Does anyone else think sidelights/dim-dip headlights are a waste of time?

[Gingerbloke]

It's now a legal requirement for all newly introduced cars to have Daytime Running Lights, generally these are brighter than sidelights, but dimmer than dipped beam.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I did an advanced driving course a few years ago and was advised to use dipped head lights during daylight for visibility to other road users. Sidelights or parking lights were useless, I was told.

So which part of your car couldn't people see in daylight unless you had your lights on?

 

[jig-sore]

i think the OP should just be glad they had lights on at all.

the number of people i see driving in the rain and fog with no lights on is unbelievable. one of the things that really winds me up

 

[Brandane]

I'd like to see dipped headlights banned in built up areas, they are a bloody hazard that have become the norm because of the stupid "more is better" safety attitude that seems to prevail now.

Sorry but I strongly disagree with this line of thought. I would like to see sidelights/dim-dip headlights banned altogether, especially in built up areas. Why? Because they just blend into the street lighting, and the properly used dipped headlights of other vehicles. This is especially dangerous to drivers of longer vehicles (such as myself who drives an articulated lorry) as we rely very much on what we can see in our mirrors, especially to the nearside. I can assure you that it is VERY difficult to pick out a car travelling behind an artic in darkness or poor visibility if it is only showing sidelights. Factor in some spray/rain on the mirror and it becomes almost impossible.

As other posters have pointed out, even approaching traffic obscures the "energy savers" from view. Surely you have noticed this? When traffic is coming towards you, you see the cars with dipped headlights on quite clearly; then "oops; there's another car in front of the one with the headlights...but I didn't see it until the last minute because the driver thinks he will save the planet by running on sidelights instead of headlights".

Honestly, how much difference in energy consumption does it really make? Worth risking their own lives for?

And don't get me started on the clowns who drive in heavy rain or fog with sidelights on; or worse still no lights at all. Such is the emphasis on keeping within speed limits these days that these more important safety measures are totally ignored .

 

[Davidc]

I'd like to see dipped headlights banned in built up areas, they are a bloody hazard that have become the norm because of the stupid "more is better" safety attitude that seems to prevail now.

Like Brandane I totally disagree with you.

If I ran the world DRLs would be front and rear and cars too old to have them would have to have dipped headlights on when the engine was running.

I don't so it won't be introduced anytime soon.

 

[Browser]

Sorry but I strongly disagree with this line of thought. I would like to see sidelights/dim-dip headlights banned altogether, especially in built up areas. Why? Because they just blend into the street lighting, and the properly used dipped headlights of other vehicles. This is especially dangerous to drivers of longer vehicles (such as myself who drives an articulated lorry) as we rely very much on what we can see in our mirrors, especially to the nearside. I can assure you that it is VERY difficult to pick out a car travelling behind an artic in darkness or poor visibility if it is only showing sidelights. Factor in some spray/rain on the mirror and it becomes almost impossible.

As other posters have pointed out, even approaching traffic obscures the "energy savers" from view. Surely you have noticed this? When traffic is coming towards you, you see the cars with dipped headlights on quite clearly; then "oops; there's another car in front of the one with the headlights...but I didn't see it until the last minute because the driver thinks he will save the planet by running on sidelights instead of headlights".

Honestly, how much difference in energy consumption does it really make? Worth risking their own lives for?

And don't get me started on the clowns who drive in heavy rain or fog with sidelights on; or worse still no lights at all. Such is the emphasis on keeping within speed limits these days that these more important safety measures are totally ignored .

I would have tyoped something similar Brandane, but thanks to you I needn't
Tyhe above is the point I was trying to make, as long as you have motorists who are fully lit up, anyone using sidelights will just belnd into them.
I agree with some posters, many modern headlights are dazzling, but I believe this can be down to (a) cars less than three years old having not had their headlamps correctly set during the dealers' pre/post-delivery inspection (read this in a motoring mag somewhere once, apparently more common than you'd think) and (b) the pink squishy thing behind the wheel not realising that nearly all cars now are fitted with dashboard-mounted headlamp angle adjusters so that if they have a load in the car (passengers, stuff in the boot etc) they can tilt the headlamsp down so they don't dazzle oncoming motorists. Oh, wait a moment, that would mean they'd have to have read the owners instruction manual that came with the car.............

 

[snailracer]

Cars with headlights on in urban areas (at night) are bad for cyclists but good for pedestrians. There was a campaign some years ago to abolish the "loophole" allowing cars to drive around with just sidelights on in town at night, I can't remember if they succeeded.

 

[Dan B]

Cars with headlights on in urban areas (at night) are bad for cyclists but good for pedestrians.

Speaking as a pedestrian, no, not really. I can see unlit objects (such as street furniture and kerbs and even other pedestrians) perfectly well - why should cars need 55W at each corner in order that I can see them too?

 

[rualexander]

Speaking as a pedestrian, no, not really. I can see unlit objects (such as street furniture and kerbs and even other pedestrians) perfectly well - why should cars need 55W at each corner in order that I can see them too?

Because they are travelling significantly faster than pedestrians and street furniture, and your quick glance before crossing the road may not be enough to register a couple of dim sidelights 100 metres away.

 

[mickle]

Sorry but I strongly disagree with this line of thought. I would like to see sidelights/dim-dip headlights banned altogether, especially in built up areas. Why? Because they just blend into the street lighting, and the properly used dipped headlights of other vehicles. This is especially dangerous to drivers of longer vehicles (such as myself who drives an articulated lorry) as we rely very much on what we can see in our mirrors, especially to the nearside. I can assure you that it is VERY difficult to pick out a car travelling behind an artic in darkness or poor visibility if it is only showing sidelights. Factor in some spray/rain on the mirror and it becomes almost impossible.

As other posters have pointed out, even approaching traffic obscures the "energy savers" from view. Surely you have noticed this? When traffic is coming towards you, you see the cars with dipped headlights on quite clearly; then "oops; there's another car in front of the one with the headlights...but I didn't see it until the last minute because the driver thinks he will save the planet by running on sidelights instead of headlights".

Honestly, how much difference in energy consumption does it really make? Worth risking their own lives for?

And don't get me started on the clowns who drive in heavy rain or fog with sidelights on; or worse still no lights at all. Such is the emphasis on keeping within speed limits these days that these more important safety measures are totally ignored .

Motorist as victim syndrome. You've got it bad.

 

[snailracer]

Speaking as a pedestrian, no, not really. I can see unlit objects (such as street furniture and kerbs and even other pedestrians) perfectly well - why should cars need 55W at each corner in order that I can see them too?

The explanation at the time was that many pedestrians often don't bother looking both ways for cars, but they do see the beam cast by the headlights on the bit of road they are about to step into.

 

[Dan B]

Because they are travelling significantly faster than pedestrians and street furniture, and your quick glance before crossing the road may not be enough to register a couple of dim sidelights 100 metres away.

1) 30 mph is 13 metres per second: that pair of dim sidelights will not be arriving for another 7 or 8 seconds even supposing it's moving at the speed limit and not at the 12-20mph speeds more common in city centres.

2) your concern for pedestrian safety is admirable, but would be better served by slowing down a bit if you see them crossing the road than by using brighter lights to intimidate them into staying on the pavement.

 

[Mad at urage]

Cycling to work this morning I saw at least two cars going the other way with sidelights on. This was approx 7:10 this morning and the sun had not cleared the horizon. According to the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations, part of which is detailed here http://www.nmm.ac.uk...ighting-up-time , headlights should be used "Headlamps are required on vehicles during the hours of darkness which are defined by these regulations as being the interval between one half-hour after sunset to one half-hour before sunrise."
Sunrise this morning was 07:31 so tyhey should have had headlights on, but I am assuing the old 'it isn't that dark and I can see OK' logic was at work.
Apart from when a vehicle is parked/stationary with the engine off and in a location which necessitates the use of sidelights to alert other road users to it's presence to prevent a collision, should cars now have a facility that when the ignition is switched on and the lights are switched/selected on, they should be dipped beams not sidelights?
Oh, and anyone with only one headlight working, please carry a spare lamp/bulb, check your headlights are both working before you set off and, if not, SORT THE BUGGERS OUT!!

The site you link to is simply wrong:

113
You MUST

• ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise
• use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
• use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226)

Night (the hours of darkness) is defined as the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise).


[Laws RVLR regs 3, 24, & 25, (In Scotland - RTRA 1984 sect 82 (as amended by NRSWA, para 59 of sched 8))]

114You MUST NOT

• use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders

As snorri, SJ and others say, even dipped headlights dazzle.

No no no, there is already too much light pollution affecting our night vision and preventing us seeing the unlit hazards that abound in the modern world.

+1

I'd like to see dipped headlights banned in built up areas, they are a bloody hazard that have become the norm because of the stupid "more is better" safety attitude that seems to prevail now.

Most definitely agree! Street lighting is plenty to see by (and if it isn't then the vehicle is traveling too fast for the urban conditions).

Sensible policies for a happier future. While we're at it, I'd also like to see it be made an offence to display high-level brake lights on a stationary vehicle. Put the damn handbrake on if you're not going anywhere, and stop trying to sear my retinas.

The HC agrees with you also -
114 You MUST NOT

• use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders

• use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226)

In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.


[Law RVLR reg 27]

 

[snailracer]

However...


115
You should also

• use dipped headlights, or dim-dip if fitted, at night in built-up areas and in dull daytime weather, to ensure that you can be seen

So legally cars don't have to use headlights in town, but the HC recommends that they do.

 

[Peteaud]

My car (VW) automatically has daytime running lights, so i just switch from off (daylights on) to on (mainheads on and inside illumination on)

I get flashed all the time with people thinking i am running with headlights on!

Most newer VW cars are the same as its law from 2012 regarding new cars - i think