Dipped beams = too bright , auto wipers = arghh, rear saloon wipers = ?!?!

[Django x2]

my biggest gripe at the moment is coming up behind a car seemingly that has no lights on. That's not the case though, because they've got Auto lights, but the driver of said car hasn't but the light switch to the "A" position. Therefore, the front of their vehicle is lighting the way with crappy LED DRLs (as the rears no longer seem to be classed as DRL).

There's no point flashing them from behind as they can see where they are going (albeit very dimly, surely).

Why are people not being educated about their lights when buying a new car with DRLs and Auto lights?

 

[Holst1981]

Did you not know that a significant % of people are idiots?

People who hold their foot on the brake in stop start traffic are annoying me at the moment.
If your behind in a low car bright brake lights give me a headache.
Leave a decent gap and it's filled by another fool

All my driving is in the dark at this time of year.

 

[Django x2]

Did you not know that a significant % of people are idiots?

People who hold their foot on the brake in stop start traffic are annoying me at the moment.
If your behind in a low car bright brake lights give me a headache.
Leave a decent gap and it's filled by another fool

All my driving is in the dark at this time of year.

That's more the convenience of the every increasing numbers of Auto boxes and using the foot brake to control auto creep

 

[adolf hamster]

If only someone would invent an "Auto Hold" function........

they did, but not all cars have it.

mine does it, but only for 2 seconds after releasing the footbrake on a hill, everything else you have to hold her on the brakes.

i'd use the handbrake but that insinuates its capable of holding the car, which it isn't.

 

[acemastr]

yes yes yes.. hate it! usually the tall SUV's high mounted lights = blinds everyone in lower cars.

Hey that's not us in the tall car's problem

 

[Sherbs]

Glad it's not just me. Country roads can be a bit fun nowdays.

 

[Dr Who]

Near me the current trend in lighting is sidelights and fog lights....

However, some of the newer self levelling HIDs are a bit slow on uneven roads... pretty poor.

 

[Nomisf]

my biggest gripe at the moment is coming up behind a car seemingly that has no lights on. That's not the case though, because they've got Auto lights, but the driver of said car hasn't but the light switch to the "A" position. Therefore, the front of their vehicle is lighting the way with crappy LED DRLs (as the rears no longer seem to be classed as DRL).

There's no point flashing them from behind as they can see where they are going (albeit very dimly, surely).

Why are people not being educated about their lights when buying a new car with DRLs and Auto lights?

100x this. In the recent foggy weather, the number of cars that were invisible from behind, due to no lighting - because they were running only front DRLs was upsetting. Why the rear markers aren't also illuminated at all times is a mystery to me. If its so essential for the front of the car to be visible, why not the back?

Only topped by those who felt leaving their 1kw fog light on, in town traffic, because they saw a whisp of cloud once

 

[Howard]

I think I must live in a different country to the rest of you. I've never noticed anything being too bright other than folk who don't dip their lights, people with aftermarket HIDs in reflectors, and people with lights adjusted too high.

Same here. Yeah you might get a momentary flash as someone in an HID/LED-equipped car goes over a speed bump or the brow of a hill or a dip in the road or whatever but in fairness a 20 year old Ford Ka will dazzle you with its dipped beams if you're low enough below it's beam cut-off, and if you don't focus your eyes on the oncoming cars it's fine.


People sitting on the footbrake in front of me at night is annoying though. I'll pop mine (auto) into neutral if I'm sitting still for a more than just briefly.

 

[theone8181]

Yea i find in my 911 its bad with people behind and also people coming towards you, ive got a dimming rear view and drivers side wing mirror but the passenger one doesnt dip so i have to skew it slightly. Nothing i can do about cars coming towards me tho.

 

[TheVoice]

Why the rear markers aren't also illuminated at all times is a mystery to me. If its so essential for the front of the car to be visible, why not the back?

The reason for DRLs was to increase the visibility of cars coming towards you. If conditions require rear visibility then lights should be turned on just the same as when DRLs weren't a thing.

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

People sitting on the footbrake in front of me at night is annoying though. I'll pop mine (auto) into neutral if I'm sitting still for a more than just briefly.

I drive through some nice areas on my way home from work, so I see lots of new RR's. The amount of times I felt I was staring directly into the sun when I've been stuck behind one at traffic lights when they're sitting on the footbrake is crazy! Its not so much that they are bright led's its the height of them that's also the problem.

Its so tempting to get out and invite them into my car to experience the eye burn

 

[Dazzy]

If only someone would invent an "Auto Hold" function........

On newer VAG cars the auto hold leaves your brake lights on. I believe this is not the case on older models. Silly in some ways but also sensible in others.

The manual is pretty clear about using the auto hold vs parking brake/neutral at traffic lights. I think it even goes as far as to restarting the start-stop if you switch to neutral/handbrake.

 

[Stelly]

Most, if I remember corrctly, Xeon/LED headlights by law have to point at the road and this function is automatic due to regulations.

Stelly

 

[Puzzled]

Range Rover's are by far the worst for this, even the rear lights are stupidly bright and if you get stuck behind one sitting on the brakes you're lucky to keep your retinas!

My company vehicle has rubbish headlights anyway but if you get these stupidly bright lights coming towards you then you can't see a damn thing, just have to use the kerb line as a guide.

 

[sovietspybob]

I was going to post a thread about exactly this problem!

The SUV types seem the worst but it can be any number of modern cars, very distracting on uneven and unlit NSL country roads

 

[mrk]

Most, if I remember corrctly, Xeon/LED headlights by law have to point at the road and this function is automatic due to regulations.

Stelly

They still have knobs on the light housing itself to adjust the beam height. The auto level sensor is for towing/extra load purposes so the sensor know where to aim the beam when you've got excess weight on the car.

During MOT, a tester should check the beam angle, but most do not, and new cars don't have to have an MOT for a few years anyway so are left to roam free, dazzling everyone in sight.

 

[kitkat9933]

My car has auto dimming rear view mirror and wing mirrors, yet I still find myself unable to use any of the 3 with a lot of modern LED head lighted cars recently.

Before I moved to the 6-series, I found my merc was an offender though for this and people always used to flash me (and not the good type).

 

[Glaucus]

its extremely annoying, there really should be a max brightness for dipped beams, people could also not follow so close, you can easily see where your dipped lights end, follow at a distance that line is at like the rear wheels, not mirror height (obviously only good for moving traffic not stopped at lights etc).

 

[Jonnycoupe]

its extremely annoying, there really should be a max brightness for dipped beams, people could also not follow so close, you can easily see where your dipped lights end, follow at a distance that line is at like the rear wheels, not mirror height (obviously only good for moving traffic not stopped at lights etc).

Its the same brightness though for main beam.... just without a shutter!