I may have went on a several hour drive in the dark with just sidelights on. Q about penalty points

Ddrago

Sorry I can't seem to quote previous comments for some reason.
I'm relation to how I didn't notice this, I'm not 100% sure I didn't have headlights on but it's looking likely that was the case. I did think the lighting was bad and I put the full beam on when I was in unlit areas with no cars in front. The thing is there light in front of me across the full span of the car when I was driving and I assumed the car just had bad headlight design but I think now it was just sidelights

Deanston

treboeth wrote: »

I would be more concerned about your eyesight if you didn`t realise your headlights were not on.

He must be eating a lot of carrots.

Jackmydad

Ddrago wrote: »

Sorry I can't seem to quote previous comments for some reason.
I'm relation to how I didn't notice this, I'm not 100% sure I didn't have headlights on but it's looking likely that was the case. I did think the lighting was bad and I put the full beam on when I was in unlit areas with no cars in front. The thing is there light in front of me across the full span of the car when I was driving and I assumed the car just had bad headlight design but I think now it was just sidelights

Well if you put the main beam on then you must have had the headlights on surely?

Deanston

Jackmydad wrote: »

Well if you put the main beam on then you must have had the headlights on surely?

If it stayed on he must have.

Ddrago

Is this correct that full beam will only latch on if headlights are on? I'm. Sure I had full beam on for a few mins

facade

Ddrago wrote: »

Is this correct that full beam will only latch on if headlights are on? I'm. Sure I had full beam on for a few mins

yes, if the little blue indicator for main beam was on on the dash, then the headlights must have been on.






The reason loads of people drive around with just DRLs on at night is that the DRLs are stupidly bright, so they see the white glare in front and can't tell the difference from headlights under streetlighting, and "modern" cars have the instruments lit all pretty blue and orange all the time.


If I can't see the speedo in my old fashioned car, I turn the lights on, so I wouldn't get more than 50 yards in the dark without them on.

agrinnall

Ddrago wrote: »

Thanks, I didn't know I wouldn't have rear lights on.

Facade said "If you were driving on just daytime running lights", but you said you were using side lights. So you really need to establish which it was, because with side lights the rear lights would have been on.

Scrapit

Rear lights would have been on if the side lights on, the lights at the side come on, ie each corner front and rear. If full beam headlights came on then dipped must have been on. Is it not illegal to use main beams on the motorway?
But in answer to the question you can't be done if you haven't been pulled.

Mr.Generous

Some cars have DRL lights front and rear, most just front. There are so many cars driving round with lighting offenses nobody is ever going to chase 1 caught on camera. Any cop wanting to issue a few tickets just needs to wait at a busy junction during the evening commute home and ticket away to their hearts content. lighting, phone use, congenital stupidity - take your pick.

Ddrago

Sorry I'm not sure about the difference between DRL and sidelights, I definitely had a light indication on the dash as I was concerned the lights didn't seem right but it may have just been the sidelights indicator and not dipped (I know I'm an idiot, I've had auto headlights on my car for last 5 years so never usually need to think about lights).