Rear headlights weren't on

neilmcl

BOWFER said:

MikeWhite said:

The dash lit is definitely a design flaw. 

Yup, too many people still equate lit up instruments with lights on.

It doesn't happen on all cars. My BMW's dash will stay unlit unless the headlights are activated, not to mention there's also the unmissable headlight icon appearing on the screen.

BOWFER

neilmcl said:

TBH, if someone can't tell the difference at night between their DRLs and main, albeit dipped, headlights then perhaps they're in need of an eye test.

yup, but many people only drive on lit roads and therefore simply don't notice. They stop behind other cars, see 'some sort' of lights reflected back at them and don't give it another thought (along with lit instruments)
They'd struggle on an unlit roads, of course, but it's not something they'll encounter.
I'd say the obvious answer is to ban back-lit instruments so people actually notice a difference at night.

clt66

BOWFER said:

neilmcl said:

TBH, if someone can't tell the difference at night between their DRLs and main, albeit dipped, headlights then perhaps they're in need of an eye test.

yup, but many people only drive on lit roads and therefore simply don't notice. They stop behind other cars, see 'some sort' of lights reflected back at them and don't give it another thought (along with lit instruments)
They'd struggle on an unlit roads, of course, but it's not something they'll encounter.
I'd say the obvious answer is to ban back-lit instruments so people actually notice a difference at night.

That was me. We were on an well lit town centre road, I just didn't notice. I'm usually so careful and always manually turn them on. Couldn't have felt any more terrible about it when we were stopped and realised I didn't have it switched to headlights. I have a clean licence, which I'm hoping the police got told on the PNC as they didn't ask to see my licence. Always put my seatbelt on before I start the engine, never go over the speed limit, don't usually forget to switch my headlight switch on. It was one moment of forgetfulness which I have been beating myself up for ever since - I will be absolutely checking and double checking in future

If it does sound like it's the last I will hear of it with no TOR given to me (i thought them speaking on the radio was them reporting me but now understand that was a PNC), not brethalysing me even though they asked if I had had a drink then it is a relief as I worry myself sick over the smallest thing

clt66

neilmcl said:

BOWFER said:

MikeWhite said:

The dash lit is definitely a design flaw. 

Yup, too many people still equate lit up instruments with lights on. 

It doesn't happen on all cars. My BMW's dash will stay unlit unless the headlights are activated, not to mention there's also the unmissable headlight icon appearing on the screen.

Normally, I would have noticed the headlight icon on the screen, but after my first accident 2 weeks ago with another car driving into the side of me I've been more focussed on the road than the dashboard. As I say, it is something I will be checking and double checking in future - I promise I normally never forget to turn the headlights on, it was one moment of brain fog which I have been beating myself up over ever since ever as I am usually so careful

BOWFER

clt66 said:

neilmcl said:

BOWFER said:

MikeWhite said:

The dash lit is definitely a design flaw. 

Yup, too many people still equate lit up instruments with lights on. 

It doesn't happen on all cars. My BMW's dash will stay unlit unless the headlights are activated, not to mention there's also the unmissable headlight icon appearing on the screen.

Normally, I would have noticed the headlight icon on the screen, but after my first accident 2 weeks ago with another car driving into the side of me I've been more focussed on the road than the dashboard. As I say, it is something I will be checking and double checking in future - I promise I normally never forget to turn the headlights on, it was one moment of brain fog which I have been beating myself up over ever since ever as I am usually so careful

So does your car not have auto headlights?

Richard53

clt66 said:

If it does sound like it's the last I will hear of it with no TOR given to me (i thought them speaking on the radio was them reporting me but now understand that was a PNC), not brethalysing me even though they asked if I had had a drink then it is a relief as I worry myself sick over the smallest thing

Several people have reassured you here, so be happy that you had a positive encounter with the police, and move on. Don't beat yourself up. There isn't a person on this board who hasn't made a silly mistake in their driving careers at some point. We're all human.

Well, the vast majority, anyway.

Richard53

neilmcl said:

facade said:

There is probably an AUTO setting on the lightswitch, which will turn the lights on when it gets dark (or you go under a bridge, or a shadow crosses the car ) you can leave it on this, on my Suzuki it also has the (really annoying for other drivers) "benefit" of putting the headlights on for a while after you lock the car in case you forget where your house is, and putting them on when you unlock the car so you can see where it is.

Best to keep the habit of turning them on manually though, as AUTO won't put them on in fog or rain.

Mine comes on in rain, I don't know if it's because it's dark enough or because it knows your wipers are running but I agree they don't automatically come on in fog, not unless I switch on my front fog lights.

Mine comes on around dusk, in rain and even when the conditions are misty or just dull. In fact, exactly when I would be putting them on manually in another car. I'm not a big fan of these 'driver aids' in general, but this one works absolutely and I like it. I leave it on Auto and forget about it.

AdrianC

Some years back, I was following an E-class Merc down a rural road with overhanging trees, on a nice bright day. It wasn't solid tree cover... it was alternating.

There was just enough hysteresis in the reaction to the shade that every time he came into the sun, his lights came on. Every time he went back into the shade, they went off again.

More recently, I was following somebody down another rural road - not quite wide enough for two cars to pass each other without tucking right in. When you're on that kind of road, you use the car in front as your eyes, to tell you what's further than you can see... So, when his rear lit up red as he approached a bend... Oh, wait. He's gone into the shade.

Richard53

AdrianC said:

There was just enough hysteresis in the reaction to the shade that every time he came into the sun, his lights came on. Every time he went back into the shade, they went off again.

Have you got that the wrong way round?

One disadvantage is that on default settings, the sat nav goes into night mode when the lights come on. Fair enough, but on a road overhung with trees your screen is flipping from colour to monochrome every ten yards which can be distracting. Of course you can turn this feature off, but then you lose the auto night setting. First world problems

facade

Richard53 said:

One disadvantage is that on default settings, the sat nav goes into night mode when the lights come on. Fair enough, but on a road overhung with trees your screen is flipping from colour to monochrome every ten yards which can be distracting. Of course you can turn this feature off, but then you lose the auto night setting. First world problems

I just lock the screen in day mode anyway- I can't abide that black on blue nonsense, it seems just as bright , just harder to read

I'm more worried that flashing the lights on and off every 10 seconds will reduce bulb life, as well as making me look like an idiot   

The courtesy light feature is an annoyance as I said, when you stop on the road outside the Offie the lights stay on to blind people coming the other way.

All in all, a solution to a problem that we invented ourselves, I never had any trouble flicking that 3 postion toggle switch in my 60s cars when I couldn't see the speedo- or stamping on the dipswitch for that matter