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see how many drivers will be driving home from work tonight with out lights on, happens every year on this particular monday
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/10/2007 at 10:30
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We were over in the Lakes yesterday and left just before sunset. Even when it was getting quite dark there were plenty of drivers on the A65 with no lights on whatsoever, and this included a number of bikers.
As usual we were in queues of traffic (for some reason Citroen Berlingos were popular for being leaders of the '40 mph everywhere' club yesterday - three altogether) and one driver had to abort an overtake on a good stretch of straight road after failing to see a car in a dark colour with no lights on. I had seen him and on seeing the car in front pull out immediately held back as I could see an abort or serious head on happening. Thankfully the fool with no lights on managed to find his full beam to announce his presence, but when he passed no rear lights were evident.
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and one driver had to abort an overtake on a good stretch of straight road after failing to see a car in a dark colour with no lights on.
I have on rare occasions done this although I've seen the oncoming car - to give the lightless idiot the fright of their lives and face the possible consequences of their (in)actions.
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I'd be at a loss to say why this happens.
Do people really think, "oh, it's twenty past five - I'd better put my lights on", rather than, "oh, it's getting dark, I may not be that visible to other motorists - I'd better put my lights on"?
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I don;t think it's a time thing, more a habit thing.
A lot of people have been leaving work, driving home, no lights needed, habit formed.
They now are leaving work in the dark and have to think to put their lights on which goes against the habit they have formed for the past 6 months.
It's just auto-driving.
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No problemo for me - auto lights.
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do you people not realise that light bulbs wear out if used lots ;-)
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"light bulbs wear out"
And cause sea levels to rise...
(but not after they've worn out, obviously)
Edited by J Bonington Jagworth on 29/10/2007 at 13:21
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I can't sea your point? People wave at me if I dont have them onAnd cause sea levels to rise...
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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I kinda think that when you can't see the speedo in the dark, its a bit of a clue that something is missing.
Mind I have auto lights as well.
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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Yes, I have autolights as well. However they are on a Renault which means they don't work.
I have to rely on the traditional eye-brain method to detect the onset of darkness!
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I kinda think that when you can't see the speedo in the dark its a bit of a clue that something is missing.
Trouble is many cars have electronic dashboards which light up all the time.
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Trouble is many cars have electronic dashboards which light up all the time.
Aye. The old-model Leon was one such - at least, the ones built in 2001 were.
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Are auto lights breeding a nation of 'pansies' by eliminating the effort of manipulating the light switch? :-)
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With the auto wipers as well, my right finger has atrophied in the two months I have had that feature
Its only the indicator lever thats keeping my left finger in fine health.
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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then please dont tell us where you keep your thumb........
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see how many drivers will be driving home from work tonight with out lights on happens every year on this particular monday
Or, about as bad, with "one eye blind" lights, cos a bulb has blown and they are unaware of it?
I always laugh on the first day of rain here, after months of dry weather - seeing all the blokes who NEVER wash their cars have to use wipers. Love that smeared, muddy windscreen as all the dust mixes with the rain...
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Watching the local traffic on our industrial estate. Large majority seem to have two headlights but the odd one dazzles me on the first floor.
Bulb fitted 180° out perhaps?
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Well my new years resolution was to reduce my carbon footprint and I must say my energy saving light bulbs are doing their bit ...of course when not on they really are carbon neutral.
Total So far 4 cyclists, a fox, 3 baggers.....
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It used to be an old motor trade joke, end of BST - all the clocks go back !
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Took me a minute to figure that one.
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mileage correction services just doesnt have the same ring does it
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Lights are for wimps.
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I have a confession to make. About ten years ago drove about 5 miles on NVGs - it was in the dead of night in the middle of nowhere - it was an experience.
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Does anybody still drive down unlit roads with passengers and momentarily turn all the lights off? like we did in our youth,or is this illegal now? ;-)
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Does anybody still drive down unlit roads with passengers and momentarily turn all the lights off? like we did in our youth or is this illegal now? ;-)
Funny enough I did this on Saturday night for the first time in about 10 years when driving home from the out-laws house in the Mondeo. No passengers on board, and the road was fairly straight, but managed about 5 seconds at 60 mph before bottling it.
Made me feel strangely good. I'm becoming a little worried about my mental state of late.... :-(
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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Made me feel strangely good. I'm becoming a little worried about my mental state of late.... :-(
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>>>>>>> your as sane as me so dont worry about it ;-)
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"Does anybody still drive down unlit roads with passengers and momentarily turn all the lights off? like we did in our youth,or is this illegal now? ;-)"
That's the most incredibly daft, dangerous and irresponsible thing I've ever read on here.
However I sometimes play that game on empty, straight motorways where I try and shut my eyes for a tenth of a mile. Thank heaven for rumble strips.
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"Does anybody still drive down unlit roads with passengers and momentarily turn all the lights off? like we did in our youth or is this illegal now? ;-)"
Never done it on purpose but I once had an Audi 80 with a dodgy connection on the ignition switch; on a couple of occasions the headlights went off for a second or two without warning. The final time it did it while driving round a corner on a country lane at about 50mph in pitch black, which was a bit of a surprise. I got it fixed the next day.
Two weeks ago I was driving to the supermarket in the dark and a Pug 206 pulled out behind me with only side and tail lights on, so I assumed they had forgotten to put headlights on.
Round the next corner we passed a police car waiting at the kerb, the driver behind put headlights on, but then switched them off again after they had passed the cop car. Peculiar behaviour - what does this achieve (apart from the aforementioned reasons of wearing the bulbs out and causing sea levels to rise)?!
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I did it once a LONG time ago in one of my first cars. A vauxhall chevette that I thought it would be great to add 100W bulbs to so that I could see at night. Well, it melted the headlight switch so all the headlights went off. I was stuck on sidelights only in the middle of the country. I had to wait for a car to come along, then I chased after him and followed his taillights until the next town!!!!
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Does anybody still drive down unlit roads with passengers and momentarily turn all the lights off? like we did in our youth or is this illegal now? ;-)
Hehe, we are all the same. I've done that once or twice.
There is a section on the A12 with illuminated rather than reflective cats eyes. I turned my lights off for quite a while and it was really interesting. I stress that it was silly o'clock with nobody else on the road in front or behind.
Hands up if you haven't done anything similar once in your life. Anyone?
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mileage correction services just doesnt have the same ring does it
Haircut I was told!!!
MD
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I did once turn my headlights out - to see whether the self-illuminating road studs really did self-illuminate.
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So I guess the "borrowed" Night Vision Goggles makes me a chicken then ?
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Ok it's Thursday.
My count of "one out" headlights (I am on the road for only 30 mins between 5.30am and 6am when it's dark) is:-
Cars - 33
Vans - 15
Trucks - 6
Buses - 2 (First-Bus - what do you expect!)
Police Cars - 2 (one was a traffic car!)
Police Vans - 1
Push bikes - all but 2 had no lights at all!
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Its not only the cyclops issue. Have you noticed how much worse driving standards are now that the clocks have gone back?
Driving down the M5 the last few evenings, have noticed cars driving quicker, driving closer behind vehicles, not allowing room for Mway joiners etc. Inevitably white vans seem the be worse offenders. Is everyone scared of the dark or something?
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I'm more concerned about the drivers whose eyesight is so bad that they feel the need to use main beam to see where they are going on a sunny day.
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L\'escargot.
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L'escargot - I sometimes can't tell whether oncoming cars have main beam on, or just modern discharge lights (or badly adjusted dips).
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Driving down the M5 the last few evenings have noticed cars driving quicker driving closer behind vehicles not allowing room for Mway joiners etc. Inevitably white vans seem the be worse offenders. Is everyone scared of the dark or something?
I always thought that traffic on the motorway has right of way, and that if you're in a foul mood you can trundle along* in the inside lane without moving over.
* I don't do this though since it's not polite.
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DH, of course Mway traffic has the right of way, but as you say it is courteous to allow joiners in, either by moving over or adjusting your speed. I'm simply observing the differences in driving attitude on the same stretch of road, at the same time before and after the clocks changing.
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........ courteous to allow joiners in either by moving over or adjusting your speed.
During my 14 years M62 commute I did it for my own safety, not out of courteousy!
--
L\'escargot.
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