Loads of cars with no lights

TheUsual

With the evenings getting dark earlier, I have noticed way more cars with one of the following problems with their lights :

(a) one headlight not working so they turn the other onto full-beam to compensate. Or use fog-lights instead. Either way it's annoying.

(b) crashed cars that were badly repaired, so one headlight is normal and the other points weirdly upwards so you are still blinded by the feckers.

(c) a bulb is gone and you think its ok to drive on dark roads with one headlight ... no it's not, and you can't see anything.
Buy a bulb and check the internet on how to change it .... very cheap.
In fact carry some spare bulbs, it is required in France to be on the road legally.

OldmanMondeo

While I agree with you on the headlights, we're not in France, they eat snails and frogs legs, should we?

TheUsual

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

While I agree with you on the headlights, we're not in France, they eat snails and frogs legs, should we?

And an emergency medical pack is the other thing you should carry in France. By law.

Outside of Paris, the French are some of the most well mannered drivers I have seen.
We should copy them.

robbie_998

I dont know what lights to be using on this big car/jeep thing


headlights go on but are too high up so go right in the faces of on coming drivers so i dont want to use them.

im thinking dipped lights with the 2 bottom front lights on ? (i dont know what they are)

it seems if its not dipped on this thing its too bright.

any suggestions ?

cyclopath2001

robbie_998 wrote: »

it seems if its not dipped on this thing its too bright.

any suggestions ?

Is there a dial to adjust the pitch of the lights according to the load of the car? Mine has one on the panel near the fog light switch.

robbie_998

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

robbie_998 wrote: »

it seems if its not dipped on this thing its too bright.

any suggestions ?

Is there a dial to adjust the pitch of the lights according to the load of the car? Mine has one on the panel near the fog light switch.

0 - 4 but not very effective ... Have it on 4 at the moment

Really noticble when you come up behind a mini or the likes.

cyclopath2001

robbie_998 wrote: »

0 - 4 but not very effective ... Have it on 4 at the moment

Really noticble when you come up behind a mini or the likes.

On mine, '0' is the correct setting for minimum load. Make sure your fog lamps are off if it's not foggy and maybe go to a garage and have the dips adjusted? Alternatively, check your manual in case it describes more adjustments.

biko

I'm thinking of getting a roadhawk just to show what eejits are doing in Galway.
Fogs only, cock-eyed lights, full beams, one lamp, parking lights only. You name it - some eejit will do it.
The other night I had a person trailing me without turning their lights on at all. Because they could see me they were too stupid to consider whether I could see them...

dharn

you have to remember they ar savin the bathery;)

johnayo

robbie_998 wrote: »

I dont know what lights to be using on this big car/jeep thing


headlights go on but are too high up so go right in the faces of on coming drivers so i dont want to use them.

im thinking dipped lights with the 2 bottom front lights on ? (i dont know what they are)

it seems if its not dipped on this thing its too bright.

any suggestions ?

If the dipped beams are too high, then you should have them focused. They will fail an NCT test.

robbie_998

johnayo wrote: »

robbie_998 wrote: »

I dont know what lights to be using on this big car/jeep thing


headlights go on but are too high up so go right in the faces of on coming drivers so i dont want to use them.

im thinking dipped lights with the 2 bottom front lights on ? (i dont know what they are)

it seems if its not dipped on this thing its too bright.

any suggestions ?

If the dipped beams are too high, then you should have them focused. They will fail an NCT test.

I didn't mean brightness ... Its 2011 jeep ... It's high up off road is hat I meant !

I'm starting to think after driving a bit there is no way around this.......

Kintarō Hattori

I have notice a huge amount of veh-hic-els driving around lately with just one headlight working which is nuts.

Yep i find i get blinded from Vans and jeeps behind me. Their beams reflect off my wing mirrors into my eyes.

At least i now have electric mirrors so i can deflect the light away temporarily, in my old car i just had to sit there and take it

Berty

People with incorrectly aligned headlights, no headlights on and/or bulbs missing.

The problem is they do not know. Why? Because it does not affect them. As long as they can see where they are going they don't understand why people are flashing them.

I've said this before. My old boss, a terrible arsehole, had a bulb missing and I said "I'll fix that, I have loads in the boot". "Nah, getting the car serviced next week and they can change it then"....................................1.5 weeks of driving with only one headlight in January.

They're out there folks and they are all over the place.

pcardin

biko wrote: »

I'm thinking of getting a roadhawk just to show what eejits are doing in Galway.
Fogs only, cock-eyed lights, full beams, one lamp, parking lights only. You name it - some eejit will do it.
The other night I had a person trailing me without turning their lights on at all. Because they could see me they were too stupid to consider whether I could see them...

That's the thing. Eejits driving with fcuked up lights are still better than eejits driving without any lights at all. And they are by far more. They are mostly people from age 40 upwards when driving licence could be obtained by signing the paper that he/she wants to be a driver now. :mad:

Mc Love

Glad I am not the only one noticing the SUV's blinding everyone!

robbie_998

Mc Love wrote: »

Glad I am not the only one noticing the SUV's blinding everyone!

the thing is ... theres nothing that can be done about it unless we drive around with just dipped lights only and nothing else...

its just the height issue from what i see soo far in the jeep i have.

i'll take some pics and i'll get your opinions from both sides !

qz

Re: SUV's blinding you due to their road height, if they are behind you just flick the dimmer on your rearview temporarily until they turn off or pass you. Nothing to be done if they are oncoming but grin and bear it.

Stark

robbie_998 wrote: »

the thing is ... theres nothing that can be done about it unless we drive around with just dipped lights only and nothing else...

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you've oncoming traffic or following closely behind other traffic?

Danbo!

Stark wrote: »

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you've oncoming traffic or following closely behind other traffic?

Yes, but the issue is with the name "dipped" and the amount of names for different settings.

As I understand it there is:
Lights off - obviously off
Parking lights - the first setting. Some people think this is dipped. Not to be used when driving, tho lots do.. This is what you see when a headlight is blown.
Dipped headlights - the second setting. To be used in well lit areas, roads with lights basically around towns and on lit motorways.
Headlights - aka full lights, used on unlit roads in rural areas, and should be 'dipped' for oncoming traffic or if there's someone visible in front of you (even a mile ahead as it will blind them)

And of course fog lights, sometimes 1 or 2 on the back, sometimes 1 or 2 on the front. To be used only when necessary. iMO there is still fog that doesn't neccesitiate fog lights as its not heavy enough.

Have I got it right?

robbie_998

Stark wrote: »

robbie_998 wrote: »

the thing is ... theres nothing that can be done about it unless we drive around with just dipped lights only and nothing else...

Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you've oncoming traffic or following closely behind other traffic?

I'm sorry I might be phrasing that wrong.


I mean the very first setting for lights ... The very dim lights that do not light up the road in anyway.

And I have never seen that done in ireland.

Mint Sauce

Not allot worse than driving down a country lane at night, thinking its a motor bike approaching you, only to find out at short notice its a car with only its passenger side lights working.

flyingsnail

irish-stew wrote: »

Not allot worse than driving down a country lane at night, thinking its a motor bike approaching you, only to find out at short notice its a car with only its passenger side lights working.

At this stage I just assume that anything with one light is a car until I can see otherwise.

ofcork

Is it not the case you can drive on parking lights in well lit up areas.

muckwarrior

People complain about the NCT, but given the amount of gob****es already driving around with one or more bulbs blown, can you imagine what things would be like without it?

ofcork wrote: »

Is it not the case you can drive on parking lights in well lit up areas.

No. The parking lights on many cars are virtually invisible from a distance. They also won't highlight road signs or people wearing reflective clothing.

jaffa20

Blinding lights are pretty annoying but i just flip my rear view mirror and drive on.

ofcork

ofcork wrote: »

Is it not the case you can drive on parking lights in well lit up areas.

:eek:

NO!

jaffa20

jaffa20 wrote: »

Blinding lights are pretty annoying but i just flip my rear view mirror and drive on.

Doesn't work so well if you need to see behind to overtake, or make a right hand turn safely, or if the car is coming towards you!

exaisle

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

While I agree with you on the headlights, we're not in France, they eat snails and frogs legs, should we?

Obviously you've never tasted either....

Mmmm....Kermit! ;-)

shar01

Based on the amount of wonkily-lit cars out there, I reckon there's a fair few folks who are clueless about their cars. Probably never throw their eye over the manual. And don't get me started on fog lights.

It only takes a few seconds to check all lights (including indicators) are working.

Cantona's Collars

It's crazy the amount of women with kids on school runs these dark mornings driving with no lights on,even last week there was heavy fog on parts of the road and the amount of cars appearing out of the gloom with no lights while it was also still pretty dark was scary-especially the morons overtaking while visibility was nearly zero at times.
The sheer numbers of cars with lights missing is crazy,had one guy on a back road the other evening with one headlight working but misaligned and one light working on the back,bulbs aren't expensive-even Lidl are selling full sets for less than €7.

puppetmaster

yeh crazy amount of people driving around with one headlight. and as said earlier most people dont even notice. The parking lights as mentioned earlier are also more commonly referred to as DLR's or daylight running lights. (for those of us without the Audi led's etc)

There was romours that they will be bringing in penalty points for missing lights at the end of the year, which should help with all the 3 litre 2 tonne motorbikes drivin around at night in the winter. I understand the annoyance with people driving round with rear fogs on , as they can be blinding . But i really dont see the problem with people having their front fogs on either day or night (not as a replacement for dips) if their set properly fogs point low and have little chance of dazzling anyone.

TheUsual

I don't know, maybe people are waiting until they get the car serviced by a mechanic and get the bulbs replaced at the same time to save money ?

But it's dangerous, and a very very cheap and quick fix to do yourself.

It's just a bulb. Like when a bulb goes in your house, you don't phone an electrician.

Voodoomelon

Whats the logic in making it an offence to drive with parking lights on?

The offence should be not using the correct lights for the correct conditions. My parking lights are the first thing I turn on when I start my car during the day, and if it requires, my low beams are turned on (dusk, heavy rain, fog etc).

Mc Love

Not sure if its related to all SUV's as on the way to work I passed out a Landcruiser and the lights werent blinding at all.

TheUsual

Mc Love wrote: »

Not sure if its related to all SUV's as on the way to work I passed out a Landcruiser and the lights werent blinding at all.

Yeah but his was brand new so the lights are going to be at their brightest. Clean out of the factory.

Some have the HID extra-bright lights, have noticed a few BMW's and Merc's with them and they are brighter in your mirrors at night.

heate

TheUsual wrote: »

Mc Love wrote: »

Not sure if its related to all SUV's as on the way to work I passed out a Landcruiser and the lights werent blinding at all.

Yeah but his was brand new so the lights are going to be at their brightest. Clean out of the factory.

Some have the HID extra-bright lights, have noticed a few BMW's and Merc's with them and they are brighter in your mirrors at night.

HID's or Xenons?
I have xenon headlights that turn whilst cornering (which works very well) but I am aware that they are that bit stronger whilst tailing people! I wouldn't go back to a car without Xenons to be honest.
I have photo chromatic mirrors so you can drive with full beams behind me all night long in your SUV.
It's a bit annoying that items like quality lights are still optional extras on nearly all cars. The increased safety at night is amazing.

TheUsual

heate wrote: »

HID's or Xenons?

Am not too sure of the difference, HID are high voltage and VERY expensive and the Xenon's are just the bulbs right ??

heate wrote: »

I have xenon headlights, but I am aware that they are that bit stronger whilst tailing people! I wouldn't go back to a car without Xenons to be honest.

I wouldn't complain about you having them, it's the way technology is going. Everyone will have them at some stage.
It's badly lit cars and jeeps that are dangerous.

Mc Love

TheUsual wrote: »

Yeah but his was brand new so the lights are going to be at their brightest. Clean out of the factory.

Some have the HID extra-bright lights, have noticed a few BMW's and Merc's with them and they are brighter in your mirrors at night.

What that doesnt make any sense! How was his SUV brand new? And btw it was filthy dirty

dulpit

Has anyone noticed an increase in the amount of cars driving around with dodgy lights, broken lights or even no lights at all...

Seems to me in the last few weeks I'm passing multiple cars on each drive with a broken light or lights only working on parks or something similar. It's crazy, nights are getting longer, it's dark now for the commute, why aren't people fixing their lights? Bloody dangerous...

HeidiHeidi

Yep. Never ceases to amaze me.

I also find scary the amount of cars who drive around in appalling conditions and visibility with no lights on, or only the piddly little sidelights. Would it kill them to turn on the headlights?

Light up folks!!!

galwayjohn89

I will never forget driving towards the roundabout near my house 2 lanes, during a powercut. No lights what so ever. Was about to move into the other lane when I saw a car beside me. No front lights working at all and only one rear one working. Bloody idiot.

vicwatson

Have to agree, it's become more noticeable with the longer nights, the gas thing is is that most of these cars I've seen are relatively new and would have a warning light on the dash board, pure laziness to change a bulb.

Does my head in people driving around in this weather without lights, in this weather it's virtually dark all day.

Switch on your goddamn lights.

RandomAccess

they're hypermiling

mailforkev

This comes up here every year.

Your average €104 motor tax loving Irish motorist is afraid of wasting their bulbs or maintaining their car.

One dark morning last year while waiting for the bus to work (on the N11 in Dublin, so a busy road) I passed the time by trying to count 10 cars in a row with correct headlights, never did it.

It's either a bulb out or fog lights on, or no headlights/only foglights etc. I'd love to be a traffic Garda for a day or two.

dulpit

What baffles me is the people driving with no lights at all at night time with their hazards on, I don't see how that is a valid warning for people. If all my lights go at night, it's pull over and ring for a lift time, don't be so bloody stupid and drive home...

Jimoslimos

Don't understand how more cars don't get pulled over for this. Is there penalty points for this sort of offence?

Having driven in Australia, and in particular in rural areas, police take a very dim (excuse the pun) view of this.

Payton

I have also noticed a lot of new (yrs 08-11) with one or no lights working.
I stopped beside a guy one night about 2 yrs ago to let him know his tail lights weren't working...so I rolled down the window and was just about to tell him when he put his hand up and said "I know....its going back tomorrow to the garage, the car was 7 weeks old" . Totally light failure....

Robbo

I once heard a tale about a Connemara farmer who whenever he bought a new car would instantly take one bulb out and keep it in the glovebox.

"To have a spare in case the other one went".

There's also a shocking amount of people who drive only with their parking lights on, which confirms my view that many in this country don't have a clue what half of the switchgear on their car does.

elaverty

I hate to be the one to break the news,,,but some people out there are so strapped for cash at the minute,that they might not have the price of a bulb to replace,,,,i know its onla 5/10euro but thats how bad things have got,,,

dar83

elaverty wrote: »

I hate to be the one to break the news,,,but some people out there are so strapped for cash at the minute,that they might not have the price of a bulb to replace,,,,i know its onla 5/10euro but thats how bad things have got,,,

Yet they can run a car?