This morning I was on a one-way system where traffic often needs to switch lanes, and therefore your natural instinct is to look across at the car next to you to see whether it is indicating.
The car just ahead of me in the offside lane was a new Corsa. The trouble was, I couldn't see where it's rear indicators were. Initially I wasn't sure whether they were hidden by my car's A-pillars or door mirror. After a second or so of looking I realised that they were concealed behind smoked lenses in the black trim each side of the rear window.
Surely this is a bad thing ? There are times when you want to quickly check that a nearby car isn't indicating and for that you need to quickly identify where its indicators are. Even a second is a comparatively long time to have to take your attention away from what's happening in front.
This is a case of form being put before function and style before safety. Indicators ought to be visibly amber even when they aren't lit. Or am I being pedantic ?
I think the idea of having indicators lit at night as running lights as in the 'states is also counter-productive. Surely an indication will stand out far better among white and red lights than it can among red white and amber lights ?
Apologies if this has already been covered, i've been away for a bit.
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No you are not being pedantic, style before safety now all too common. Another example is the current Golf with the front indicators lost between the double headlamps.
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If indicators comply with regulations, what's the problem?
If you can see it flashing, it's flashing. If you can't see it flashing, it's not.
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If indicators comply with regulations, what's the problem? If you can see it flashing, it's flashing. If you can't see it flashing, it's not.
But if it is stuck between two much brighter headlamps it's difficult to see if it is flashing or not!!
Perhaps the regulations are the problem
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What's the problem ? Maybe the regulations are the problem. Read the post again: I wasted a couple of seconds looking for them because I wasn't sure whether they were in view.
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But, are'nt they all very close to headlights?
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But, are'nt they all very close to headlights?
Close is part of the problem, but at least they used to be in a separate unit, and probably more important outboard of the main headlamp.
In the Golf, several other VAG cars and one of the new Jags (as I discovered this afternoon when I took far longer than it should to recognise he was going into the road I was leaving)they are between the double headlights. Very difficult to see a lowish wattage light, even a flashing one, between two that are much brighter.
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Made worse when wearing shades in bright sunlight.
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Glad someone else thinks the same as I. Of late always considered indicators not as effect as they should be being clumped amongst other glass and of similar colour.
The (old) Fiat Bravo at the rear to me was ideal. Three warnings each side and seperated. Oblig. Light, brake stop and then indicator. No confusion.
DVD
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84% of vehicles in the Philippines have no indicators, as can be easily judged from the lack of any working examples on the road.
15% of vehicles have had their indicators wired up to be on all the time so as to look nice. These are most commonly painted blue, but pink is quite popular and a few have been left in their original orange.
1% of vehicles have working indicators. In the main these are driven by foreigners, who have peculiar driving habits anyway.
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Hmm, perhaps we haven't got it so bad over here after all Growler !
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Like someone has already said, at night when some cars have their headlamps on, it is difficult to see the indicator because theyhave been placed too close to the brighter light source.
Cannot say I've had the same problem with rear indicators but the fashion to have the rear indicators covered by darkened out covering does present a similar risk only in daylight!
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Do people still use indicators? :-)
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In my experience, doug, no a lot of them don't,and this drives me totally mad, epecially at for eg mini-roundabouts, where no-one can move because the 't****r' to the right refuses to indicate where they are intending to go. Oh, and if they're not indicating, and you presume they're going straight on, be well prepared for the honking of their horn as they try to cut you up.
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I find the Volvo V/S40 very annoying with their orange light on all the time. I have had a quick glance in the mirror to see this orange light on and mistaken it for an indicator.
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As some people have already commented - there's no problem, generally, with clear indicators (where the bulbs are zinc plated or orange in colour) as the 'flash' is still clearly visible. I find the front ones on the Golf are still highly visible, even with the headlights on. Why look for the indicators when, as per earlier, the flash can be clearly seen?!
I'll agree that the DIY smoked effect can be a bit over-zealous and thus all lights appear very dim (not unlike the drivers of such vehicles!)
I find the high mounted lights more irritating due to the fact that they 'agitate' the eye - this is certainly the case when sitting behind them at lights. W*nk wagons (4x4) who sit with the foot on the brake (so they can make a quick getaway?) rather than applying the handbrake can also stress the eyes.
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The worst by far are old Ford Escort/Orions etc, where the indicator dims when the stoplights come on, or goes out totally. I can't believe they got away with producing such tat. I speak as an ex-Escort MkIII owner, who fought a losing battle with the rear light assemblies.
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heheheheh Not just Escort/Orions the Sierra was another one for this problem.... good old Fraud's eh? I had an 'E' Sierra Saphire and (other than being a nail) had some freaky interaction with the rear light clusters.
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I also noticed a mercedes (e class?) this morning approaching where the indicators appear to be incorporated into the top of the headlight, very strange and it did make me look twice!
Doesnt beat green sidelights though!!
S.
_____________________________________
SVPworld (incorporating PSRworld)
www.svpworld.com
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Followed a late model Golf this evening on a stright road. Its brake lights came on, and I slowed down behind it. The indicator was flashing, but as it was sandwiched between a brake light and the rear light, (and was quite narrow) it was almost impossible to see. Very poor design.
P
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Am I the only driver having problems identifying when a lot of recently introduced cars are indicating to turn? Thier front indicators are mounted inwards of their headlights and at night on some makes its plainly more difficult to make out when they are indicating to turn, when you are approaching them from the front. I find myself having to "second guess" their intentions and find this problem is more accute with 4x4's where they have higher mounted headlights which tend to dazzle and worsen this problem.
Have the rules governing positioning of indicators changed or are manufacturers exploiting a loophole in regs just for the sake of "style"?
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Car designers aren't interested in function any more - they've done that to death. It's only fashion statements, because they have realised that's what the bulk of the public goes for.
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Possibly even more so with more xenon lights fitted to more cars-they show a multitude of colours at different angels.
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Runboy, what are taking that lets you see all these multi-coloured angels when you are driving.
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Ah, it was late at night, Norwich City council had forgotten to grit the roads and the city was one big car park. So by the time I had got home I was too tired to think.
That puts a different 'angle' on things.
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