why do some drivers drive with just parking lights?

poker--addict

maybe this was abit cheeky considering other thread was just closed?:D

Seriously though very foggy in my town today.
silver/white and grey cars driving around with no lights..
I can and will only see you at the last possible second(and I have good eyes):cool:

Does not cost petrol.
May have to replace bulbs one extra time in your entire life.
May safe you life.

mikemac

When it isn't foggy I see it all the time in the town. With streetlights from the council maybe they don't notice?

Some don't use lights at all

Alanstrainor

For the same reason people drive with foglights.

95% are completely clueless.

feelites

they got their dash lighted up
they think its enough...


cant see any other reason

shedweller

poker--addict wrote: »

Why do some drivers drive with just parking lights?

Cos it looks cool righ!:D

Seriously, i was filling up with diesel recently and there was a lad next to me filling up too. but he left his lights on as he went to pay. I was going to say it to him, lest his battery go flat or just get run down more than it should, but just before i opened my mouth i saw him look back at his lights with that "damn they look cool" look on him. And he admired them for a good three or four steps toward the hopefully automatic door at the petrol station!

I know thats on a whole other level compared to driving with your parking lights on in terms of safety but it highlights the mentality at work nicely.
I swear those people need a slap.

JerCotter7

Because then my fog lights actually light up the road

Actually one of my fog lights is broken :mad: And so are my front parking lights. Stupid CCFL, Only noticed it tonight must put back in the parking bulbs now in the morning.

BTW: I don't actually use my fogs.

shedweller wrote: »

Cos it looks cool righ!:D

Seriously, i was filling up with diesel recently and there was a lad next to me filling up too. but he left his lights on as he went to pay. I was going to say it to him, lest his battery go flat or just get run down more than it should, but just before i opened my mouth i saw him look back at his lights with that "damn they look cool" look on him. And he admired them for a good three or four steps toward the hopefully automatic door at the petrol station!

I know thats on a whole other level compared to driving with your parking lights on in terms of safety but it highlights the mentality at work nicely.
I swear those people need a slap.

I did that the day I put in my angel eyes. So now it's a bad thing to leave on the lights? Don't see how it matters since you will be in the shop for about 30 seconds paying. Or instead I could turn them off then forget to turn them back on and go out on the road with them off.

Wheelnut

Ever notice that the ones who drive around on parking lights are also the ones who have only one working parking light?

shedweller

JerCotter7 wrote: »

I did that the day I put in my angel eyes. So now it's a bad thing to leave on the lights? Don't see how it matters since you will be in the shop for about 30 seconds paying. Or instead I could turn them off then forget to turn them back on and go out on the road with them off.

No no no!! It's not the leaving them on thats the point. Its your battery!

It's the guy admiring his lights as he walked almost backwards across the forecourt was the problem and also served to illustrate the point that people drive with parking lights on and often with just foglights on, in the dark because they think it looks cool.
That was my kind of roundabout point.

shedweller

Wheelnut wrote: »

Ever notice that the ones who drive around on parking lights are also the ones who have only one working parking light?

I don't recall seeing that but then again, i see too many ill adjusted lights or vehicles with just one light working or some variation of brokeness.

Bruthal

poker--addict wrote: »

maybe this was abit cheeky considering other thread was just closed?:D

Seriously though very foggy in my town today.
silver/white and grey cars driving around with no lights..
I can and will only see you at the last possible second(and I have good eyes):cool:

Does not cost petrol.
May have to replace bulbs one extra time in your entire life.
May safe you life.

It does in fact cost petrol to use any electrical item on the car, not that it would be that which stops people using them, just clueless drivers.

shedweller

robbie7730 wrote: »

It does in fact cost petrol to use any electrical item on the car, not that it would be that which stops people using them, just clueless drivers.

It certainly does, but not by an amount that i have been able to (or be bothered to as a result!) measure yet!
Agreed on the clueless drivers though. Jaysus.

andyseadog

shedweller wrote: »

No no no!! It's not the leaving them on thats the point. Its your battery!

It's the guy admiring his lights as he walked almost backwards across the forecourt was the problem and also served to illustrate the point that people drive with parking lights on and often with just foglights on, in the dark because they think it looks cool.
That was my kind of roundabout point.

though i do agree that the sidelights and foglights switched on thing is quite silly, i think you used a really terrible example.

guy leaves his sidelights on at a petrol station, fills up, turns around and admires his car. is it wrong to take pride in your cars appearance now? theres people doing far worse things than that in the world.

it would take a decent length of time for just your sidelights to wear down your battery. if im leaving my car anywhere for a short period in the dark or poor lighting i will leave my sidelights on. good battery maintainance and sensible timing means i've never been caught flat.

leaving them on makes my car more visible to others. they are less likely to hit it, so im happy and they are less likely to hit it so they are happy too

keithclancy

I can't turn the damn DRLs on my Volvo off !!

Saying that when I had my Octavia I drove with the Parking lights on because having the mains on all the time bulbs blew more frequently and the parking lights give you a bit more road visibility to people (especially bikers)

At the very worse they'll see you because they'll be grumbling about the f*cking edjit with his parking lights on.

Plug

Putting in a dip light bulb for a lad and says to me the parking bulbs aren't working I say they are, he says no. I show him the parking bulbs and then he points down to the fog lights 'these lads'. I told him they are fog lights, they should only be used when its foggy and I had to show him how to turn them on. I told him only to use them when its foggy or the guards will fine you:D just goes to show the amount of people you haven't a clue!!!
He gave me a tenner tip so he's grand now:pac:

keithclancy

Plug wrote: »

Putting in a dip light bulb for a lad and says to me the parking bulbs aren't working I say they are, he says no. I show him the parking bulbs and then he points down to the fog lights 'these lads'. I told him they are fog lights, they should only be used when its foggy and I had to show him how to turn them on. I told him only to use them when its foggy or the guards will fine you:D just goes to show the amount of people you haven't a clue!!!
He gave me a tenner tip so he's grand now:pac:

Nah man .. the Gardai are out catching real criminals ... Well .. when they've finished their Tea.

keithclancy

OSI wrote: »

You're not supposed to be able to... They're there to be left on all the time to make you more visible to other drivers.

Oh Really ?!?! I thought they were broken

You can get them turned off at a dealers though

ClutchIt

robbie7730 wrote: »

It does in fact cost petrol to use any electrical item on the car, not that it would be that which stops people using them, just clueless drivers.

How does it cost petrol? Can you explain please?

Twin-go

Side lights plus fog lights > No Lights.

IMHO far worse than people that leave their fog lights (front) on all the time, is the amount of people driving on one headlight and use the highbeam to compensate.

I can honestly say front fogs never bother me (they are designed to point down and to the edge of the road). Far more worried about the idiots with side lights/Parking lights or worse no lights at all.

biko

They also only use their wind shield wipers at half speed = lasts twice as long...

keithclancy

ClutchIt wrote: »

How does it cost petrol? Can you explain please?

Lights use electricity, the Alternator has to run to recharge the battery hence more fuel burned (albeit a tiny amount)

IMO Parking lights are fine to use, they cause no issue for other drivers and I'd prefer the extra visibility.

Dont understand why people get so upset about somebody elses preference.

kiddums

I can see two reasons for this:

1. They have no cule,

2. They see others driving like that and assume its the right thing to do. Thus making point 1 valid anyway.

keithclancy

kiddums wrote: »

I can see two reasons for this:

1. They have no cule,

2. They see others driving like that and assume its the right thing to do. Thus making point 1 valid anyway.

I guess this whole thread proves that it works then.
I had them on for other people to see me, I can see other people just fine

corktina

Twin-go wrote: »

Side lights plus fog lights > No Lights.

IMHO far worse than people that leave their fog lights (front) on all the time, is the amount of people driving on one headlight and use the highbeam to compensate.

I can honestly say front fogs never bother me (they are designed to point down and to the edge of the road). Far more worried about the idiots with side lights/Parking lights or worse no lights at all.

the problem with fog lights is that they are NOT designed to point down and left...they point stright forward....you are thinking of dip headlights.

cjt156

keithclancy wrote: »

I had them on for other people to see me, I can see other people just fine

In fog? As was the point in the OP? Or in my rear view mirror in traffic on a dark motorway? You are practically invisible in that situation.

Wise up, use the dipped beams.

corktina

keithclancy wrote: »

Lights use electricity, the Alternator has to run to recharge the battery hence more fuel burned (albeit a tiny amount)

IMO Parking lights are fine to use, they cause no issue for other drivers and I'd prefer the extra visibility.

Dont understand why people get so upset about somebody elses preference.

because they dont want to be killed by a car suddenly appearing out of the fog with the equivalent of two candles on the front perhaps? Clue is in the title...PARKING lights.

Twin-go

corktina wrote: »

the problem with fog lights is that they are NOT designed to point down and left...they point stright forward....you are thinking of dip headlights.

Really?

wrote:

Front fog lamps provide a wide, bar-shaped beam of light with a sharp cutoff at the top, and are generally aimed and mounted low.They may be either white or selective yellow. They are intended for use at low speed to increase the illumination directed towards the road surface and verges in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, dust or snow. As such, they are often most effectively used in place of dipped-beam headlamps, reducing the glareback from fog or falling snow, although the legality varies by jurisdiction of using front fog lamps without low beam headlamps.
.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting#Front_fog_lamps

We do suffer many days in this country with poor visability. I am not aware of the legality in Ireland of their use.
They never bother/blind me on other cars when I'm driving.

ANY lights are better than no lights as long as they are set up correctly.

keithclancy

cjt156 wrote: »

In fog? As was the point in the OP? Or in my rear view mirror in traffic on a dark motorway? You are practically invisible in that situation.

Wise up, use the dipped beams.

Get out of the f*cking overtaking lane then

corktina wrote: »

because they dont want to be killed by a car suddenly appearing out of the fog with the equivalent of two candles on the front perhaps? Clue is in the title...PARKING lights.

In all seriousness I'd only have them on for OTHER people to see ME, not for ME to see other people.
If its foggy turn on the fogs, dusk turn on the Dips.

I have had them on all the time so that your presence is increased.

corktina

Twin-go wrote: »

Really?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting#Front_fog_lamps

We do suffer many days in this country with poor visability. I am not aware of the legality in Ireland of their use.
They never bother/blind me on other cars when I'm driving.

ANY lights are better than no lights as long as they are set up correctly.

Yes really and see the word VERGES as confirmation.

corktina

keithclancy wrote: »

In all seriousness I'd only have them on for OTHER people to see ME, not for ME to see other people.
If its foggy turn on the fogs, dusk turn on the Dips.

I have had them on all the time so that your presence is increased.

i didnt suggest they were of any use to see other people coming....parking lights are of little use AT ALL in fact!

RobAMerc

I think the issue is - you have your dips on so.. they can see you and therefore think you can see them :rolleyes:

I use my dips all the time all year round and strongly believe Ireland should make driving on dips mandatory from sept to March - as far as I am aware the EU are going to make DRL's mandatory - why can't we for once go one further, it will cost nothing.

I have no issue with people using front fogs ( I don't ) - but I hate the fookin nitwits who leave their rear fogs on all year round - twats I think they are called - should be beaten with their own sh1te.

cjt156

keithclancy wrote: »

Get out of the f*cking overtaking lane then

In the words of a certain Reverend/Doctor/Former First Minister:

NEVARR! NEVARR! NEVARR!!!!

shedweller

shedweller wrote: »

Cos it looks cool righ!:D

Seriously, i was filling up with diesel recently and there was a lad next to me filling up too. but he left his lights on as he went to pay. I was going to say it to him, lest his battery go flat or just get run down more than it should, but just before i opened my mouth i saw him look back at his lights with that "damn they look cool" look on him. And he admired them for a good three or four steps toward the hopefully automatic door at the petrol station!

I know thats on a whole other level compared to driving with your parking lights on in terms of safety but it highlights the mentality at work nicely.
I swear those people need a slap.

**Whistles the theme tune to Coronation Street**

:rolleyes:

Gregor Samsa

keithclancy wrote: »

Dont understand why people get so upset about somebody elses preference.

Driving in fog or the dark with just parking/side lights on isn't a preference, it's sheer, dangerous idiocy.

keithclancy

phutyle wrote: »

Driving in fog or the dark with just parking/side lights on isn't a preference, it's sheer, dangerous idiocy.

Driving in Fog/Dusk/Dark with inadequate lighting is bad

But driving in conditions when you could drive with your lights off, whats the harm ?

Zubeneschamali

keithclancy wrote: »

But driving in conditions when you could drive with your lights off, whats the harm ?

No harm, and at least your rear lights are on. Better to use your dips, though, since parking/sidelights at the front are useless.

kiddums

I personally find it irritating seeing an oncomming car with dips in broad daylight.
I dont mind sidelights, but dips on when theres no need for them.

keithclancy

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

No harm, and at least your rear lights are on. Better to use your dips, though, since parking/sidelights at the front are useless.

If that is the case then how do people see the cars with them on and why did they start this thread

Marcin_diy

What is the low about car lights ? I drive for few years on irish roads and it is like russian rulette. when it is dark some use no lights at all, some use parking lights, other dip , other make christmas tree of their cars turning all fog, etc lights on. ffs where is gardai ? shouldn't they give tickets and 80e penalty for using rear fog lights where there is no fog ? why so many people are not worrying about their lifes? it is not safe to drive 30km/h in dark with parking lihts on. it is not safe for them and for other drivers. I would love to see garda to be more proactive and educate drivers in this matter. I hope one day all drivers will have to use dip lights 24 h per day like it is in some other european countries. btw if you see large black car behind you flashing at you with main lights it means your rear red fog light is making me blind, and i can see you perfectly well from few meters distance. and if you see a black car in a front of you flashing its rear fog light at you it means you have your dip lights turned on..... Traffic corps - get back to work and start giving tickets for brain less drivers who can't or don't want to use lights properly. Thank you !!

Marcin_diy

apologies - law and rules , not low. I can't edit my post.

200motels

poker--addict wrote: »

maybe this was abit cheeky considering other thread was just closed?:D

Seriously though very foggy in my town today.
silver/white and grey cars driving around with no lights..
I can and will only see you at the last possible second(and I have good eyes):cool:

Does not cost petrol.
May have to replace bulbs one extra time in your entire life.
May safe you life.

Because they are fools.

200motels

kiddums wrote: »

I personally find it irritating seeing an oncomming car with dips in broad daylight.
I dont mind sidelights, but dips on when theres no need for them.

Well it's a well known fact that dipped headlights on in the day saves lives as it's easier for our eyes to see light than no light at all, I think it should be law.

jaffa20

kiddums wrote: »

I personally find it irritating seeing an oncomming car with dips in broad daylight.
I dont mind sidelights, but dips on when theres no need for them.

So they can be seen through the blinding sun etc It's safer and cant see how they are blinding during the day.

corktina

200motels wrote: »

Well it's a well known fact that dipped headlights on in the day saves lives as it's easier for our eyes to see light than no light at all, I think it should be law.

i dont agree with that...if you cant see a car coming in broad daylight with no lights on, you shouldnt be on the road. (I always put on my lights the minute there is any reduction in visibility)

keithclancy

corktina wrote: »

i dont agree with that...if you cant see a car coming in broad daylight with no lights on, you shouldnt be on the road. (I always put on my lights the minute there is any reduction in visibility)

Almost every biker on the road would disagree with you.

corktina

bikers cant see cars coming with no headlights on you mean?

keithclancy

corktina wrote: »

bikers cant see cars coming with no headlights on you mean?

Bikers drive with their lights on.
Alot of bikes you dont have an option, Dips are on by Default.

bumpydog

shedweller wrote: »

I don't recall seeing that but then again, i see too many ill adjusted lights or vehicles with just one light working or some variation of brokeness.

Was a passenger driving from Trim to the N3 roundabout (14 miles), I counted 31 cars with faulty front lights the other evening (not counting the tossers with their front foglights on). Clearly, not something that interests the boys in blue.

corktina

keithclancy wrote: »

Bikers drive with their lights on.
Alot of bikes you dont have an option, Dips are on by Default.

Biklers arent relevant here. They have a particular visibilty porblem which they solve with headlights on and Hi Viz clothing.Why should they disagree with my statement about CAR visibilty in?

Builderfromhell

Very dense fog in parts of Clare in past few days. Loads of people with no lights on.
I even saw a Traffic Corps car with no lights on.

It is a myth to say that having lights on uses more fuel. It will use a cup full a year for most drivers.

The solution I think is to include driving in fog, ice and snow education in driving lessons and test it for driver's licence exam.

positron

I tend to leave my low beam (dipped) headlights on most of the day, especially in winter, because it's either grey/dark/cloudy, or else the low sun is blinding me and/or the cars coming against me. In all these above scenarios, I think having the headlights on makes my car more visible to other road users. This is same/similar to the logic why Volvos has lights on by default.

Err, when I don't have the headlights on, I am guilty of leaving the side lights on... Mine is a 05 Accord which doesn't have fancy running lights, so I am hoping the side lights kinda helps, and also the tail lights are on in this setting, so I think it's safer this way and causes no nuisance (like fog lights) to anyone else anyway. So what's the problem?

mr kr0nik

keithclancy wrote: »

I guess this whole thread proves that it works then.
I had them on for other people to see me, I can see other people just fine

After rain, fog lights can seem very bright as they are closer to the road and reflect off the wet surface..