Does anybody dip their headlights anymore?

gammygils

I drove about 120 miles last night. A round trip mostly on R roads.
What surprised me was that the majority didn't bother to dip their headlights.

Some did ...eventually. Some did.. when prompted (I gave them a flick!)

Most didn't bother at all to dip their headlights. WTF? How dangerous is that?

The very few like myself dipped before the hill or the bend.

Personally I dip mine as soon as I see headlights in the opposite direction.

It's like a reflex action at this stage. It was getting very frustrating in the end

And I ended up giving a few drivers full lights & fog lights as well!

visual

Don't think many drivers actually know how to use their lights.
Understand your frustration but returning the complement only blinds you both making it more dangerous

colm_mcm

I stopped dimming mine in 1998


Seriously though, explore the option that your lights could be out of alignment and that's why they're not dimming for you?

corktina

colm_mcm wrote: »

I stopped dimming mine in 1998


Seriously though, explore the option that your lights could be out of alignment and that's why they're not dimming for you?

...or maybe you have an eye problem and many of them are actually dipped.(My eyes as I get older are getting more sensitive,

bazz26

Some drivers are just muppets, nothing new there.

was.deevey

Huge numbers of drivers don't even realize what dipping actually does, I've had to explain it in detail to oodles of people. They just think "that is the bright switch, why would it be a problem ?"

Call me Al

I have no clue where you are driving, and after that post I think you should let us know :-) so we can avoid, but i would do a most of my driving on country roads and very rarely do people not use their dipped headlights for oncoming traffic as needed.

bazz26

My pet hate is on DC/motorways when oncoming traffic do not dip their high beams, as if they think their high beam doesn't go beyond the centre barrier.

Frank Black

gammygils wrote: »

What surprised me was that the majority didn't bother to dip their headlights.

That suprises me too.
It suprises me to such an extent that I can't believe it to be the case.
I drive over a 1000 km per week and it's rare that someone wouldn't dip their headlights.
You're either exaggerating the frequency of this occurrence (over 50% of drivers drove at you with full beams? - come on) or you're incorrectly perceving an on-coming dipped headlight as a full-beam.

YbFocus

I find most people dip their lights but there is a select group that doesn't alright.
Dangerous or not they always get the Flash from me, it's very inconsiderate of them.

keithclancy

A lot of the time I couldn't work out if someone was flashing me or if the road was just crap.

coolhull

In fairness, most drivers do dip their head-lights. But there will always be dick-heads.

goose06

bazz26 wrote: »

My pet hate is on DC/motorways when oncoming traffic do not dip their high beams, as if they think their high beam doesn't go beyond the centre barrier.

Had that last week coming home in the rain late one night, it wasn't pleasant

Tea 1000

gammygils wrote: »

The very few like myself dipped before the hill or the bend.

Personally I dip mine as soon as I see headlights in the opposite direction.

I used to do this back when I started driving, until one night out of the corner of my eye someone dressed in dark clothes facing the other way caught the corner of my eye as I metres from them. Now my lights stay on full until the other car has actually come into view. Same when you're on the start of a mile and a half straight and the other guy is on the far end. No need to dip for a couple of hundred metres anyway, it becomes obvious when to dip.

Mc Love

If i dip my headlights and the other car doesnt, then straight back on with mine, and its the only way they learn because they soon realise that they have them on!

DuckSlice

bazz26 wrote: »

My pet hate is on DC/motorways when oncoming traffic do not dip their high beams, as if they think their high beam doesn't go beyond the centre barrier.

I hate this too. But I feel you don't really need full beam on dc/motorways. As they are relatively straight and in most cases dip beams are sufficient! But sometimes fulls are needed!

visual

I find most do dip sometime you might get a couple that forget and a flash is more than enough to remind them.

Motorway and dual carriageway seems to be the exception theirs a lot who seem to forget that the centre barrier doesn't block out the lights.

One thing I've come across is the odd numpty who does dip but then filps back to high beam just before they pass. Guess they just dont like other motorist lol. .

Jesus.

What's the etiquette of the angle you have your dips at, or does it matter?

I keep my dips short when driving about town but when I venture out onto dark Country roads I elevate them to full range.

Is that correct?

Tea 1000

Jesus. wrote: »

What's the etiquette of the angle you have your dips at, or does it matter?

I keep my dips short when driving about town but when I venture out onto dark Country roads I elevate them to full range.

Is that correct?

That switch is only for when there is extra load in the back of the car, causing the front to raise, so you have to lower the beam. If your lights are aligned correctly and the car is empty, then highest setting is normal and should be fine.

YbFocus

Jesus. wrote: »

What's the etiquette of the angle you have your dips at, or does it matter?

I keep my dips short when driving about town but when I venture out onto dark Country roads I elevate them to full range.

Is that correct?

Full range all the time man, If they passed the test they're legal. The dipping control is only for when you're towing trailers.

Carlowgirl

gammygils wrote: »

I drove about 120 miles last night. A round trip mostly on R roads.
What surprised me was that the majority didn't bother to dip their headlights.

Some did ...eventually. Some did.. when prompted (I gave them a flick!)

Most didn't bother at all to dip their headlights. WTF? How dangerous is that?

The very few like myself dipped before the hill or the bend.

Personally I dip mine as soon as I see headlights in the opposite direction.

It's like a reflex action at this stage. It was getting very frustrating in the end

And I ended up giving a few drivers full lights & fog lights as well!

I think drivers forget.. when Im on a country road and I see the lights from around the corner ive started waiting to dip .. usually when they see you dipping it reminds them to dip.. if you dip too early they wont see you.. and if they still don't I flash them... continuously.. !!!

dgt

A lot of the problem is people taking out headlights to change bulbs and not putting the lamp back right/bulb in upside down thus pointing up and blinding oncoming traffic.

Other times it's just pig ignorant folk that don't dip, ****

Jesus.

Tea 1000 wrote: »

That switch is only for when there is extra load in the back of the car, causing the front to raise

YbFocus wrote: »

The dipping control is only for when you're towing trailers.

Ah, I see. Never thought of that!

Cheers boys.

magnavox

Most annoying thing is when people (Jeeps) don't adjust down their lights when towing a heavy load. Results in blinding everyone even when on a dipped beam..

At least when you flash the others they generally dip but these lads....

Fighting Irish

I give the oncoming driver a few seconds then i full beam them until they dip and i still leave my full beams on for 3-4 seconds to teach the other driver a lesson, hopefully next time he will concentrate more while driving

Jesus.

magnavox wrote: »

Most annoying thing is when people (Jeeps) don't adjust down their lights when towing a heavy load. Results in blinding everyone even when on a dipped beam..At least when you flash the others they generally dip but these lads....

True enough.

Do you notice that some cars' dips seem to be very strong in comparison to others? I've come across many's a car that, although they're only on dips, nearly blind you all the same.

Are these modified lights or something? Or am I imagining this phenomenon?!!

gammygils

Frank Black wrote: »

That suprises me too.
It suprises me to such an extent that I can't believe it to be the case.
I drive over a 1000 km per week and it's rare that someone wouldn't dip their headlights.
You're either exaggerating the frequency of this occurrence (over 50% of drivers drove at you with full beams? - come on) or you're incorrectly perceving an on-coming dipped headlight as a full-beam.

Unfortunately I am not exaggerating. But just to point out that during
the entire journey I only met about 35 to 40 cars. It was Saturday night & I was beginning to wonder if some of these drivers had drink taken? Scary

Renegade Mechanic

Ive had strange luck with lights. Head relay stuck on one night. I actually pulled the bulb connectors off and as I had H4 bulbs, I had to switch to parks and fogs for oncoming traffic..

The fuse for the dipped lights (single fuse, it was an electrical repair. Long story...) blew on another car without fogs leaving me with no options but to drive with heads on till I got to a 24hr tesco and made impromptu "eyebrows" out of duck tape.

Other than those two incidents, Its been smooth sailing:D

Tea 1000

Fighting Irish wrote: »

I give the oncoming driver a few seconds then i full beam them until they dip and i still leave my full beams on for 3-4 seconds to teach the other driver a lesson, hopefully next time he will concentrate more while driving

That's toolbag stuff in fairness.

SCOOP 64

Some cars with HID kits fitted are blinding anyway,
Do you bother flashing people with front fog lights on, i dont, it does not bother or blind me at all, why does this annoy some drivers ,what harm does it do?

Renegade Mechanic

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Some cars with HID kts fitted are blinding anyway,
Do you bother flashing people with front fog lights on, i dont, it does not bother or blind me at all, why does this annoy some drivers ,what harm does it do?

Yes!! I have no problem whatsoever with oncoming fog lights. I just think moaning biddies live to give out to people.. Now rear fogs are a little tough on the eyes.

gammygils

Call me Al wrote: »

I have no clue where you are driving, and after that post I think you should let us know :-) so we can avoid, but i would do a most of my driving on country roads and very rarely do people not use their dipped headlights for oncoming traffic as needed.

Right. The roads involved were R332, N63, R358, R359 AND R348.

And another whinge some ignoramuses and bad drivers don't dip their lights when driving behind you either. They wait until they're literally a few yards away and the rear view is flicked down.

When I'm driving at night anymore I'm gonna wear my shades! :cool:

SCOOP 64

Yeah, rear fog lights on a clear night a big ,NO, NO.
Anything that helps light up the road better can only be a good thing, as long as you are not blinding other drivers.

ironclaw

All of this stuff is assuming the other drive has an iota of what the difference between dips, full and fogs are. Flashing and blinding other drivers to 'teach them' only works if they have half a clue in the first place. There are people who when they get into a car at night switch on every light they can find and have no idea what they do.

Just drive normally, keep calm, observe proper etiquette and leave those that don't just to go about their own business in their own oblivious world. It just ain't worth your time.

DubTony

ironclaw wrote: »

All of this stuff is assuming the other drive has an iota of what the difference between dips, full and fogs are. Flashing and blinding other drivers to 'teach them' only works if they have half a clue in the first place. There are people who when they get into a car at night switch on every light they can find and have no idea what they do.

Just drive normally, keep calm, observe proper etiquette and leave those that don't just to go about their own business in their own oblivious world. It just ain't worth your time.

Ah yes, the oblivious. A friend of mine drives a van for about 4 hours every day. Driving is about the 5th thing he concentrates on while he's doing it. Indicators left on; talking on the phone; rooting around the dashboard or the floor for "that piece of paper"; eating lunch; shaving; sending text messages.

I've never been in his van at night, so don't know about headlights, but I can imagine. Strangely he's completely different in the car.

Fighting Irish

Tea 1000 wrote: »

That's toolbag stuff in fairness.

how else can you teach these people?

what they do can be dangerous and there are many who forget all about their lights until you flash them which is ridiculous carry on

ironclaw

Fighting Irish wrote: »

how else can you teach these people?

what they do can be dangerous and there are many who forget all about their lights until you flash them which is ridiculous carry on

Your trying to teach someone who doesn't have a breeze what your trying to teach them. So its pointless.

Popoutman

I was taught to dip once I see the oncoming lights. The vast majority of oncoming drivers will then dip, with most of those taking a few seconds to realise it. If I'm on one end of a long straight and there's another car at the other end (oncoming or not) I'll dip.

If the oncoming car doesn't dip, then I may have to keep the heads on so that I have adequate visibility on my side of the road, for pedestrians/animals/parked cars etc. Once the other car dips I don't need the heads on, so I dip at that stage. It's not to punish or teach the other driver, it's to keep my own safety.

I've also developed the habit of looking to the side of oncoming cars, so that I don't get dazzled by any early undippers as they go past, and I have clearer vision to my side of the road.

Well-adjusted front fogs shouldn't be blinding. One use case for front fogs is to make them not that bright, but there's a high surface brightness to be easily seen through fog by oncoming cars. The other use case is to have them very bright but with a lower full cutoff above which there isn't light being thrown. The second use case is for the driver's benefit as it'll give a low-glare illumination that can be driven slowly with.