Near Miss - Lights please!

Jamie-b

Today I nearly pulled off into the M11 lane (where it diverges from M50) into another car. I had checked all mirrors, saw all the lights way back, but only as I was pulling in I saw another car coming up in the lane and had to swerve back out. He flashed me but he was driving with no lights whatsoever at 7am and I honestly couldn't see him until he was on top of me. I got such fright but until today had no idea how invisable a car is driving in the dark with no lights.

biko

Probably another one of those case when he can see around him because others have lights on and doesn't consider that he himself cannot be seen.

sean1141

i was nearly killed yesterday morning in the fog.. pulled into the island in the middle of the main road to turn on to a back road. looked ahead and started to move when a white van came out of the fog with no lights on.. he wasn't going very easy either!! mental

whyulittle

Had a taxi almost go into the side of me this morning at about 8:20. No lights on and apparently he doesn't have to stop at the Stop sign either.

CiniO

Jamie-b wrote: »

Today I nearly pulled off into the M11 lane (where it diverges from M50) into another car. I had checked all mirrors, saw all the lights way back, but only as I was pulling in I saw another car coming up in the lane and had to swerve back out. He flashed me but he was driving with no lights whatsoever at 7am and I honestly couldn't see him until he was on top of me. I got such fright but until today had no idea how invisable a car is driving in the dark with no lights.

Heh and the most radiculous thing is, that most likely he was doing it legally.
Lighting up hours are from half an hour after sunset, and to half an hour before sunrise. (that's according to road traffic regulations).
Sunrise today in Dublin was at 7:41.
So if it was exactly at 7 o'clock he should have his lights on.
It it was on 7:11 though or later, he was absolutely legal with no lights.

Says thanks to departament of transport for such a regulations.

dr.fuzzenstein

What does the law state?
If a driver is involved in an accident in poor visibility and doesn't have his or her lights on, surely all or at least part of the blame should lie with that driver?
Worth checking out, because you cannot make everyone always turn their lights on but if that person then had to cough up and their NCB was affected they won't make that mistake again.

edit
CiniO answered part of my question

djimi

Why they dont just bring in a law that its manditory to drive with at least parking lights on at all times is beyond me. At least that would get people into the habit of turning the damn things on.

And I agree Cinio; that is one of the most ridiculous rules there is in the ROTR. Ive seen plenty of times in winter where its almost pitch dark until 9am. How they can have a hard and fast rule like that beggars belief.

Its quite simple: its its dark out or there is the slightest chance people might struggle to see you then put your f*****g headlights on!