Penalty for driving without lights on

sevenhills

Belenus said:

Nice try Jenni but that is also a fallacious argument as front DRLs improve the visibility of an approaching vehicle to other drivers as well as pedestrians, cyclists and other road users so they do fulfil a purpose and the extra energy used is not being wasted.

Research has shown that DRLs are likely to reduce multiple vehicle daytime accidents and fatalities by up to 6% once all vehicles are equipped. DRL are likely to result in a small increase in fuel consumption and CO² emissions of around 0.5% but this is expected to be lower when LEDs are used in place of filament light sources.

Has any research been done on motorists ability to see motorbikes and cyclists among this bright haze of light? Glare and bright lights can sometimes affect your vision negatively, for that reason I think there is doubt that DLRs a positive for all road users. Although if more people turned their headlights off, that might help motorbikers and cyclists be seen.

I always manage to see cars in darkness that don't have their lights on, but cyclists are harder to spot.

Belenus

I don't know what research might have been done. Perhaps it has and the overall conclusion is that DRL have more advantages than disadvantages.

Sorry mate, I didn’t see you.

Is worth reading but isn't directly related to your question.

sevenhills

Belenus said:

I don't know what research might have been done. Perhaps it has and the overall conclusion is that DRL have more advantages than disadvantages.

Sorry mate, I didn’t see you.

Is worth reading but isn't directly related to your question.

I almost knocked a cyclist over a couple of weeks ago. It has made me think more about cyclists, as I haven't had an accident for a long time.

It was just starting to get dark, I was going straight ahead at a mini-roundabout, which the cyclist was just entering. He was wearing black/white clothing and I didn't see his light because he was angled slightly right and maybe the bodywork of the van that I was driving.

I actually beat him to the roundabout, but I was concerned that I never saw him.

Think bike!

Belenus

I had a similar close call with a cyclist in broad daylight earlier this year.

I was driving on a regular trip to Tesco. I was about to turn left at a T junction. I stopped at the line, looked both ways, saw the road was clear and started to pull out when I saw a cyclist almost on top of me coming from my right. I had probably only moved a few inches before I stopped again and the cyclist passed safely in front of me.

Had I hit him it would have been 100% my fault.

I did not understand how I failed to see a large man on a bicycle only a few yards away in full daylight.

Perhaps that above Pilot's article explains why. Or perhaps it was because I was doing a journey that I do many times a month. Perhaps he was hidden by my A pillar.

That road to my right where the cyclist was coming from is a dead end and there is rarely any traffic coming from there so perhaps I was just too casual.

I am glad it happened as it did as it was a shock reminder to me of how easy it is to have an accident and how we as drivers should concentrate at all times and watch out for the unexpected.

sevenhills

Belenus said:

I did not understand how I failed to see a large man on a bicycle only a few yards away in full daylight.

Perhaps that above Pilot's article explains why. Or perhaps it was because I was doing a journey that I do many times a month. Perhaps he was hidden by my A pillar.

I thought the same, depending on his speed, I travel the same route 5 days per week.

Freecall

Jenni_D said:

Using that argument then front DRLs are also a waste of energy.  

As are brake lights and indicators, all completely wasted energy.
  

Jenni_D

Freecall said:

Jenni_D said:

Using that argument then front DRLs are also a waste of energy.  

As are brake lights and indicators, all completely wasted energy.
  

Yeah. Let's get rid of the lot and let Darwinism thin the herd.