?

 

[teulk]

It never fails to amaze me that when i flash my lights at someone at night they just don't understand - the first thing i do if i think i've been "flashed at" so to speak is check my dash, making sure i haven't left my indicator on or have my fogs on or have main beam on.

 

[MissChief]

It's the ones that think 'i can see fine, i don't need my lights on'. They fail to realise that their lights aren't just to see, it's so they can also be seen. The dash on my Cupra is permanently lit so for a few days I didn't notice straight away if my lights weren't on but I noticed quite quickly. I seem to notice it more when people leave the car park at the local shopping centre which is really brightly lit inside.

I've seen loads of cars with blown headlights recently as well. Anyone else noticed them more? Perhaps just because it's dark earlier so I drive more when it's dark?

 

[Kenai]

Sidelights are great for 'look at me I'm here'. Headlights are for 'It's too dark to see in front of me'. For example in the daytime when it's raining a bit, you may want to put the sidelights on to make yourself more visible, you can still see in front of you fine.

That would be great if it had that effect but as I said in another thread about sidelights:

Then they're still completely pointless due to how dim they are.

They're not bright enough to light the road in the dark.

They're barely bright enough to even be detectable in the daylight.

They're not bright enough to make you more visible in dim conditions.