Could you do me a favour please?

Strider590

Retrogamer wrote: »

Put on dipped and as soon as you look at the vehicle you see bright dipped lights so your eyes adjust and you can't see things as clearly beside it.

Not really, headlights are nowhere near as bright as daylight, so it ain't until it's actually dark that you'd have that issue.

Retrogamer

Strider590 wrote: »

Not really, headlights are nowhere near as bright as daylight, so it ain't until it's actually dark that you'd have that issue.

I was meaning when it was dark.

photome

Retrogamer wrote: »

I guess who ever makes up the laws of the road must be idiots then, because it's perfectly legal to just drive about at night in a 30mph limit with street lighting using only your sidelights.

Add my driving instructor and examiner into that mix as well as i only had sidelights on during my test because it was cloudy with some rain.

As has already been mentioned, it's can often increase the visability around the vehicle when it's just using sidelights because then you see the vehicle and it's position as marked by the lights clearly as well as it's surroundings.
Put on dipped and as soon as you look at the vehicle you see bright dipped lights so your eyes adjust and you can't see things as clearly beside it.

Yep I think you are right and yes they are

davetrousers

I am still seeing too many people driving around using ineffective side lights.

PS Bump!

Retrogamer

As all my previous replies. If it's a 30mph limit with street lighting, it's not an issue.

The people driving down motorways with just DRL's on at night is pretty common down my way though. DRL's are bright enough but the rear of the vehicle is unlit.

facade

davetrousers wrote: »

I am still seeing too many people driving around using ineffective side lights.

You originally said the problem was that you couldn't see them

If you notice them enough to comment then surely they stood out more

Tilt

Retrogamer wrote: »

As all my previous replies. If it's a 30mph limit with street lighting, it's not an issue.

The people driving down motorways with just DRL's on at night is pretty common down my way though. DRL's are bright enough but the rear of the vehicle is unlit.

Surely you mean that it would be dependent on the visibility conditions.

Tilt

facade wrote: »

You originally said the problem was that you couldn't see them

If you notice them enough to comment then surely they stood out more

What you are getting at is simply ridiculous.

The issue is making your vehicle as visible and as quickly as possible to other road users in any given weather conditions. Just because you can see an oncoming vehicle in poor visibility dosn't mean you may/could of seen it sooner. You should also consider that when it's raining, windows and mirrors get obscured by moisture thus reducing clear vision through them. Lights on a approaching vehicle make all the difference to seeing another vehicle sooner rather than at the last minute.

Apart from anything else, the use of lights is all covered in the highway code. I don't think it states "it's ok not to have your lights on as long as you can bee seen".

facade

My comment was somewhat tongue in cheek, although factually correct.

What this thread boils down to is 2 camps

The "If I make my car the brightest thing on the road, then it is the easiest thing to see, so no-one crashes into me, and I'm alright"

and the

"I find it difficult to see dim things behind a bright point source of light, so I will make my car visible enough (if you can't see something the size of a CAR with sidelights on under streetlighting you will never see a pedestrian in a dark hoodie stepping out) to give road users without the benefit of HID lighting the chance to be seen"

As we age, our eyes find it more difficult to adjust from the bright point source to the blackness around (just take a look at the "improved" LED streetlamps, you can read 4 point type under them, but between them are pools of inky blackness) and as the Government forces us to work years longer, and then messes with the clocks so as to make it dark all the time, this will be more of a problem.

Tilt

facade wrote: »

My comment was somewhat tongue in cheek, although factually correct.

What this thread boils down to is 2 camps

The "If I make my car the brightest thing on the road, then it is the easiest thing to see, so no-one crashes into me, and I'm alright"

and the

"I find it difficult to see dim things behind a bright point source of light, so I will make my car visible enough (if you can't see something the size of a CAR with sidelights on under streetlighting you will never see a pedestrian in a dark hoodie stepping out) to give road users without the benefit of HID lighting the chance to be seen"

No not really. The thread (as I interpret it) is about when you should have your dipped head lights on during the day. The answer (which can be answered by most competent drivers) is simply when clear visibility is reduced to below 100 mtrs. It's astonishing that some drivers seem to think that they do not need to use dipped head lights during the day what ever the weather.

facade wrote: »

As we age, our eyes find it more difficult to adjust from the bright point source to the blackness around (just take a look at the "improved" LED streetlamps, you can read 4 point type under them, but between them are pools of inky blackness) and as the Government forces us to work years longer, and then messes with the clocks so as to make it dark all the time, this will be more of a problem.

Personally I think they are totally inadequate, especially from a pedestrian's point of view.