Lights questions

SarahSassy

Are parking lights and dims the same thing?

Alanstrainor

SarahSassy wrote: »

Are parking lights and dims the same thing?

Oh god no. It seems to be an Irish thing to get these 2 confused. Your full beams is the brightest setting, which will illuminate the whole road, not generally used in cities, or areas where the roads are lit, as they dazzle on-coming traffic. Your Dipped head lamps are the most commonly used at night, which will keep you visible and light up the road just infront of you, they will generally not dazzle oncoming drivers. Your parking lights are what it says, lights to be used while parked, they draw little power from the battery and are not to be confused with your dipped headlights, it is illegal to drive with your parking lights on.

dudara

Alanstrainor wrote: »

it is illegal to drive with your parking lights on.

Never knew that! You see lots of people driving with parking lights on during the day - they must think that they have their dipped lights on or something?

Mr Magnolia

Alanstrainor wrote: »

it is illegal to drive with your parking lights on.

Do you know the logic behind that one?

I always drive with my dipped head-lights on day or night. I've been told that statistically you're 36% less likely to be involved in a crash if you drive with your dips on.

sonicthebadger*

Possibly the logic is that other drivers may mistake you for a parked car if just your parking lights are on.

Tigger

sonicthebadger* wrote: »

Possibly the logic is that other drivers may mistake you for a parked car if just your parking lights are on.

i'm sure he means at night
that they are not enough at night

everybody shoulkd have dips on at the least all the time

sonicthebadger*

Tigger wrote: »

i'm sure he means at night
that they are not enough at night

everybody shoulkd have dips on at the least all the time

He didn't say that he meant at night, but perhaps he did mean that.

I would disagree that everyone should have their lights on during the day, the extra visibility lights give to motorcycles would be lost if that was brought in.

Alanstrainor

A lot of people seem to have confused their parking lights with their dipped lights, it's rare that you hear of people being done for driving with parking lights on, but there was a thread over on "motors" a couple of months ago where someone was done for it. I'd say it's to do with thinking someone is parked when they are not, or it could be that "parking lights" are next to useless in a moving car, hence he crack down. If you want to make yourself more visible in daylight hours, put your dipped lamps on, or get "running lights" fitted to your car, but do not use parking lights.

SheroN

parking lights = side lights??

Alanstrainor

That's just some random photo from google images, but that's what they are anyway.

sonicthebadger*

I like the fancy new led jobs on the Audis, they fulfill the seeing the car criteria without being as bright as full dips. And since they have a distinctive shape with nice symmetry going so it's not likely they'd mask the presence of a motorcycle.

Are they running lights?

Alanstrainor

Yup, the new Audis have those LED Running lights, they serve the purpose of making you more visible without the confusion.

Solitaire

it is illegal to drive with your parking lights on.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

WHAAAAAAATT?!??!? :eek:

I really had no idea, although it seems a bit mad really. Like, barking deranged mad. How the flip do parking lights make a moving car look stationary in the daytime?!?

Alanstrainor

Solitaire wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

WHAAAAAAATT?!??!? :eek:

I really had no idea, although it seems a bit mad really. Like, barking deranged mad. How the flip do parking lights make a moving car look stationary in the daytime?!?

It's not making a moving car look stationary, it's making a temporarily stopped car look like it's parked.

Dapos

Is it definatly illegal? i never heard that before

From what i have read it is just good practice.