I have been astounded in the recent bad weather at the number of morons (no other word) driving without lights at dawn & dusk (7:30-8:00 a.m. for example). I can never understand why they don't twig that the cars coming towards them are easier to see with lights....then apply the same principle & think "Hmmm, I might be easier to see if I had my lights on, perhaps I'll just flick the switch & avoid an accident". But no....and why are they always the invisible colours (grey, silver, black etc)? Is this attitude prevalent in all parts of the UK? And WHY are people so stupid - why DON'T they switch them on?
And on the same vein, why do all Land Rover drivers use only their pinhead sized sidelights until it's pitch black?
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It comes down to lack of observation which, IMHO, is the cause of the majority of accidents.
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With reference to Land Rovers, I can only quote the slogan which the MG Car Club of America had printed on T-shirts and bumper stickers;
Lucas Electrics - Home Before Dark
Every time I switch on the headlights on my 1981 Land Rover, I am mildly astonished that they work.....
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Not King of the Road, but Prince of Darkness!
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They are almost as bad as those who switch on rear fogs when there is spray and no fog on the motorway.
Dazzle or Dim.
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US bikers who rode UK imports used to call Lucas "Prince of Darkness"
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Most people don't think most of the time . . . which is the safest assumption to make when driving.
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UK bikers used to call Lucas "Prince of Darkness".
And who said lack of observation is the cause of the majority of accidents, aren't we told it's speed. . ?
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Mike,
These sound like the same people I referred to in the thread called QUICK STRAW POLL yesterday.
However, I have a confession, Yesterday I set off from work (bright, well lit carpark... no excuse) without my lights on, not even the dimdips.
Strangley no other cars flashed me to inform me of this oversight and I had gone about 100 yards before I glanced at the speedometer...
I will have to remember to put brain into gear before the car.
Clair Voyant
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Mmmm, then there's the other end of the spectrum.
Last night on my way home from the office I followed a white van down the A33 from Reading to Basingstoke. The A33 is a reasonable, unlit single carriageway road with 50 MPH limit. In front of the white van was a Mitsubishi EVO doing 35 to 40 MPH and weaving from kerb to centreline. Whenever a vehicle came the other way, the driver braked and dipped his headlights. When the vehicle had passed, the full beams were back on again.
At Basingstoke where the street lighting and dual carriageway starts, the weaving stopped and he tootled along at 50 MPH.
Made me think that if the guy's night-blindness is so bad, he shouldn't really be out after dark !
Kevin...
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You'll be intrigued to know that the Welsh word for carrots is moron!
I agree that there continue to be morons (humanoid) who drive without lights when they're necessary - and who do the reverse. The growing trend away from dim-dip to lowerable headlights, and the growing trend to show off all the lights which one can muster, exacerbate matters.
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I drive a Volvo V70 so the lights are always on. I realise that this can annoy other drivers. However I refuse to pay the local volvo dealer £60 to download software into the car to enable me to turn them off during the day.
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Volvo lights are not really a problem, our Welsh language guru alluded to the much more annoying and dangerous habit of using so-called ''driving lights'' -which to me are front fog lights - all the time. I am sure this will have been aired in this forum but surely manufacturers should be made to use the terms rear fog and front fog on the dashboard so that people actually realise what the lights are for. There will always be those who use them regardless - which I feel is another facet of the aggessive driver - and of course this is just another matter that our beleaugered friends in blue don't have time to address.
Rob S
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A few years ago I was collecting a colleague from a Citroen dealer. While waiting I heard the salesman tell a prospective customer that the fog lights should be left on at all times - like day running lights on Volvos...........
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I know that this is not scientific but I have been out on site visits this afternoon around rural Cumbria and covered around 50 miles. 8 people came past with their fog lights on (well it was raining a bit), of these, 6 were female, one was of the string-backed glove brigade and one had a baseball cap on back to front. Does this blow my theory about aggressive driving and support Fred's theory about salesman?
Blowed if I know!
Rob S
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We Don't care who hits us......
We're indistructable
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If you are talking of any of the pre 85 Landys, those pinpricks are headlights
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Perfectly proper in heavy rain with spay. Makes sure that idiots don't run into the back of us. Now - fog lights (both front and rear) in normal visability - thats another matter. And against the law
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Visibility should be less than 100m to use rear fog lights otherwise drivers behind may not be able to tell when you are braking. And 100m is not very far when you are in a car, far better that you adjust your speed according to the conditions. I'm always amazed at the drivers who rocket past far too fast for the conditions but with foglights ablaze - is this a case of ''Everyone can see me so I'm alright''?
Rob S
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Notice these cars also have radar?
On the local coast road, with me at 50-60km/h, as i can't see further than would be safe at that speed ... they still come past at 120.
Clever folk, these Germans...
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