Lights!

[Deleted User] · 28-09-2020 12:05am #1

We're approaching the time when dim people start to drive their dim cars at dusk!
Don't be dim, be seen!

Atlantic Dawn · 28-09-2020 12:47am

I'm convinced with the amount of 1 headlight cars around that there is drivers with the lights on but both are actually out, such is their supreme attitude to maintenance and their hatred of the 'money racket' NCT that they refer to as a 'scam'.

BronsonTB · 28-09-2020 11:25am

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I'm convinced with the amount of 1 headlight cars around that there is drivers with the lights on but both are actually out, such is their supreme attitude to maintenance and their hatred of the 'money racket' NCT that they refer to as a 'scam'.

NCT can only test at the actual time of a test...The driver needs to check their lights irrelevant of when they do the NCT test - Personal responsibility moreso

(But the the Garda/RSA need to do a much better job of reinforcing & punishing those that don't bother)

Lights should be mandatory between 4pm -10am in the winter months.
(The DRL's don't really count as they don't always put rear lights on - it is model dependant)

Miscreant · 28-09-2020 11:49am

BronsonTB wrote: »

Lights should be mandatory between 4pm -10am in the winter months.
(The DRL don't really count as they don't put rear lights on)

My rear lights come on with the DRLs so I think this is model dependant. It comes down to people not being responsible enough to educate themselves as to the features of their own vehicle.

Completely agree with you on the lights needing to be on between certain times, it is just responsible driving.

This situation rears it's head every year on Boards in any case so I don't think it needs to be rehashed again and again.......

Suffice to say, people generally have no real mechanical knowledge or want to learn/care about their vehicles. Cyclops vehicles are a perennial issue that is not going to go away until there is actual enforcement on the roads. There should be a legal requirement to carry a spare set of bulbs in your vehicle at all times in case one goes while you are out and about (it has happened to me on a couple of occasions and I always have a spare or two handy in the glovebox).

I feel that debating it here is pointless repetition each year as the conversation goes nowhere and ends up exactly the same. Nothing will change unless it is made to change by the "Powers that be".

ednwireland · 28-09-2020 11:54am

the worst thing is my current car has LED DRL's i normally leave my sidelights on so that my rear lights are on when I'm driving.

the downside is that the LED's are bright enough that i get to where the street lights finish im driving wondering have my headlight bulbs blown !

(note to self you havent turned the lights on !)

KildareP · 28-09-2020 11:57am

Yep that time of year again.

Either the no-lights or the blown lights or those that have replaced their bulbs but have them in wrong so they're pointing every which way but down at the road.

Get a lot of fog out our way around now as well, the amount of people who don't know to treat your fog lights like your full beams when other cars are around you is unreal. Stuck behind someone in a high up SUV type vehicle for half an hour the other day being blinded.

[Deleted User] · 28-09-2020 12:53pm

ednwireland wrote: »

the worst thing is my current car has LED DRL's i normally leave my sidelights on so that my rear lights are on when I'm driving.

the downside is that the LED's are bright enough that i get to where the street lights finish im driving wondering have my headlight bulbs blown !

(note to self you havent turned the lights on !)

The problem with LED DRLs is that when switched to "side light" mode, on some cars they actually dim considerably (to simulate parking lights) so are mostly useless as DRLs thus defeating their original purpose, but I do agree about the rear lights though.

Having said that, if the visibility is so poor that you think you need the rear of the car lit up, then maybe you should be using headlights instead of parking lights.

lucalux · 28-09-2020 12:59pm

I just have my lights on all the time, always have.
Doesn't take much effort, and it has been shown to reduce the risk of collisions

My grandad used to drive a Volvo (automatic lights on all the time) in the early nineties, he would always have people flashing him that his lights were on.
He was told by a neighbour he was running his battery down by having his lights on (!).

I don't really get how it's not pushed more, it has been shown to affect the prevalence of collisions, in a small way, but nonetheless worth it for the tiny effort involved.

From the RSA:
Lights aren't just for nighttime: turning on your lights during the day prevents collisions, which reduces death and injuries on the road.

The RSA's Daytime Running light campaign encourages road-users to use their dipped headlights during the daytime to improve visibility on the roads.

Using dipped headlights makes it easier to see oncoming vehicles in the distance and prevents daytime head-on and front-corner collisions.

Remember - lights on to save lives.

and:

Running your headlights during the day makes a difference around the world:

Norway had 10% decline in daytime multiple-vehicle collisions between 1980 and 1990
Denmark found a 6% reduction in daytime multiple-vehicle collisions and a 34% reduction in left-turn collisions
The US had a 12% decline in fatal collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists in 2004 (from a NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study)

Source: RSA

ednwireland · 28-09-2020 1:00pm

dolanbaker wrote: »

Having said that, if the visibility is so poor that you think you need the rear of the car lit up, then maybe you should be using headlights instead of parking lights.

i drove with regular lights on in cars all the time with out DRLs so i just carry on the same with the new car, my car doesn't have sidelights so LED's dont dim when in that mode. only dim when full lights are on.

i don't see why you have DRL on the front and nothing on the rear, nothing to do with conditions if its foggy or raining or dark full lights go on.

about once a week i check my lights in the house window as well rears when driving out fronts when driving in !

seagull · 29-09-2020 11:41am

Miscreant wrote: »

Suffice to say, people generally have no real mechanical knowledge or want to learn/care about their vehicles. Cyclops vehicles are a perennial issue that is not going to go away until there is actual enforcement on the roads. There should be a legal requirement to carry a spare set of bulbs in your vehicle at all times in case one goes while you are out and about (it has happened to me on a couple of occasions and I always have a spare or two handy in the glovebox).

That would be fine if they made it a manufacturing requirement that all car headlights should be easily changed. I could carry a whole box full of spare bulbs in the car, and it would be absolutely no use. Changing the right headlight bulb needs the front of the car off. There's no way that can be done outside a well equipped workshop, especially not at the side of the road. Changing the left hand bulb isn't quite as bad, but still took about 20 minutes at the dealer by someone who knows what they're doing.

lucalux · 29-09-2020 12:06pm

seagull wrote: »

That would be fine if they made it a manufacturing requirement that all car headlights should be easily changed. I could carry a whole box full of spare bulbs in the car, and it would be absolutely no use. Changing the right headlight bulb needs the front of the car off. There's no way that can be done outside a well equipped workshop, especially not at the side of the road. Changing the left hand bulb isn't quite as bad, but still took about 20 minutes at the dealer by someone who knows what they're doing.

This is a very valid point, and one I have had issues with in the past. All my cars before the one I have now were grand and popping in a bulb took 2mins and no tools. I drive a car now where you basically need to remove the battery to get at the nearside headlight bulb housing. That or an extendable mirror, good lights, small hands and patience!

It's a major reason for people not replacing their lights. The hassle and time it takes to get to a garage or dealer is reason enough for some to say "it's grand, I'll leave it for now".

It should be mandatory for car producers to make headlights to be accessible, and bulbs user-replacable, say, on the side of the road at night etc.

_Kaiser_ · 29-09-2020 12:35pm

ednwireland wrote: »

the worst thing is my current car has LED DRL's i normally leave my sidelights on so that my rear lights are on when I'm driving.

the downside is that the LED's are bright enough that i get to where the street lights finish im driving wondering have my headlight bulbs blown !

(note to self you havent turned the lights on !)

dolanbaker wrote: »

The problem with LED DRLs is that when switched to "side light" mode, on some cars they actually dim considerably (to simulate parking lights) so are mostly useless as DRLs thus defeating their original purpose, but I do agree about the rear lights though.

Having said that, if the visibility is so poor that you think you need the rear of the car lit up, then maybe you should be using headlights instead of parking lights.

It's a ridiculous manufacturer call that has front DRLs on but the rear of the car dark, especially if the dash is lit too. This is why you have people driving around in dawn/dusk/poor conditions with front DRLs but nothing else

My A6 was the same when I got it but it was a simple 5 minute job to recode it with VCDS. Shouldn't have been necessary though as it should come that way as standard.

[Deleted User] · 29-09-2020 12:36pm

lucalux wrote: »

This is a very valid point, and one I have had issues with in the past. All my cars before the one I have now were grand and popping in a bulb took 2mins and no tools. I drive a car now where you basically need to remove the battery to get at the nearside headlight bulb housing. That or an extendable mirror, good lights, small hands and patience!

It's a major reason for people not replacing their lights. The hassle and time it takes to get to a garage or dealer is reason enough for some to say "it's grand, I'll leave it for now".

It should be mandatory for car producers to make headlights to be accessible, and bulbs user-replacable, say, on the side of the road at night etc.

I think that in France, it IS mandatory that a bulb can be swappable on the roadside, maybe someone with a French car can verify the bulbs are easy to swap.

lucalux · 29-09-2020 12:39pm

dolanbaker wrote: »

I think that in France it IS mandatory that a bulb can be swappable on the roadside, maybe someone with a French car can verify the bulbs are easy to swap.

Vive la France eh.. I hope it will carry over to other jurisdictions before long, between the inaccessible lights and the DRL ignorance that some people have, it would seem to be a no-brainer.

kirving · 29-09-2020 12:41pm

Miscreant wrote: »

My rear lights come on with the DRLs so I think this is model dependant. It comes down to people not being responsible enough to educate themselves as to the features of their own vehicle.
.

Not just that, it also comes down to manufacturers being completely inconsistent in their symbology surrounding lights which is downright dangerous.

I was in a car recently, a Fiat, and the dashboard symbol for headlight was different to that of the headlight switch just 20cm away. Like that's almost intentionally confusing.

And that same symbol on the dash, means "sidelights" in another car. So I go from a Fiat to a Ford, see the same symbol illuminated, but my lights are actually off. Don't tell me that manufacturers don't bear at least some responsibility in that result.

[Deleted User] · 29-09-2020 12:46pm

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Not just that, it also comes down to manufacturers being completely inconsistent in their symbology surrounding lights which is downright dangerous.

I was in a car recently, a Fiat, and the dashboard symbol for headlight was different to that of the headlight switch just 20cm away. Like that's almost intentionally confusing.

And that same symbol on the dash, means "sidelights" in another car. So I go from a Fiat to a Ford, see the same symbol illuminated, but my lights are actually off. Don't tell me that manufacturers don't bear at least some responsibility in that result.

There's a simpler solution, engineer the switch so the sidelights option is removed.
Switch is on or off, key in ignition = headlights, no key = parking lights. Simples

frozenfrozen · 29-09-2020 12:54pm

which manufacturers are making cars you can't change the bulbs easily so I can stay away from them

Dravokivich · 29-09-2020 12:58pm

frozenfrozen wrote: »

which manufacturers are making cars you can't change the bulbs easily so I can stay away from them

I believe there was a model of the Yaris where part of the front needed to be removed.

high horse · 29-09-2020 1:14pm

dolanbaker wrote: »

I think that in France, it IS mandatory that a bulb can be swappable on the roadside, maybe someone with a French car can verify the bulbs are easy to swap.

That's not quite right AFAIK. In France it is mandatory to have spare bulbs in the car but I don't think that there is any requirement for the manufacturer to make a car with easily accessible bulb fittings. My brothers megane was one of the worst I've seen for changing the headlights

[Deleted User] · 29-09-2020 1:58pm

high horse wrote: »

That's not quite right AFAIK. In France it is mandatory to have spare bulbs in the car but I don't think that there is any requirement for the manufacturer to make a car with easily accessible bulb fittings. My brothers megane was one of the worst I've seen for changing the headlights

Maybe it was in the past, and got dropped.

Henry Ford III · 29-09-2020 2:37pm

dolanbaker wrote: »

I think that in France, it IS mandatory that a bulb can be swappable on the roadside, maybe someone with a French car can verify the bulbs are easy to swap.

Don't think so.....Renault Megane 2

[Deleted User] · 29-09-2020 2:46pm

Technically, you can change on the roadside, but clearly as awkward as it could possibly be.
Certainly not in the spirit of the law!

I would consider cars from the 1970's the easiest to swap bulbs.

Wetbench4 · 29-09-2020 4:55pm

I had a 2005 volvo s40 a few years back which was by far the easiest to change headlight bulbs. I could do it with my bare hands, no tools. It had a long metal bar like a bolt, that you just pulled up and the whole headlight popped out.

colm_mcm · 29-09-2020 5:14pm

Octavia is a doddle to change them on. 90s Corolla style - whip off caps pull out bulb.

Civic needed the bumper and grill and battery and headlight removed to change an indicator bulb.

Atlantic Dawn · 29-09-2020 6:04pm

BMW 7 Series is a bumper off job to change headlight bulbs.

French Toast · 29-09-2020 7:43pm

Vaguely remember seeing a Top Gear video on some model (French I think, maybe Peugeot/Renault?) where you've to take off the wheel and get at the bulb through the arch liner :rolleyes:

Should be a job easily done on the roadside without any tools.

On another note, it's surprising how often you see people driving along at dusk/late evening using daytime driving lights as opposed to their dims. Might look ok at the front but nothing at all from the tail-lights.

Isambard · 29-09-2020 8:00pm

i leave my light switch at AUTO and the car sorts it out.

kirving · 29-09-2020 8:54pm

Auto IMO is not necessarily good enough, as not all cars get it right all of the time.

What about in the fog? Low sun? Rain? Dusk/Dawn?

ON all the time is the only safe way to do it.

colm_mcm · 29-09-2020 9:01pm

French Toast wrote: »

Vaguely remember seeing a Top Gear video on some model (French I think, maybe Peugeot/Renault?) where you've to take off the wheel and get at the bulb through the arch liner :rolleyes:

Should be a job easily done on the roadside without any tools.

On another note, it's surprising how often you see people driving along at dusk/late evening using daytime driving lights as opposed to their dims. Might look ok at the front but nothing at all from the tail-lights.

That’s the Megane I’d say. You can get in by turning the wheel to full lock IIRC.

colm_mcm · 29-09-2020 9:02pm

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Auto IMO is not necessarily good enough, as not all cars get it right all of the time.

What about in the fog? Low sun? Rain? Dusk/Dawn?

ON all the time is the only safe way to do it.

DRLs with rear lights activated is the way to go.
Switch set to auto then so it’ll come on in rain/dark etc.

Andrewf20 · 29-09-2020 9:18pm

I suspect alot of people are not even aware of a blown headlight. Noticed mine is gone when parked behind another car this morning but I didnt notice when actually driving (on majors roads). Turns out its a right pain to change. Wheel off and remove plastic wheel arch job.

With an uptick in dark mornings / evenings I reckon people with spot them more. Theres a fair chunk of blown bulbs on the road at the moment alright.

Lights!

Comments