Light up!

ChoKuRay

Only today, in Co.Wicklow another young person was lost his life on our roads. Is it not about time that it became law to drive with lights switched on, as it is with motor bikes? This could help to save lives especially in the early dusk/dawn light. Some motorists are driving with low lights on all the time. Why don't we all do it and help prevent another death.

ChoKuRay

Today another young person in Co. Wicklow lost their life on our raods. As with motor bikes it should become law to turn on our lights after a certain time or to drive on low beams all thre tome. In dusk/dawn especially in winter months this could help save lives. Why are we waiting to be told to turn on our lights? Some driver are driving with their lights on all the time and I believe that if we all do it, we could help to avoid another pointless death. Please drive safely and light up!

johnnyrotten

Well said

kippy

I dont know the details of the accident but I do agree with the concept of using dipped lights at all times.
Here you'll see a pretty recent post on the topic-where a fair few points were put across.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055003092&referrerid=&highlight=dipped+lights
Kippy

Hotblack Desiato

orla keogh wrote:

Today another young person in Co. Wicklow lost their life on our raods.

Do you know the cause of this accident? (rhetorical question.)

As with motor bikes it should become law to turn on our lights

It is NOT law with motorbikes.
However many motorcycle riders choose to use their lights at all times in the belief that this helps make them more visible. Even in daylight, a motorcycle is far harder to see than a car.
But if everyone is lit up 24/7, motorcycles will fade into the background again. Unlit pedestrians and cyclists will become even harder to see in between the forest of daytime lights.
The net effect is to possibly make the least vulnerable road users - car occupants - safer but at the expense of those who are already the most vulnerable.
Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations position paper on Daytime Running Lights

after a certain time

We could call it lighting-up time, or something like that :rolleyes:

Why are we waiting to be told to turn on our lights?

Because as a nation we're useless drivers and the law doesn't insist on us taking proper lessons, passing a proper test, or even passing a test at all.

The law already requires drivers to use dipped headlights when visibility is poor in daytime, but like many other motoring laws this is never enforced.

We don't need more laws, we need more education and more enforcement.

kippy

Cheers for the report Ninja.

corktina

the other side of the coin is the idiots who think its cool to put on their fog lights and those who forget to turn off their rear fogs....

Cabaal

people are thick so I guess they think driving with the lights on wastes their battery :rolleyes:

Bards

I had the same argument in work a while back.. they all thought it was daft, in that they had a range of arguments as to why it would not be feasible from wearing out bulbs to having to replace the battery etc..

Whn I told them it was law in scandanavian countries they tried try to convince me otherwise.

even in good weather dark coloured cars can blend into the road on a straight stretch and become invisible

fletch

I drive with my lights on all the time (dipped beam not ****ty parking lights)...I hate people that think it will cause a drain on the battery and effect the bulb life, for gods sake we're talking a few quid for a bulb...even if the bulbs don't last as long, chances are you are not going to notice and if you can't afford to replace a bulb when it blows then you shouldn't be driving your car. Oh and I've only had to replace one head light bulb in two years.

ballooba

Side lights do not make you visible. They should be outlawed for driving.

When coming out of a side junction you can see lights before you can see the car.

Mushy

Yeah, that was a nasty accident. Happened just down the road from my house. My friend was in the car with the lad who was killed. A person from the other car died last night as a result of the injuries. From what I heard, he misjudged the position of the other car, possibly cos of no lights, and thats the end of him. Very unfortunate and even Im in shock as it happened so close to where I live.

_Kaiser_

This haas been discussed in Motors several times and I'd fully agree. I drive on dipped lights all the time, regardless of weather conditions.

Experience has shown me that it definitely makes a difference. Other cars and pedestrians don't take the same stupid chances, and it's a lot easier to see cars in the distance (for example silver cars with the sun behind them, or dark cars on roads with overhanging trees etc).

Firstly though you need to get people to change blown bulbs (the amount of cars driving around on one is ridiculous) or turn the lights on at all (even tonight, in the heavy rain, total darkness and poor visibility, I saw 2 cars driving with NO lights on :eek:). Maybe they can combine this with getting people to use their indicators (correctly)

It's all down to the alarmingly poor driving education and skill in this country though. Ultimately that's what needs to change.

Saruman

Makes a difference... one day i was approaching a roundabout and i had forgot to put them on.. anyway i entered and some french asshole comes in from the left and does not notice im already on it.. we both jammed and stopped, i missed him by inches... I posted about it ages ago... Had i put on my dipped headlights he would more than likely have seen me, even in the corner of his eye if he was not looking at the road.

CK.1

Yeah, stick the lights on. Can't understand the amount of people who drive around with parking lights on. And it's 90% women for some reason.

mike65

I drove about 260 miles today and the number of dopes with no lights or only candles lit was shocking. I flashed some but they proberly just think I know them.

Mike.

ChoKuRay

Mushy wrote:

Yeah, that was a nasty accident. Happened just down the road from my house. My friend was in the car with the lad who was killed. A person from the other car died last night as a result of the injuries. From what I heard, he misjudged the position of the other car, possibly cos of no lights, and thats the end of him. Very unfortunate and even Im in shock as it happened so close to where I live.

This accident was also not far from where I live I. I knew both the driver and the passanger. Thankgod he is safe. I only heard today of the passanger in the other car. So sad. I believe a child. Not sure if this is correct. I believe this accident could also have been caused by the fact that the sun would have been directly in the drivers eyes. God rest him.
Our roads are killing us and we need to slow down, light up and keep safe.

If you drive please take care.

ChoKuRay

mike65 wrote:

I drove about 260 miles today and the number of dopes with no lights or only candles lit was shocking. I flashed some but they proberly just think I know them.

Mike.

So true. Parking lights are for parking. we need to get our terminology right. So many people do not know what low beams or low lights are. Headlights are fullbeams to some but not to others and are only "fullbeams" when on full. some call headlights when they are on full. ???? Confused....?? So are most people who do not take the time to think about it.

Parking lights=parking
Headlights = to be visible or for visibility
Full lights= unlit area, no on coming traffic.

My understanding anyway. Maybe we need a national campaign to clarify this?

ChoKuRay

fletch wrote:

I drive with my lights on all the time (dipped beam not ****ty parking lights)...I hate people that think it will cause a drain on the battery and effect the bulb life, for gods sake we're talking a few quid for a bulb...even if the bulbs don't last as long, chances are you are not going to notice and if you can't afford to replace a bulb when it blows then you shouldn't be driving your car. Oh and I've only had to replace one head light bulb in two years.

I now drive saab and have the option to have my lights on automatically once the engine is started. What a great idea. Notice you have a respect for a certain motor, Which I am in mouring for. recemtly sold for a good price but not as good a car. BUt in hindsight SAFETY is such an issue. I am now driving a more sensible car and a lot safer. (less fun). But my fun days are over now. I have always had my lights on when ever I remembered, even in the summer. I really believe it make a difference. Keep it up!

Mushy

Two theories on how this happened:

1) sun was low down in drivers eyes as he merged, and couldnt see oncoming vehicle &

2) driver merging pulled out as a slow driver was coming along, reached his own side of the road, but the other car was overtaking at the same time. If it is the case, that'll be a case of dangerous driving causing death!

Stark

I had an argument with a driving instructor before about what lights I should have on when visibility is poor. I was going for dipped headlights but he was insisting on parking lights. Judging from what I've read time and time again here, I go with dipped lights.

corktina

Stark wrote:

I had an argument with a driving instructor before about what lights I should have on when visibility is poor. I was going for dipped headlights but he was insisting on parking lights. Judging from what I've read time and time again here, I go with dipped lights.

...and you are spot on.....parking lights are for parking....

Seth Brundle

orla keogh wrote:

Is it not about time that it became law to drive with lights switched on, as it is with motor bikes?

Is it mandatory for bikes to have lights on. I thought it was left to common sense.

Form the many threads on this in te motors forum, many of the bikers are against DRLs as if everyone had dipped lights on then the bikers become less visible when in traffic.
Personally I thin they are a good idea and always put my lights on (generally sidelights though for vanity reasons).

If the govt were going to legislate something about lights then I would prefer that they first sort out those who drive with defective lights.

subway

its only a suggestion for bikes - same as with hi-vis gear etc.
most of us on bikes would have more experience with "being invisible" so our lights are always left on.

i think the same thing would help with cars, although like all bikers i would be wary of us being lost in the sea of lights, whereas now we stand out.
its a selfish argument but rule 1 on a bike is self preservation.

1 question i have on this in terms of light "terminolgy" the new one appears to be DRL -daytime running lights i think.
are these parking or dipped lights?
whats the differnce between day and night running lights?

daymobrew

subway wrote:

i think the same thing would help with cars, although like all bikers i would be wary of us being lost in the sea of lights, whereas now we stand out.

I have my lights adjusted downwards a bit (my VW Golf has a little dial on the dash). This ensures that the lights and car are visible without dazzling oncoming traffic.

IMO many national roads have insufficient or ineffective cats eyes so, when oncoming traffic has misadjusted lights it can be very difficult to see the road. It's worse when the road is wet.

hiscan

what really maddens me is the amount of people that drive in foggy conditions with only parking lights on:eek:

corktina

i agree...what are the Gards doing? they should have road blocks informing people of the corect lights to be using.....the wrong use of lights can be as dangerous as drunk driving....

mike65

Drove 250 miles today in the south and s/w it was raining (very heavy) alllllllllllllllll day! There were people with no lights on as late as 4.30!

Mike.

Danno

The amount of knob-heads on the roads with:

* one light working
* lights out of focus
* people who insist on having 4 lights on the front
* Thick ignorant farmers who think one white light on a tractor is sufficient

If everyone just blasted these people with full beams then maybe they'd cop-on.

Where are the guards in this?

_Kaiser_

Danno wrote:

Where are the guards in this?

Well in Blanch she's standing at the junction directly outside the station (same place she was last year) waving traffic on as the lights go green anyway, or holding it up by interfering with this normally ok junction. :rolleyes:

Operation Freeflow.. yea right! Clowns.

dudara

Parking lights are next to useless. I was sceptical before about driving on dipped lights but I do it the whole time now. It really does make you that little bit more visible.

Capt'n Midnight

Pedistrains and especially Cyclists get lost admist the brighter lights.

Maybe we should pass a law requiring them to have similar lights to cars - 55 Watts , impossible to generate by dynamo and the cost/weight of battery would make it difficult for commuters. Will improve bicycle safety by preventing people cycling. :mad: