side lights

trailingspouse

Prompted by a day spent driving through thick fog.

Can anyone tell me under what circumstances they would drive on sidelights alone?

Hedgehog99

Being fortunate enough to still have a sensible car from the time before newer cars started having daylight running lights (DRLs), I use my sidelights alone when appropriate. I like being treated as if I have the sense to decide for myself.

The Highway Code says sidelights should be lit between sunset and sunrise, with headlights used in addition at night (defined as 30 mins after sunset until 30 mins before sunrise).

I might also use my sidelights if it gets a bit dreary during the day, but not enough to warrant headlights.

I hate DRLs and think they are completely unnecessary. They are dazzling and they train people to look for lights not objects, which can be dangerous for cyclists in the daytime.

I wish more people would take note of the next Highway Code rule that says you must not use any lights in any way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users. Too many people driving round with misaligned lights or ones that are just too dazzlingly bright. They don't mean the driver can see better and they just blind everyone coming the other way.

BeenThroughItAll

I personally never use sidelights. Once it gets to lighting up time I put headlights on. Sidelights alone are so dim as to be lost in the light clutter of a modern well-lit urban environment, particularly with the prevalence of overly-bright LED DRLs.


Only time I'd ever illuminate sidelights alone is for use as parking lights.

foxy-stoat

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

I personally never use sidelights. Once it gets to lighting up time I put headlights on. Sidelights alone are so dim as to be lost in the light clutter of a modern well-lit urban environment, particularly with the prevalence of overly-bright LED DRLs.


Only time I'd ever illuminate sidelights alone is for use as parking lights.

Or if the poor sap wanted their fog/posing lights on....they would have to have the side lights on a least. Casting my memory back to driving my old Astra GTE 16v around.

Nasqueron

trailingspouse wrote: »

Prompted by a day spent driving through thick fog.

Can anyone tell me under what circumstances they would drive on sidelights alone?

Judging by the odd driver I see, "both main beams have gone and I haven't noticed/can't be bothered to replace them" seems to be that sort of circumstance!

I once had one go on the way to work, I had planned to go to the shop to get a replacement light on the way home only for the other one to go as I was setting off home and had to drive on side lights + fog lights until I got the bulb but would never do this again except in an emergency

Strider590

Nothing worse than driving in fog, moving out to go around a parked car and suddenly being confronted by a Nissan Micra with two tea lights stuck (that's what it's like) to the bonnet.

BeenThroughItAll

foxy-stoat wrote: »

Or if the poor sap wanted their fog/posing lights on....they would have to have the side lights on a least. Casting my memory back to driving my old Astra GTE 16v around.

True - that does seem to be one major reason people do it.

Car_54

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

The Highway Code says sidelights should be lit between sunset and sunrise, with headlights used in addition at night (defined as 30 mins after sunset until 30 mins before sunrise).

It doesn't say that: it says MUST be lit. It's a legal requirement.

RichardD1970

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

I hate DRLs and think they are completely unnecessary. They are dazzling and they train people to look for lights not objects, which can be dangerous for cyclists in the daytime.

Can't say I've ever noticed any DRLs that are that bright to be dazzling and as a cyclist, ALWAYS use lights no matter what the time of day.

forgotmyname

trailingspouse wrote: »

Prompted by a day spent driving through thick fog.

Can anyone tell me under what circumstances they would drive on sidelights alone?

NEVER when driving.

In my opinion lights are either needed or not needed. Sidelights if its parked in an unlit spot and the car doesnt have dedicated parking lights.

If you see people at night with the sidelights on, they are probably drunk and have not noticed its rather dark.

gilbert_and_sullivan

I'm with Hedgehog above, the light wars have reached a level of stupidity now, with each new model gaining still brighter and ever more stupid looking lights, will it finally reach the point where we all start wearing Polaroid sunglasses permanently so the level of light seen is reset to 80's sensibilities.

Those old enough might remember how pleasurable LOndon driving was when everyone, except turkey treaders from the back of beyond, drove round on sidelights only, how nice that was.
Thousands of innocents were not killed nor maimed because of this, arguably night vision stayed at a useful level so the unlit pedestrian in his donkey jacket didn't disappear into the jet black 3cm beyond the 4 billion watt beam cut off of modern light design.

I agree about DRL's, like electric parking brake an answer to a question never asked, idiotic looking things too.

No, proper fog calls for proper use of headlights, no question, but i too use sidelights when appropriate and not just for parking.