Headlights on??

[SteveGoodz]

Unless the law in Germany since the 80's, in bad weather dipped headlights are mandatory, not just fog, this includes dusk and dawn, rain, sleet, snow, fog, mist, any weather where the conditions mean the visilbility is reduced

Even now if its bad I'll put dipped headlights on, having lights on all day does have a mixed response from people, but how many folks have claimed that they did not see the other vehicle coming

A law for inclement weather compulsary dipped headlights should be brought in, how often have you driven up the motorway, bad spray in daylight form rain, and someone has sidelights on behind you and you cant see them, against a headlighted vehicle

On the whole I agree with your observations and comments but don't see the point in creating new legislation. There is already provision within the Highway Code (rule 115) for the use of dipped headlights in "dull daytime weather" but it's not covered by a specific law. Rule 113 also makes reference to mandatory headlight use "when visibility is seriously reduced" (i.e. below 100m) which is covered by legislation. However, legislating for conditions like this doesn't help as there are insufficient traffic police to adequately enforce the law.

As part of an IAM road show a couple of years ago we drove down the M5 in wet, rainy conditions and created a video to show to drivers. In the first scene (taken out the near side passengers window) you could clearly see the landscape as we drove along. Punters were asked to estimate how far they could see clearly - it was about 1km. We asked if they thought they needed lights on in these conditions .. every single one said no. The camera was then panned round to show the view out of the windscreen where visibility was less than 70m. It got quite a reaction  :shock:

[skip]

It is relevant as I could understand your comment as a non rider, but as you are a rider i'm simply bemused.

A motorcycle with it's lights on during the daytime when cars DO NOT have their lights on is visible for more than a  mile away (road conditions permitting) but at least a good deal more than if all vehicles had lights on. If all vehicles had their lights on a motorcycle will be harder to see as it is a smaller object, the light will really make it blend in.

Sorry to disagree, Skip, but your motorcycle headlight does not become suddenly dimmer just because all the other traffic around it has theirs on. At the moment you're expecting the car driver to notice a single headlamp during the second (or two) that he looks in your direction. He might see you .. but there again he might not - SMIDSY. If all the cars (or more of them anyway) also have their lights on same car driver is more likely to see that something is coming and give a second look before deciding to pull out. It could make life safer for bikers.

An there's me thinking the  point of riding with the lights on during daytime was to be more easily seen :roll:

[diggerdog36]

stupid idea for this time of year with a low sun. Best form of camoflage to make you even more difficult to see with the sun behind you is to have your lights on :roll:

Yeah, I saw that on a warfare programme, they almost hid a tanks silouhette by putting its lights on!!

[Boddle]

stupid idea for this time of year with a low sun. Best form of camoflage to make you even more difficult to see with the sun behind you is to have your lights on :roll:

Yeah, I saw that on a warfare programme, they almost hid a tanks silouhette by putting its lights on!!

 Not sure I understand that due size and brightness of the sun would hide the silhouettes anyway and a well known tactic of certainly World war 2 dog fights is using the sun to hide themselves they didn't have light on to hide the silhouette they just worked on they basis that a black spot in the middle of a very bright one.
 Secondly I think that would tend to give you presents away over there other 355Degrees that the items are possible to be viewed from.
 I did 2 month of travelling from Coventry to Cheltenham for work which meant the sun rose behind on the way and set in front of me  on the way home, When you looked in the rear mirror the only people that I could see in those condition were those with headlight on, you could have cars between you and them and be unable to see them.

 I am in favour of this legislation as it takes out the human element of when there needed and not if they are on all the time.
 
 

[Sider]

stupid idea for this time of year with a low sun. Best form of camoflage to make you even more difficult to see with the sun behind you is to have your lights on :roll:

No offence, Bob, but that is nonsense. And it comes from someone who spends his life on the road, more often than not in the funny hours.

[CaptainColourful]

Unless the law in Germany since the 80's, in bad weather dipped headlights are mandatory, not just fog, this includes dusk and dawn, rain, sleet, snow, fog, mist, any weather where the conditions mean the visilbility is reduced

Even now if its bad I'll put dipped headlights on, having lights on all day does have a mixed response from people, but how many folks have claimed that they did not see the other vehicle coming

A law for inclement weather compulsary dipped headlights should be brought in, how often have you driven up the motorway, bad spray in daylight form rain, and someone has sidelights on behind you and you cant see them, against a headlighted vehicle

AS far as I am aware it is already mandatory in the UK to use dipped headlights in poor visibility. It's a pity that the plod don't take action against the "sidelight" brigade. It wouldn't take much doing, just stand by the side of any road with a camera and click away ! That is if there's enough light available !
They manage it with speed cameras (oops sorry.... safety cameras)

I think it should only be possible to use parking lights once the vehicle has stopped, with or without ignition turned on.

I was once told by a traffic cop mate of mine that if a driver decides to turn sidelights (read parking lights)on during poor conditions, that it is easier to charge him/her for failing to drive with headlights on, cos he/she has made a conscious decision that he/she needs lights on...  and that if a driver has no lights on in poor conditions, it becomes a bigger challenge to prove that headlights were necessary at that time. It can be put down as a personal judgement, whether it is wrongly or rightly made.

As far as bikes using anything other than dipped beam at all times, no wonder so many get knocked off or at best have near misses when they don't want to be noticed on the road.. but some use full beam, and that makes things just as bad cos it makes it difficult to judge their speed once they have blinded you.

stupid idea for this time of year with a low sun. Best form of camoflage to make you even more difficult to see with the sun behind you is to have your lights on :roll:

No offence, Bob, but that is nonsense. And it comes from someone who spends his life on the road, more often than not in the funny hours.

I agree with Sider .. looking towards a low sun things tend to look monochrome... a car without lights is easier to miss seeing than one with headlights on.

[CaptainColourful]

Rant over, now off to bed to see if I can make the earth move again  :lol: