DRLs don't mean rears are on!!! Is it me ?

[smillion]

Day after day in fog, rain and dusk, the number of cars with no lights or relying on their front facing Daylight Running Lights, seems huge.

I know my own automatic lights don't always activate in fog, but I have the sense nonetheless to switch them on manually. And as for rain etc. I travel the M27, M3 and A34 regularly. Traffic coming forwards have lights on it seems, but judging by the number of cars I follow or pass with no lights, many are DLRs and I think many don't know that means they are unlit from the rear. Or they just rely on the auto function which isn't fail safe,

Or is it me.

Must be getting old as it bugs me.

Marc

 

[c63chris]

Loads on the M25 everyday. Older cars with no lights at all. Sometimes feels like 1 in 10. This morning freezing cold and cars with the windows all frozen up and no lights on. Seem completely oblivious


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[KillerHERTZ]

Been like it for years...

 

[fuzed]

I see that regularly, I see people driving around with no lights on in heavy fog, not great when your driving down A roads through farmland and its THICK fog.

 

[Deleted member 126969]

What you completely fail to understand is that these people driving about oblivious to the fact they are almost invisible is that they can see you just fine (because you have the wit to put your own lights on), so they feel no need to put their lights on.......

....but then the flaw in that comment is allowing that they even think at all.

You're not alone, it drives me nuts too. It's just one of many symptoms of folk who give almost no thought to the act of driving.

 

[roger574]

I see this issue all the time where I live, where most of the roads are well-lit by street lamps.

I also drive a Vauxhall Corsa and the dashboard lights up as soon as the ignition is turned on, rather than lighting up when you turn the lights on. Consequently I've been caught out once or twice in the past when driving around town as I didn't spot the lack of a green "lights on" indicator in the display and I could see perfectly well where I was going.

Apart from the DRL issue, so many new cars now have an "auto" light setting that some drivers seem to think that using it absolves them of ever having to think again about their car's lighting.

One other bug-bear of mine is the number of "cyclops" vehicles driving around with only one dipped headlight working. Again, this is down to the driver to check and most cars have some kind of warning to, at least, indicate that a bulb is out somewhere. However, in my Corsa, changing a headlight bulb means a trip to the garage - the wheel and inner wheel arch cover have to be removed as it's virtually impossible to change the bulb in the conventional manner.

 

[190]

..... and I could see perfectly well where I was going......

That's a good point. My bugbear is that headlights are for seeing with. While they also work to be seen they can cause a lot of dazzle especially as we now seem to be in a race to who can put out the most lumens.

If all vehicles had lower intensity lights for being seen with and only turned headlights on when they needed to see we would all be able to see better.

Visibility is about contrast, and everyone putting out the maximum lumens when they are not needed makes visibility worse.

 

[renault12ts]

OP you are correct.

DRLs are not allowed after lighting up time and as such the twits who thought everyone would comply and turn on their correct lights have proven to be short sighted. If they'd thought it through they'd have realised that this situation would happen and therefore legislate that the rear lights should also be on full time.

When Volvo introduced DRLs in the 70s the rears were also on.

It's worse nowadays because the dash is usually fully lit all the time so there's nothing to warn a driver that lights might be a good idea.

 

[Lit91]

Also notice this all over and even at night....

What I didn't know (mentioned by OP), is that automatic lights also operate the fog lights in foggy conditions. Is that really the case?

 

[renault12ts]

Also notice this all over and even at night....

What I didn't know (mentioned by OP), is that automatic lights also operate the fog lights in foggy conditions. Is that really the case?

I'm not sure that would even be possible. You are asking a sensor to differentiate between dark and opaque.

 

[Lit91]

I'm not sure that would even be possible. You are asking a sensor to differentiate between dark and opaque.

Maybe I've read that wrong, the OP probably meant that normal lights don't always activate in fog, which makes sense.

I was getting hopeful here

 

[Yugguy]

DRLs are not meant to illuminate at the rear. They are not sidelights.

I do tend to rely on the auto lighting function, however as it is quite sensitive and comes on at the slightest hint of darkness I've not had to override it much.

 

[renault12ts]

DRLs are not meant to illuminate at the rear. They are not sidelights.

I do tend to rely on the auto lighting function, however as it is quite sensitive and comes on at the slightest hint of darkness I've not had to override it much.

I know they are not meant to...but given that some (a lot) of people drive with only DRLs after dark it would have been a sensible thing to mandate.

 

[ashenfie]

It seams that either people leave their lights off in fog or rain or turn them on and drive as if it was a clear/dry day. Can't win.

 

[190]

The issue about automatic lighting not necessarily detecting fog is very clearly covered in the owners manuals where owners are warned that the automatic function will need to be manually overridden.

 

[renault12ts]

The issue about automatic lighting not necessarily detecting fog is very clearly covered in the owners manuals where owners are warned that the automatic function will need to be manually overridden.

ie...you must take responsibilty for all things when driving...who else you gonna blame?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

What you completely fail to understand is that these people driving about oblivious to the fact they are almost invisible is that they can see you just fine (because you have the wit to put your own lights on), so they feel no need to put their lights on.......

....but then the flaw in that comment is allowing that they even think at all.

You're not alone, it drives me nuts too. It's just one of many symptoms of folk who give almost no thought to the act of driving.

There's more of them than there are us.

 

[renault12ts]

There's more of them than there are us.

Aint that the truth!!!

 

[jon.english68]

this is a bug bear of mine too,

coming from a Saab back ground, years back when Saab and Volvo had daytime running lights as standard they used to initiate the tail lights too, why modern cars only have the fronts lite is beyond me

and as for people who dont even switch their light on, well :fail

 

[Lit91]

this is a bug bear of mine too,

coming from a Saab back ground, years back when Saab and Volvo had daytime running lights as standard they used to initiate the tail lights too, why modern cars only have the fronts lite is beyond me

and as for people who dont even switch their light on, well :fail

What are the street lamps there for then....