Car headlights on during the day

[GarfieldLeChat]

As a biker (well I ride a scooter!) I really appreciate drivers who have their lights on in the day. Much of the time I've only got a split second to look in my mirrors etc and get a snapshot of what's going on around me - lights on a car tell me it's (a) there and (b) moving.

slow down then and make sure you have sufficent time to read the road around you...

having only a split second to check something isn't indicative of someone aware of their road conditions...

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

AFAIK there is no law against it in the UK. In fact, the EU wants members to legislate to make us all to leave our lights on during the day.

unless it's dazzels other drivers. or could potentially do so...

I'm not sure that the xenon blinding blue white light needs to be projected into peoples retinas during daylight hours ... any more than you need a torch to walk down the street...

 

[gentlegreen]

Could it be that the Daily Mail is full of shit?

oh noes !!1!!!1

 

[gentlegreen]

Perhaps it's the extra weight of being in a perpetual state of shock.

yep - the idea of consuming 5 gallons per hour just to take the kids to school.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

The other thread on bike trailer lights got me thinking. I leave my headlights on whenever I am driving. I've reviewed a fair bit of material on it and it apparently can help to reduce the incidence of accidents (e.g. http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band59/b59-3.html

After all, every biker I know does it (and many buses and trucks, too.) I don't find cars/bikes with their lights on during the day dazzling or anything, so I see no problem with it (apart from more frequent bulb changes).

If you don't do it, why not (apart from looking like a Volvo driver)?

It's against the law here to drive without your headlights on during the day.

 

[Poi E]

One argument is that if all drivers put on their lights then people won't be able to take extra care with bikers with everyone with lights on. I might give it some credence if it wasn't for the fact that people already don't seem to give a stuff about bikers

 

[bi0boy]

So that's why I keep seeing drivers putting their headlights on when they're behind me in a tunnel then putting them off again once we were out in the daylight! I thought they were just being really anal.

I do that. It annoys me when people drive in dingy tunnels with no lights. They don't do it at night on roads with streetlights, so why should an equally dark tunnel be any different? Or maybe I am being anal??

 

[sojourner]

I'm not sure that the xenon blinding blue white light needs to be projected into peoples retinas during daylight hours ... any more than you need a torch to walk down the street...

S'how I feel

I have fully functioning eyes. If I can't see a fucking CAR in the daylight, I shouldn't be on the fucking road

 

[sojourner]

I do that. It annoys me when people drive in dingy tunnels with no lights. They don't do it at night on roads with streetlights, so why should an equally dark tunnel be any different? Or maybe I am being anal??

I never put my lights on to drive through the Mersey tunnel. It's lit up. You don't NEED lights

 

[bi0boy]

I never put my lights on to drive through the Mersey tunnel. It's lit up. You don't NEED lights

Do you use lights when driving in town at night? It's lit up so why bother

 

[G. Fieendish]

The new Saab 9-3 convertable, out soon, has a hybrid integrated headlight system, in that a strip of white LED's, above the main unit comply with Swedish/ future European law, while the main system is Xenon based....

 

[Poi E]

S'how I feel

I have fully functioning eyes. If I can't see a fucking CAR in the daylight, I shouldn't be on the fucking road

Thousands of accidents a week show loads of people can't see cars, bikes, cycles, people and fixed objects. Perhaps they should be off the road, but there it is.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

S'how I feel

I have fully functioning eyes. If I can't see a fucking CAR in the daylight, I shouldn't be on the fucking road

It's a fact that daytime headlights increase safety. 'Daytime' can include a lot of things, including driving with the light of the setting sun directly in front of you, with oncoming traffic; foggy conditions, etc.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Also, let's say it saves one life every month, or every year: is that worth it enough for you to take the time to throw the light switch?