Driving with no headlights on at night

stovelid

AngelinaJolie wrote: »

I experimented with not dipping my headlights and keeping the full beams - and wasn't blinded at all. Should I do this all the time and risk the ire of other motor users?

Jesus. Christ.

OldGoat

Oooh angry old codger threads, I love these....

What gets my goat is the blighters who refuse to take their foot off the brake lights when they are completely stationary thus blinding the driver behind. Stop the car, apply the handbrake and take your Foot OFF the brakes please.

loobylou

stovelid wrote: »

Jesus. Christ.

H.

Wertz

AngelinaJolie wrote: »

. Should I do this all the time and risk the ire of other motor users? Any thoughts on this?

Oh most definitely...it's far more in the keeping of maintaining safety on our road network that no-one should be able to see where they are going rather than only one party. Have you tried putting on your front fogs for added effect?

+1 to Old Goat's post too. Annoys me no end, especially on a dark wet night...

Cookie_Monster

OldGoat wrote: »

What gets my goat is the blighters who refuse to take their foot off the brake lights when they are completely stationary thus blinding the driver behind. Stop the car, apply the handbrake and take your Foot OFF the brakes please.

Why, brake lights are not THAT bright that they will blind you. Unless you are on a hill there is no need for the handbrake anyway...

OldGoat

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Why, brake lights are not THAT bright that they will blind you. Unless you are on a hill there is no need for the handbrake anyway...

Yes they are that bright, thats why I complaned about them...and yes there is a need for the handbrake even when you are not on a hill, cos it reduces the possibality of driver error and rolling back into the car behind or car in front of you. How often have you had to lean on the car horn to alert the car infront of you that it is rolling back towards you?

You realise that now it has been pointed out to you you'll start to notice how bright the brake lights are and within a year or two you'll be one of us, ranting and raving against all the thoughtless drivers blinding you for no reason. Welcome to Old Codgers Corner.

Wertz

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Why, brake lights are not THAT bright that they will blind you.

The tails mightn't be, but the high mounted central light that most cars have these days are...not in the way that headlights dazzle, more in a way that brings on a headache and is generally off putting.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Unless you are on a hill there is no need for the handbrake anyway...

It's recommended by any professional driving instructor that if you're going to be stationary for longer than a couple of seconds, that you should apply the handbrake and put the car in neutral. Stopping your car on a level surface and applying NO brakes is aksing for trouble...should you happen to get rear ended then you will hit the car in front harder.

Applying the hadbrake is common courtesy..something that's missing on Irish roads...

KilOit

Done it once, pulled over to answer phone in a well lit place talked for about 5 mins so turned off lights kept engine running to keep on heater i then drove off without relising i didn't put lights back on,
it's all fine and dandy putting lights on in dark areas but you don't even notice your head lights on some streets there as bright as day,
It's an honest mistake anybody can do from time to time

TwoShedsJackson

Fog lights are a pain in the arse but at least almost anyone driving around with no lights on at all gets the message by the time the second complete stranger has flashed the lights at them.

What about bloody cyclists going around with not a bloody light on them? Yep it's pitch black at 5 pm now so i'll just head off on my black bike, black coat on, no lights sure anyone can see me :rolleyes:

AngelinaJolie

Wertz wrote: »

Oh most definitely...it's far more in the keeping of maintaining safety on our road network that no-one should be able to see where they are going rather than only one party. Have you tried putting on your front fogs for added effect?
quote]

Ok calm down! It just seems to me that 90% of people on the road don't seem to dip their lights. Or is there another explanation? When i had the full beams on it seemed to cancel out the effect!!??? Does anyone know what best practice is to making sure your headlights don't dazzle other motorists???

SheroN

AngelinaJolie wrote: »

Wertz wrote: »

Oh most definitely...it's far more in the keeping of maintaining safety on our road network that no-one should be able to see where they are going rather than only one party. Have you tried putting on your front fogs for added effect?
quote]

Ok calm down! It just seems to me that 90% of people on the road don't seem to dip their lights. Or is there another explanation? When i had the full beams on it seemed to cancel out the effect!!??? Does anyone know what best practice is to making sure your headlights don't dazzle other motorists???

The best practice is to dip your headlights and to make sure they are properly alligned.

OldGoat

AngelinaJolie wrote: »

Does anyone know what best practice is to making sure your headlights don't dazzle other motorists???

Most cars have a switch or dial that allows you to adjust the height of your lights depending on how many passengers/luggage/goods you are carrying. Ensure that this is set to put the beam in the lowest necessary position. That way your lights are on the road and not in other drivers eyes.

Park infront of a wall and check your lights to see if they are alligned and working properly. If there is any doubt then ask your friendly local mechanic to adjust them for ya so that they comply to NCT requirments.

Watch out for the bright blue light on your dashboard, it's the one that tells you your fullbeams are on. Whilest checking the dashboard for blue lights cast a quick glance to see if you have your fog lights, front & rear, turned off (unless you are actually driving in fog naturally). :-)

ShooterSF

eh motor forum FTW

Morrisseeee

This happened to a friend of mine: he was going home on the back roads one nite & when coming up to a cross-roads he decided to turn off his lights (so he could SEE if some other car was coming), but.....there was another car coming, but.......he had his lights off ALSO !! Luckily they missed each other by a whisker !! :eek:
Two BRIGHT sparks, you might say !! :P

AngelinaJolie

OldGoat wrote: »

Most cars have a switch or dial that allows you to adjust the height of your lights depending on how many passengers/luggage/goods you are carrying. Ensure that this is set to put the beam in the lowest necessary position. That way your lights are on the road and not in other drivers eyes.

Park infront of a wall and check your lights to see if they are alligned and working properly. If there is any doubt then ask your friendly local mechanic to adjust them for ya so that they comply to NCT requirments.

Watch out for the bright blue light on your dashboard, it's the one that tells you your fullbeams are on. Whilest checking the dashboard for blue lights cast a quick glance to see if you have your fog lights, front & rear, turned off (unless you are actually driving in fog naturally). :-)

Cheers for this -just in case anyone goes off in a rant about 'low standards of driving in Ireland', I do know about dips, high beams, fog etc. It was the alignment I wasn't so sure of..

But, one thing - do the majority of drivers leave their full beams on all time? Do many people experience this??

stovelid

AngelinaJolie wrote: »

Ok calm down! It just seems to me that 90% of people on the road don't seem to dip their lights. Or is there another explanation? When i had the full beams on it seemed to cancel out the effect!!??? Does anyone know what best practice is to making sure your headlights don't dazzle other motorists???

90% of people do not drive around with their full beams on. Some do, which is illegal, but it could be that the road has dips (which will momentarily bring their lights up) or you (more than likely) are just not used to night driving.

A normal part of night driving is facing oncoming traffic on a dark road. Even for experienced drivers, it's not fun to drive on a dark road with continuous traffic coming the other way. Just try and use their lights to illuminate your way, don't stare directly at them, and even if you are a little dazzled, just keep your position. If you switch to full beams, you may cause somebody to crash or even clip you.

My car allows you to align the lights, there is a dial to the right of the steering column. Check your manual or ask at a garage.

Terry

stovelid wrote: »

90% of people do not drive around with their full beams on. Some do, which is illegal, but it could be that the road has dips (which will momentarily bring their lights up) or you (more than likely) are just not used to night driving.

A normal part of night driving is facing oncoming traffic on a dark road. Even for experienced drivers, it's not fun to drive on a dark road with continuous traffic coming the other way. Just try and use their lights to illuminate your way, don't stare directly at them, and even if you are a little dazzled, just keep your position. If you switch to full beams, you may cause somebody to crash or even clip you.

My car allows you to align the lights, there is a dial to the right of the steering column. Check your manual or ask at a garage.

That and the fact that some people drive cars that are barely road worthy and are sitting about 6 inches below the manufactured seat level and trying to be home boys or gangsta or whatever word is hip these days.

iPlop

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

In my experience women tend to be more guilty by a significant degree of forgetting to turn their headlights on and driving around in dark. While out walking earlier I tried to indicate to a young lady that her headlights were'nt on by pointing to her headlights as she drove by. She didnt notice me and kept bombing up the busy Dublin road.
So people, in your experience, who are more likely to do this?

that sounds like a dare to me

i'm bringing up this necro-thread so some people might take notice again to driving without lights and think about it...

twice tonight i seen it, so fekin dangerous.. both male drivers funny enough :P