|
Rember all the guff about the increased fuel consumption from loons with their Ingerlund flags on their cars? What will be the amount of extra fuel burned if every moving vehicle in UK drives around 24/7 with its lights on? My maths aren't up to calculating what 120 watts of extra electrical load relates to as mpg, thinking of head, side and rear lights all on.
|
Hmmm, typical IC engine 32% efficient, alternator 75% efficient. 1 litre of diesel = 41,000,000 joules
120 watts/hr - 432,000 joules per hour.
41000000/432000 = ~95 hours per litre
So for every 95 hours the lights are on, the additional fuel consumed will be in the order of 1 litre.
|
|
Sorry, I forgot about the efficiency adjustment, so it would be 23 hours per litre.!
|
|
Ashok. Thanks for saving my addled and overloaded brain from that calculation! So, to round figures, a car is going to use 1 litre per day assuming 24 hour's use which is a nonsense, of course! Shall we say a litre a week, 50 litres a year and 25 million vehicles on the road? That is a load of fuel and it will cost a huge amount more in cash and polluting gases, than the cost of the lives which may be saved by it! Ie Usual nanny state Health and Safety rubbish!
|
|
|
|
How dare someone switch on their headlights in the rain! If they bother you in daylight you're a bit sensitive about these things, and if you get blinded by foglights or headlights in the day, then, well, you need your eyes checked.
* It got pretty gloomy here in Rochdale, lots of people had their lights on.
** I get annoyed by foglights on when they're not needed. Assume drivers are morons and keep clear.
AAAaaand... breathe. :)
|
How dare someone switch on their headlights in the rain!>>
This was not what I stated in my thread - I have no quibble with that if it is necessary. It's those who leave them on in good visibility that grates...:-)
As for being dazzled by headlights during the day it may surprise you to know that this can briefly happen with today's modern headlights if a vehicle coming towards you, for instance, passes over a slight rise.
I'm not claiming it's dangerous, but it can prove a distraction in certain circumstances.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
You might notice that most of the Arriva buses have their headlights on during the day in Southport. Proven to reduce accidents apparently....
|
>>most of the Arriva buses have their headlights on during the day in Southport>>
All the Arriva buses feature dipped headlights in the resort, which is where I live ...:-)
Often thought though that if you can't see a single or double-decker bus in broad daylight.......
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
|
Lights are on, accidents are reduced. Two facts but maybe not connected? What proof is there.
More speed cameras over all in UK, road deaths on the rise. Connected? Probably not, unless you are anti cameras!
|
|
|
|
|
I cannot see what the problem is with having dipped beam on during hot weather,some cars are not easily seen during bright weather and tend to disappear or not be seen.
having the beam on allows other drivers to see them coming and help prevent accidents,caused by sun in direct view of oncoming vehicle preventing this motor being seen,In this respect I feel its a good idea.
main beam is not needed as mentioned,but reckon the dipped beam should stay
--
Steve
|
|
If you can't see a car coming your way (in good visibility) without having it's lights on, then you really should get to an optician pronto.
|
If you can't see a car coming your way (in good visibility) without having it's lights on, then you really should get to an optician pronto.
grey cars in the urban enviroment blend in ( ie silver)
in the country green cars blend in............
|
|
If everyone has their lights on you just have light, and then everyone blends into the background. There isn't much green tarmac around my way, so I don't have much trouble spotting green cars.
|
>>grey cars in the urban enviroment blend in ( ie silver)>>
>>so I don't have much trouble spotting green cars.>>
No one's had any problem either spotting my Reflex Silver VW Bora during the three years it's been gracing my local urban environment...:-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
|
|
Reserch into daytime headlights has come up with the answer that it is safer. However, other reserchers have come to the conclusion that it increases danger. so once again it is down to which set of "experts" you believe.
My own view is that it makes it harder to judge the approach speed and closing distance of other vehicles, and for this reason the last five years of my recently ended motorcycling career were done without using daytime lights. I had no more incidents of vehicles emerging into my path than during the time I rode with lights on. I believe it is one of those things that on the surface seems clear cut, that using lights makes you more visible, but I have read some very thought provoking reserch by a police accident investigator which gives the opposite point of view, and many advanced motorcycle instructors are of the same opinion.
In good visibility a vehicle can easily be seen even if it is not using lights by all but the blind. Anyone who has trouble doing so would be so dangerous they would not get out of there own road without hitting something. The excuse used by drivers who emerge into someones path and then say "sorry mate, I didn't see you" in reality means I wasn't paying attention and just took no notice of you and I totally misjudged your speed.
Lights show up much better at night than during the day, so if the logic that lights make you safer is true, then you would expect the accident rate to fall after dark as everyone is lit. The opposite is in fact true, accidents increase dramatically after dark, and although lights are nescessesary after dark the reason is that the glare from a lit vehicle makes it's approach speed and closing distance harder to judge, as I have already stated.
--
Robin Reliant, formerly known as Tom Shaw
|
One of my driving instructor's many little poems was:
"If you need to wipe, you need your lights"
I think it's pretty sensible actually - why not take every precaution to make sure people can see you? Glaring foglights is another issue but I can't believe anyone is really that bothered by sidelights/dipped headlights in the rain.
|
One of my driving instructor's many little poems was: "If you need to wipe, you need your lights"
One of the many little sayings in the Driving Instructors Training Manual, treated as gospel because it rhymes and it is funny. Never questioned because nobody ever thinks about it.
--
Robin Reliant, formerly known as Tom Shaw
|
Certainly caused some havoc in the last BTTCC race on ITV this afternoon - justice too for Colin Turkington...:-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
|
|
|
Never questioned because nobody ever thinks about it.
Another reason for sticking every potential car driver on an underpowered motorbike for a year - lit up euroboxes are easier to see in poor light.
|
|
Most modern motorcycles don't even have a headlight switch any more. The light is permanently wired on - you just get to choose between main and dipped beam.
|
|
Mine does that - apparantly there's a software switch for it though - at a price !
|
|
What kind of sunlight are we talking about, in connection with danger in having lights on. I find when I am drving and the sun is very strong, but low down in the sky their is lots of glare. Glare from the dashbord, the dirty windscreen, the road etc. In these conditions drving into the sun cars can just melt into the shade if they don't have their lights on. This makes them dangous and I feel it beter for them to have lights on. If on the other hand it is a clear day, just passed noon without any glare and I see car with lights on I think the driver has something wrong with them.
|
"If you need to wipe, you need your lights"
One of the many little sayings in the Driving Instructors Training Manual, treated as gospel because it rhymes and it is funny>>
It doesn't rhyme, and it isn't funny.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
