Driving with Headlights on

Joe_Horner

aardvaak wrote: »

You are obviously one of the dipsticks with lights on all the time!

Honestly, why does it matter whether we are or not?

Lights on in the daytime is marginally more visible, and much more visible as soon as visibility starts to drop (rain, mist, low sun behind you etc).

Seeing as so few drivers bother to think and put lights on in those situations when they do make a difference it makes sense to have them on all the time - hence DRLs being introduced as part of type approval.

Even main beam during good daylight isn't generally distracting because of the ambient light level, so why exactly is it something to get so worked up about?

If you get this wound up this easily about something this unimportant, you should perhaps be rethinking whether or not your temperament is suited to driving before you really lose it one day - perhaps because you see someone using their wipers on a dry screen!

interstellaflyer

aardvaak wrote: »

but if I decide I want to travel at 30 there is nothing wrong with it.

Actually it is wrong, you would certainly fail a driving test as you would be deemed unfit to be on the road, yes the speed limits are not a target, they are a maximum, however you are required to drive at a reasonable speed and 30 mph in say a 50 or 60 mph limit in good conditions, on a half decent A road is not acceptable, it is incredibly selfish and I'm sure with your attitude, should a police officer pull you, I'm sure he will not struggle to find something to charge you with.

aardvaak

alastairq wrote: »

I find it useful when trying to overtake cyclists...

Yes I agree to overtake cyclists.

Cyclists are an arrogant butch of whatsits sometimes travelling two abreast thinking they own the road and not paying tax & insurance etc.

Iceweasel

Cyclists might not have compulsory insurance, but what makes you think they pay no tax.

Cyclists pay the same tax for the upkeep of the roads as anyone else who pays tax.

They have the same right to use the roads as you and I - and do own the same share of it, as everyone else in the UK.

Don't forget Winston Churchill abolished Road Tax back in 1937.

See here: http://www.carwow.co.uk/blog/Road-Tax-Doesnt-Exist

Or you could always check Hansard.

Once again Aardvark I'm afraid to say you are not keeping up with changes in the law.

But I can give you advance warning of one in the pipe-line.

Although there is no date for it to be applied EU wide yet - the need to carry hi-viz vests in your car is coming in the near future.

TradePro

aardvaak wrote: »

Cyclists are an arrogant butch of whatsits sometimes travelling two abreast thinking they own the road

Have to agree with this little bit.

almillar

I love speed!
You're free to do whatever speed you like of course (and the person behind is free to overtake you), but please don't slow down just because the person behind you has their lights on. As you've learned from this thread, more and more cars will have their lights on all the time.
And if you do 30mph on a (free flowing) motorway, you'll get done for dangerous driving, there IS such a thing as too slow.

jm2926

Tilt wrote: »

Hang on... NOT
And the Fiat 500 was launched before 2011 but that now has DLRs and it hasn't had a face lift!

TradePro wrote: »

Some manufacturers have 'retro' fitted them, I guess the 500 is one such model, because believe it or not, they sell cars (LED ones at least).

I had a 2008(08) Fiat 500 sport and it had DRL as standard. They can be turned off in the menu options, perhaps that's why you haven't noticed them on all 500s.

tberry6686

headlights on in daylight is not a problem for most reasonable people, the thing that p****s me off are the bikers round here that only ever use full beam

Retrogamer

aardvaak wrote: »

Yes I agree to overtake cyclists.

Cyclists are an arrogant butch of whatsits sometimes travelling two abreast thinking they own the road and not paying tax & insurance etc.

TradePro wrote: »

Have to agree with this little bit.

I'm a cyclist and a driver. I always follow the road laws on the bike, never skip red lights and never ride two abreast.
Just because some cyclists are bad, doesn't mean we all are. As a cyclist cars rarely overtake me safely. Should i assume all drivers are idiots because a few can't do it properly?

tberry6686 wrote: »

headlights on in daylight is not a problem for most reasonable people, the thing that p****s me off are the bikers round here that only ever use full beam

It's not ideal, i know a lot of bikers and most common excuse when ever a car has hit into them is "I never saw you" so they try and do everything possible to be seen. Full beam is annoying though i agree.

alastairq

thinking they own the road and not paying tax & insurance etc.

We pay VED because we chose to drive a motorised vehicle.

In no way is the payment of duty discriminatory. It might reflect the fact that a motorised vehicle inflicts very much more wear and damage to the public highway..including the need for warning signs for the drivers of such vehicles...sign-age which other road users may find of little or no use whatsoever?