Phil Cook wrote:
> street-lit areas). Biggest bugbear now is those cars that switch the 
> side-lights on automatically regardless of light conditions Seriously 
> people if I can't see your car in full bloody daylight having two dim 
> lights on at the front ain't gonna make a difference.

I see a staggering number of road users with full-beam lights on hours 
before the daylight begins to go. I know some cars have automatic 
side-lights etc, (e.g. Volvos) but I really can't believe that all these 
blazing beacons are helpless automatics. Sometimes I feel I'm the only 
driver on the road without my headlights on, at 5 or 6pm in the summer. 
Ludicrous. And wasteful.

The other one is people driving around with one busted headlamp - it's 
really offputting, especialy on motorways etc cos they look like 
motorcycles. I don't understand how you can fail to notice that. And 
changing the bulb isn't exactly complicated. Laziness.

Post a reply to this message

> I see a staggering number of road users with full-beam lights on hours 
> before the daylight begins to go. I know some cars have automatic 
> side-lights etc, (e.g. Volvos) but I really can't believe that all these 
> blazing beacons are helpless automatics. Sometimes I feel I'm the only 
> driver on the road without my headlights on, at 5 or 6pm in the summer. 
> Ludicrous. And wasteful.

I always have my headlights on no matter what the weather or time of day if 
I'm driving on the autobahn.  The reason is simply so that people will 
notice me sooner/at all when I am approaching from behind (and hopefully not 
pull out infront of me).  Wasteful doesn't really come into it, the lights 
are using 80 W and my engine is developing 80 kW.

However, once off the autobahn I always turn them off if the light is good. 
I know that there are lots of other road users (pedestrians, cyclists etc) 
that do not have the opportunity to have a pair of socking great big 40W 
bulbs on in broad daylight.

Post a reply to this message

scott wrote:
>> I see a staggering number of road users with full-beam lights on hours 
>> before the daylight begins to go. I know some cars have automatic 
>> side-lights etc, (e.g. Volvos) but I really can't believe that all 
>> these blazing beacons are helpless automatics. Sometimes I feel I'm 
>> the only driver on the road without my headlights on, at 5 or 6pm in 
>> the summer. Ludicrous. And wasteful.
> 
> I always have my headlights on no matter what the weather or time of day 
> if I'm driving on the autobahn.  The reason is simply so that people 
> will notice me sooner/at all when I am approaching from behind (and 
> hopefully not pull out infront of me).  Wasteful doesn't really come 
> into it, the lights are using 80 W and my engine is developing 80 kW.

Hmm, in broad daylight I don't notice cars any quicker if they have 
their lights on but I guess I can't speak for everyone.

As for the waste, well, I am speaking as an owner of a 1.1L tiddler 
whose idling engine pitch significantly alters when the lights go on! 
:-) Even so, 0.1% of 30 years of petrol multiplied by the number of car 
owners and all that...

Post a reply to this message

And lo on Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:17:03 +0100, Bill Pragnell  
<bil### [at] hotmailcom> did spake, saying:

> scott wrote:
>>> I see a staggering number of road users with full-beam lights on hours  
>>> before the daylight begins to go. I know some cars have automatic  
>>> side-lights etc, (e.g. Volvos) but I really can't believe that all  
>>> these blazing beacons are helpless automatics. Sometimes I feel I'm  
>>> the only driver on the road without my headlights on, at 5 or 6pm in  
>>> the summer. Ludicrous. And wasteful.
>>  I always have my headlights on no matter what the weather or time of  
>> day if I'm driving on the autobahn.  The reason is simply so that  
>> people will notice me sooner/at all when I am approaching from behind  
>> (and hopefully not pull out infront of me).

So you're compensating for everyone else's poor driving skills ;-)

>>  Wasteful doesn't really come into it, the lights are using 80 W and my  
>> engine is developing 80 kW.
>
> Hmm, in broad daylight I don't notice cars any quicker if they have  
> their lights on but I guess I can't speak for everyone.

When they're coming at me I do, but I've got to side with Scott on this. I  
do notice the cars behind me with their lights on, mostly because I now  
have a set of lights reflecting off my mirrors and directly into my eyes.

> As for the waste, well, I am speaking as an owner of a 1.1L tiddler

'Well they say the car is inversely proportional to one's manhood' said  
the smug owner of the 800cc Matiz.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

Post a reply to this message

> Hmm, in broad daylight I don't notice cars any quicker if they have their 
> lights on but I guess I can't speak for everyone.

It still amazes me how some people *don't* notice a car approaching from 
behind.  I don't know about everyone else, but when I see something moving 
out of the corner of my eye it gets my attention.  Then it's blatantly 
obvious when they suddenly see you :-)

> As for the waste, well, I am speaking as an owner of a 1.1L tiddler whose 
> idling engine pitch significantly alters when the lights go on! :-) Even 
> so, 0.1% of 30 years of petrol multiplied by the number of car owners and 
> all that...

...comes to 0.1% :-)  I'm sure that far more is "wasted" by other methods, 
like air-con, going too fast, having your windows open, braking, etc.

Post a reply to this message

On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:56:20 +0100, Phil Cook wrote:

>>>>> ...WTH?
>>>>
>>>> Actually, I do this, but not to that great an extent.
>>>
>>> What deliver babies in parking lots?
>>
>> Um, no, I leave that to my wife. ;-)
> 
> Good call, you just drive her there.

Something like that, yes.  She's the one who took training to be a 
midwife, after all. ;-)

>> Yeah, it's difficult at best - I've gotten better the last couple of
>> years, but there's still a bit of that 'moth' reaction - bright light,
>> must stare at it...
> 
> But even if you don't everything vanishes, especially regarding the
> ponces with halogens 'Well it allows me to see where I'm going more
> clearly' shame it prevents anyone else.

Well, yes and no....I don't mind the halogens if they're aimed properly.

>> My wife's got occular albinism, so she *can't* drive at night (bright
>> lights blind her for 10-15 seconds, which is an eternity when driving),
>> so I have to.
> 
> That must be an annoyance for her, making you the default designated
> driver.

Yep, and sometimes for me as well - though I don't drink much, it does 
mean that I need to watch myself when we go out, since I end up having to 
drive us home.

>> Well, you still want headlights, though - otherwise you can't see the
>> cars coming at you from any direction.
> 
> Oh sure, but why do they need to be angled where they are; why do you
> need two pair I wonder what would happen if we went back to war-time
> conditions with cardboard stuck over the lights with just small slits
> cut out of them.

We'd still have people who forget.  Part of the issue, I think, is that 
some drivers become reliant on DRL, which are high beams at 50% or 
something like that - which are aimed higher.  The manufacturers need to 
use the regular lights rather than the highs.

And put a gizmo in the seat to shock the driver if they drive with only 
their DRLs or lights off after dark.

>>  That's one of my pet peeves about
>> driving, people who drive after dark without their lights.  Makes me
>> want to ram them...
> 
> Mines the reverse, people driving along with full lights on when they
> don't need to. Really don't see many people driving without lights at
> night, some faulty ones perhaps or just side-lights (which is legal in
> street-lit areas). Biggest bugbear now is those cars that switch the
> side-lights on automatically regardless of light conditions Seriously
> people if I can't see your car in full bloody daylight having two dim
> lights on at the front ain't gonna make a difference.

Side-lights?  I don't think we've got that over here....

Jim

Post a reply to this message

On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:14:18 +0100, Bill Pragnell wrote:

> I see a staggering number of road users with full-beam lights on hours
> before the daylight begins to go.

I sometimes turn my lights on in the garage, to make sure I actually put 
the car in reverse to back out.  It can be dark in the garage, even in 
the daytime.

I *usually* turn them off once out, but sometimes I forget.  Then there 
is the newer cars that use daytime running lights (DRLs).

Jim

Post a reply to this message

scott wrote:
>> Hmm, in broad daylight I don't notice cars any quicker if they have 
>> their lights on but I guess I can't speak for everyone.
> 
> It still amazes me how some people *don't* notice a car approaching from 
> behind.  I don't know about everyone else, but when I see something 
> moving out of the corner of my eye it gets my attention.  Then it's 
> blatantly obvious when they suddenly see you :-)
> 
>> As for the waste, well, I am speaking as an owner of a 1.1L tiddler 
>> whose idling engine pitch significantly alters when the lights go on! 
>> :-) Even so, 0.1% of 30 years of petrol multiplied by the number of 
>> car owners and all that...
> 
> ...comes to 0.1% :-)  I'm sure that far more is "wasted" by other 
> methods, like air-con, going too fast, having your windows open, 

Going too fast is probably the big one - I'm amazed at the difference in 
fuel consumption when I cruise even 5 mph faster over a long distance. 
Air-con must be another shocker, especially in the States. Of course, in 
my case, windows open and air-con are the same thing... :)

Post a reply to this message

And lo on Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:18:04 +0100, Jim Henderson  
<nos### [at] nospamcom> did spake, saying:

>>> Yeah, it's difficult at best - I've gotten better the last couple of
>>> years, but there's still a bit of that 'moth' reaction - bright light,
>>> must stare at it...
>>
>> But even if you don't everything vanishes, especially regarding the
>> ponces with halogens 'Well it allows me to see where I'm going more
>> clearly' shame it prevents anyone else.
>
> Well, yes and no....I don't mind the halogens if they're aimed properly.

Too many self-fit jobs, put in at the same time the boot (trunk) was  
filled in with bass speakers.

>>> Well, you still want headlights, though - otherwise you can't see the
>>> cars coming at you from any direction.
>>
>> Oh sure, but why do they need to be angled where they are; why do you
>> need two pair I wonder what would happen if we went back to war-time
>> conditions with cardboard stuck over the lights with just small slits
>> cut out of them.
>
> We'd still have people who forget.  Part of the issue, I think, is that
> some drivers become reliant on DRL, which are high beams at 50% or
> something like that - which are aimed higher.  The manufacturers need to
> use the regular lights rather than the highs.
>
> And put a gizmo in the seat to shock the driver if they drive with only
> their DRLs or lights off after dark.

Okay I'm going to equate DRL with sidelights (which, if right, answers  
your last question) sidelights are visiblilty aids - full lights to see,  
sidelights to be seen; in other words drizzle, light fog, twilight. Use  
where full lights give you no real aid in seeing where you're going, but  
you want to make sure you're seen.

So saying that if you're driving along a lit street, you don't legally  
require your full lights on as the street lights provide enough  
illumination and your sidelights provide enough of an indication as to  
your prescence.

Yet again it should be one of those driver decision things, which has been  
revoked by cars that just switch them on by default.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

Post a reply to this message

"Jim Henderson" <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote in message 
news:46e8032c$1@news.povray.org...
> On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:56:20 +0100, Phil Cook wrote:

> Side-lights?  I don't think we've got that over here....

   Yes, you have, I think on Harley-Davidsons at least...

   IIRC, the indicators act as side lights, (always on), and then when the 
person wants to turn left or right, the correct side flashes.

   I might be wrong with the term 'side lights' with this though...

    ~Steve~




>
> Jim

Post a reply to this message