It may be me, but did I read or hear somewhere that in the not too distant future, new cars in the UK will have to be wired up so that the headlights are on all the time? (Like Volvo's etc.)
Assuming that this is correct, I presume it's a European ruling. And isn't is a shame?
If I am barking up the wrong tree and am getting confused, then sorry to cause a panic folks!
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here's a related question.
My astra has a set of "chin" lights, which come on when the dip or min beams are in use. In the handbook, they are described as additional driving lights.
Now, I see morons driving about (illegally) in daylight or dusk, with just these lights on. Mostly in Audis, Opels, BMWs and Mercs. Apart from looking poncey, they are also damn irritating, as they never seem to be aligned, and the light sprays everywhere.
Now I'm sure it isn't an average DIY job to do the rewiring/switchgear, so auto-electricians must be doing it. How could they do this type of work, knowing it is against the law? (or does greed raise it's ugly head again?)
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I believe there was an article in either the Telegraph or Daily Mail about this. Or perhaps in one of the bike mags as the writer was worried that if more cars drive around with headlights on in daylight bikers that rely on their headlight to stand out will blend in. The article I read went along the lines of if the law was passed it could possibly result in more biker deaths/injuries.
Phil
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When I learnt to ride bikes my instructor told me not to use my headlights since he reckoned that bikers relied on them to make them visible when they should be taking other precautions such as whearing hi-viz kit and riding sensibly. Thoughts?
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Apparently the Eurocrats do want this. Most Dutch now drive with their lights on all the time.
HJ
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people cant say that the EU is good now can they ???.
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It's quite helpful, for distance/speed assessment, on those long, straight Dutch roads : -)
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Sorry, but I think this will be a mistake.
IMHO light levels are generally too high as it is. Certainly use lights when they are appropriate but we seem to be in a continuous spiral of who's got the brightest lights. Soon every moving thing will be lit up like Xmas trees, this is fine if the only things on or near roads were vehicles but I have noticed that other road users are becoming almost invisible.
I find it strange that we probably have some of the best street lighting we have ever had but virtually everyone now drives around behind some of the brightest headlights we have ever had, this gives so much ambient light that pedestrians become silhouettes. I drive around quite often in the early hours of the morning when there is light traffic and use dim-dip, (still got a car that old!) and find that my eyes adjust to the ambient light levels and I can actually see pretty much everything well, but early evening with heavy traffic is a nightmare. I know that night vision deteriorates with age and I'm not getting any younger but I have my eyes tested every year and am told that they are pretty much average so it can't be just me.
I'd be interested to know what others feel about this.
Also if everyone is going to drive around in daylight with lights on how will the things that really need to stand out do so, i.e. fire engines, ambulances, etc.?
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I agree: you can have too much light and no contrast.
I use dim-dip in well-lit towns but when I feel the need for dip headlights, I still turn them off in traffic queues or waiting at junctions where they would dazzle; it's a shame others do not.
Headlights are designed for unlit roads.
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Have to disagree with driving on what are only PARKING lights, in almost ANY conceivable circs. If streets are well-lit, a poorly-lit vehicle ,eg London black cabs, can, IMO, be practically invisible. You may be able to SEE, but can you be SEEN?
It's the same with the eejits who drive on park lights on murky, misty mornings - you can see the outline of the car at about the same moment as you see the lights - this might be just too late! The logic again seems to be "Well, I can see the road ahead OK, so I don't need headlights".
As for the fog lights which so many seem to like using at every opportunity, they are, again IMO, useless in MOST daylight conditions, except the very worst fog or snow, where you get so much scatter from dipped heads, and you need to see the road edges, in order to creep along.
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Comming from my bike riding point of view I dont want cars to hav e the lights on all the time, it will end up with sorry mate I didnt see you. Phil is quite right about us motorcyclists not liking the idea, its the only thing that makes us stick out most of the time. The strange thing is that Volvos (with the lights on) still cause more problems for bikes than any other car. Do Saabs have their lights on all the time?? If they do, it must still be something to do with the drivers, no one I knows has ever had a problem with a Saab driver.
But the bikes been in the garage for the last month to icy, please warm up.
Bill
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I always (when I remember) drive with my sidelights on. From an oncoming driver's viewpoint you stand out from the background! That?s it, it's safer and anything that makes driving these safer has got to be an improvement!
Yours B Cowell
Richard B wrote:
>
> It may be me, but did I read or hear somewhere that in the
> not too distant future, new cars in the UK will have to be
> wired up so that the headlights are on all the time? (Like
> Volvo's etc.)
>
> Assuming that this is correct, I presume it's a European
> ruling. And isn't is a shame?
>
> If I am barking up the wrong tree and am getting confused,
> then sorry to cause a panic folks!
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I agree with Cockle. To much use of lights in certain circumstances is more hazardous.
I always find that the use of headlights when the roads are wet and the light is just beginning to fade causes reflections up from the road and throws the light in all directions. In certain conditions as above cars with sidelights on are picked out by the eye far easier than the ones with headlights blazing.
Alvin
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Does anybody else feel that the lighting levels on some out of town main roads and motorways in particular is too high.
Here we are supposed to be in a global warming crisis, saving energy wherever possible, with high taxes on road fuel and industrial energy, and we have main roads lit up like Christmas trees at 3 o'clock in the morning, so that you could stand at the side of a road and read a newspaper.
I am sure that two thirds of the lit stretches do not really need it and that you could cut the number of lamps by a third on much of the rest.
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I too drive on sidelights, switching to dips when necessary. Driving on headlights is counterproductive, as most people can see details better when not being blasted in the face by bright light sources.
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2003/4 all vehicles in the eu must be built to this spec
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Swiss friends told me last summer that daytime running lights/dipped headlights are to become compulsory there, (from 2003, I think)
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"When I learnt to ride bikes my instructor told me not to use my headlights since he reckoned that bikers relied on them to make them visible when they should be taking other precautions such as whearing hi-viz kit and riding sensibly. Thoughts?"
Can't provide figures to back this up but people pull out of junctions in front of me *much* less under full beam.
Anecdotal but true.
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Who takes "Which"?
This month, their "Motoring Expert" (!) gave what was, IMO, an idiotic reply on the subject of front/rear fog lights' use.
Queried about the Focus switching, whereby you HAVE to put the front fogs on with the rear, he said this was quite right, 'cos, in conditions where you want the rear on, you SHOULD always be using the fronts !!
I have continually thought this switching was a**e-about-face, as I quite often want rear-only.
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IT'd be nice over here if lots of vehicles managed ANY lights, even the blue, red or green ones which adorn those vehicles that do display lights! It is widely still believed in the Philippines that using one's lights excessively (sic) is bad for the battery, therefore switching them on when an obstacle approaches and turning them off again afterwards is quite common.
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I agree the older style sidelights were useless for being seen as are the parking lights now fitted, would never wish to see a return to sidelights like the old Jags, I've seen better lights on a bicycle, how they were ever legal I shall never know!
I use the intermediate dim-dip which were fitted until it was decided that adjustable headlights would replace them. My argument is that in most urban situations modern headlights are overkill, the dim-dip which lights the headlight area so you can be seen and gives sufficient illumination to light reflectors and road signs etc is quite adequate.
As for front fogs, they just scatter light everywhere and achieve very little, mostly for posing I think.
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