Cars with no lights

Olokia

If you can see them still then it isn't too bad...

I was driving home at night and I thought I saw a shadow right in front of the car. I braked quite hard and carried on cautiously but I wasn't sure if I had just imagined it. It was only when the street lights started again, I realised it was a car with no lights on at all who had pulled out right in front of me while I was doing 60.

arcon5

Olokia wrote: »

If you can see them still then it isn't too bad...

I was driving home at night and I thought I saw a shadow right in front of the car. I braked quite hard and carried on cautiously but I wasn't sure if I had just imagined it. It was only when the street lights started again, I realised it was a car with no lights on at all who had pulled out right in front of me while I was doing 60.

surely you had your lights on, therefore being able to see the car now in front of you, well before street lights come on?

McKneff

Lights on or off, it still boils down to one thing - common sense.

mildred1978

SusieWinwood wrote: »

Not only are they hard to see as it was still a little foggy but they have no dash lights so are blissfully unaware of what speed they are doing!

My dashboard lights up when the ignition is on, whether I have headlights on or not. Looks like you're a bit unaware too, blissfully or otherwise!! :rotfl:

ianders

spadoosh wrote: »

When has this ever been the case? Simply there isnt a good enough guideline to tell drivers when they should have lights on. E.g. you try and find when your supposed to use your fog lights. there is very few clear guidelines in when you should use them. and seeing as the punishment for misuse is 3 pts, there definately should be a stricter guidelines.

Pretty clear cut guidelines

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070302

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069859

ColinFishwick

I assume you drive around with lights on in rural areas that dont have street lights at night

Nothing wrong with having lights on if its inclement weather or a dark day. But some go over board and put fog lights even when it isnt foggy

GlamGirlie wrote: »

Plenty of people have their lights on when it isn't necessary. If the street lights are not lit, then it's not necessary to have your lights on.

Lots of drivers appear to be like sheepdogs and work on the basis that if that car his lights on, it must be dark so I'll put mine on too, when in fact it isn't dark!

derrick

ianders wrote: »

Pretty clear cut guidelines

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070302

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069859

These are not guidelines, they are mandatory, note the word(s) MUST in your linked pages.

From The Introduction.

"Many of the rules in the Code are legal requirements, and if you disobey these rules you are committing a criminal offence. You may be fined, given penalty points on your licence or be disqualified from driving. In the most serious cases you may be sent to prison. Such rules are identified by the use of the words ‘MUST/MUST NOT’. In addition, the rule includes an abbreviated reference to the legislation which creates the offence. An explanation of the abbreviations can be found in 'The road user and the law'."

.

fluffnutter

SusieWinwood wrote: »

What is it with people and car lights?? :mad:

Driving into work this am, I had full lights on as while it wasn't fully dark it was dark enough to have at the very least side lights on!, I flashed loads of drivers who didn't have any lights on at all! :mad: Not only are they hard to see as it was still a little foggy but they have no dash lights so are blissfully unaware of what speed they are doing!

It's the same when I drive home, while it's not fully dark, I have full lights on, yet some numpties feel the need to drive around lightless expecting the rest of us to use the force to try and see them!

Common sense prevails I feel! It's dark, put your lights on!

You don't need full lights if it's not dark. All you do is blind other drivers, particularly the poor sod in front of you. Sidelights is fine for twilight and dawn. Nor it is advisable to have full lights in the fog - your beam will just bounce off the fog. Foglights plus sidelights is preferable.

Are you so sure it's you that's got it right?

fluffnutter

ColinFishwick wrote: »

But some go over board and put fog lights even when it isnt foggy

I notice this. It's happening more and more. Do some people think 'Ooh, I've got two sets of lights, I'll use them both. The more the merrier'? They just end up driving round lit up like a christmas tree. Bizarre.

Olokia

arcon5 wrote: »

surely you had your lights on, therefore being able to see the car now in front of you, well before street lights come on?

I was going at 60, in complete darkness apart from my lights. If I was close enough to be able to see the black car in front of me then I would have been far too close. (Especially as I was going at 60, and he had just pulled out from a side road, so going 30ish). The shadow that I saw was because of my lights so I got pretty close to this person.