Headlight use in poor visibility conditions.

[emmitdb]

Greetings,

Just got back from a ridiculously soggy week at a site in Carmarthenshire.

Every day there was a prolonged period of heavy rain and resultant poor visibility but, when out and about, I noticed that the vast majority of drivers were not displaying any lights at all. The majority of the rest were on sidelights and a not many at all displayed headlights.

Is it a case of 'It always rains in Wales and we're used to it'

or more likely 'Bu&&er you' I'm all right.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

what do you expect in wales "eh" sunshine? strewth, as far as headlights are conserned ever heard the jasper carrot joke about volvos.

 

[emmitdb]

what do you expect in wales "eh" sunshine? strewth, as far as headlights are conserned ever heard the jasper carrot joke about volvos.

Colin,

Thanks for that.

I wasn't expecting anything but the wet stuff (family gathering) but I was expecting to be able to see the other road users BEFORE they jumped out at me.

PS. The joke, prey tell.

 

[602]

Hi,

How else would we recognise the strangers in town?

602

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi del

not heard it shame its very funny and quite long;

ok then shortened version, joke goes:- bought a volvo every time its used the headlights are on, "cant turn them off",

bright sunny day headlights on, people shouting and gestering because the lights are allways on pulled out the fuses disconnected the battery headlights still on, got fed up of it so had it crushed into a mtr square cube which is kept in garden, that was 2 years ago and:- "THE HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL ON"

colin

 

[Jennifer_374461363]

Is that not a bit "old hat"?

Daylight running lights are a serious safety feature.

 

[602]

Hi,

Those low level DRIVING lamps should be set low, with reduced wattage bulbs, and they should be used as daylight running lamps. Then they wouldn't offend me at night.

ALSO, the switch that controls the level of your headlamps should automatically return to LOW when the headlamps are switched off. Too many people set the beams for solo driving, then dazzle everybody when Granny gets in the back seat.

Similarly with rear fog lamps.

602

 

[Lutz]

If headlights don't dazzle at night, they'll dazzle even less during daylight.

 

[drsorento]

If the powers that be in the "United States of Eurpoe" get thier way we will all be driving around with head lights on ALL the time day and night.

Just another errosion of our identitey thanks to Brussels and its cronies.

 

[Lutz]

I can't see what's wrong with driving with headlights on all the time. It doesn't do anyone any harm, and can only do good, so one shouldn't need anyone to tell you to have to do it.

 

[Chrisbee]

You don't get owt for nowt! Although it may be almost undetectable, the load on the alternator will be increased by the use of headlamps and there will be a minute increase in fuel consumption. Multiply that by all the vehicles on the road and the "greens" will have a field day.

 

[Gafferbill]

....it increases engine emissions and would contribute to global warming ;-)

 

[Gafferbill]

...Great minds think alike Chrisbee!

 

[Lutz]

That's really scraping the barrel a bit in an attempt to justify not doing something which has been proved to contribute to road safety.

 

[Gafferbill]

I've never scraped a barrel in my life..... I think you missed the fact that I was winking and smiling when I made the tongue in cheek comment!

 

[Lutz]

;-)

 

[drsorento]

Nothing wrong with increasing road saftey I am all for it, my point is yet again the EU will dream up and shove out yet another directive that we are obliged to follow, even though the govenment of the day may not agree with it, and we follow it to the letter reguardless of cost to the individual, company or country while the rest of the EU pay lip service to it, bin it,and ignor it.

Back to road saftey then, I would not mind if it came from within our country, but object to being dictated to by a bunch of EU cronies.

As I said in my earlier post its yet another errosion of our national identitey.

 

[SteveW77]

Is there any actual statistical proof that daylight running on headlights reducec accidents. The last thing I read about motorbikes was that accidents actually went up when riders used headlights during daylight hours, something about giving the rider a false sense of security, thinking that car drivers had to have seen them when in reallity they hadn't.

Steve W

 

[Lutz]

I don't know where anyone has got the notion from that this has anything to do with the EU. There are about as many countries outside the EU that require daytime headlights as there are those within that don't. Every country is free to choose for itself whether to make daytime headlights compulsory or not.

 

[drsorento]

Not if it comes via an EU directive, all member states are supposed to impliment all EU directives weather they agree with them or not. what actually happens is the weak british govenment impliment them to the letter, whilst those govenments with a bit of back bone just ignore them.

I am speaking generally not just with respect to road saftey .

 

[Lutz]

No, but there is no EU directive to this effect.

 

[Terry_5112949]

I`ve always understood it to be law in this country to display dipped headlights in falling rain, I always use mine as soon as it starts. I suppose it depends on what is drizzle and what is falling rain, my moral is safer to be seen.

 

[602]

Hi,

In France you must switch on headlamps if its raining.

At least one person has discovered that it is raining if the policeman says it is.

602

 

[cooky1]

Poor visibility = headlights on.

Side lights (parking lights) should be used when parked, not really for poor visibility conditions.

If the conditions warrant lights then go for full headlights IMHO.

Graeme.

 

[keith5]

I give up with ALL these numpties. I really do. They seem to think that if they turn their lights on, it will drain the battery or something. Cars are made to cope with the lights being on, believe it or not!

They completely fail to realise that it isn't a case of THEY can see where they are going, it's whether YOU can see them. But some of them are so thick (or thick skinned) that they are oblivious to anyone else on the road anyway. personally I'd tie them all to trees and set fire to them.

Then they might see the light!!

On the M5 last week in absolutely torrential rain, I checked my mirror, and nothing was in sight, pulled out into the outside lane of the motorway to overtake a truck, when right behind me, a driver (Audi) rockets up behind, and flashed us. No lights on, just using the headlight flasher!!

NEVER EVEN SAW YOU PAL!!

But I would have done if you'd had your lights on!! And more to the point, if you'd run into the back of us, it would have been your own stupid fault, and believe me, we would have been the first to advise your insurance company that you were travelling without lights in torrential rain on a motorway!