Blinding brake lights

[alexmoon]

Sat behind a new E Class last night at the lights. Driver had foot on brakes so all lights were showing. I could not believe how bright and dazzling they were. They looked like strip LEDs. This was Blackpool illuminations times two and, in my view, bordering on dangerous. Is there any legislation on brightness levels of lights in cars? If there is then I'm sure MB must be close to breaking the regulations.

 

[stwat]

The brighter the brake lights the better in my personal opinion.

You didn't have to stare at the brake lights as a rule!

What would you prefer the car in front to have in an emergency situation on a fog filled motorway, dim brake lights that you only manage to see at the very last minute and therefore smash into the car in front. Or super bright brake lights that shine through the fog and alert you to the potential danger many hundreds of meters before so give you the chance to act on such danger much sooner, potentially saving yours and other peoples lives?

I know i'd rather put up with bright brake lights in front of me while sat at the traffic lights knowing they might just save some lives if the worst ever came to the worst, god forbid!!!

 

[Value Motering]

114

You MUST NOT

• use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders
• use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users (see Rule 226)

In stationary queues of traffic, drivers should apply the parking brake and, once the following traffic has stopped, take their foot off the footbrake to deactivate the vehicle brake lights. This will minimise glare to road users behind until the traffic moves again.

[Law RVLR reg 27]
...
...
Must be regs for brightness also I guess, but can't find it too easy.

I googled a little, appears BMW brake lights get more brighter the harder you put them on ???

 

[DSLiverpool]

Not sure about a new E but the hill hold feature I had on my CLS where you press the brake hard to put the brakes on permanently always lit up the brake lights even if your foot was off the brake - could have been that ?

 

[Simon_M]

You'll love when they start flashing under really hard braking them.

The trouble with an auto is that putting it in park while queuing means going back to drive will put on the reversing lights for a second and scare the bejesus out of the car behind.

S

 

[TheStid]

You'll love when they start flashing under really hard braking them.

The trouble with an auto is that putting it in park while queuing means going back to drive will put on the reversing lights for a second and scare the bejesus out of the car behind.

S

There is always N(eutral)

 

[markjay]

Strangely, I have read somewhere that the best thing to do with an auto in traffic lights is leave in D, apply parking brake, and let go of the brake pedal.

Apparently this will minimise gearbox wear resulting from shifting from D to P (or N) and back at each traffic light.

And apparently it will also prevent disc warping as result of over heating - when the pads are pressed against a hot disc and prevent that part of the disc from cooling-down properly.

 

[whitenemesis]

You'll love when they start flashing under really hard braking them.

The trouble with an auto is that putting it in park while queuing means going back to drive will put on the reversing lights for a second and scare the bejesus out of the car behind.

S

There is a 2-3 sec delay in switching the reversing lights on when selecting R (in my 203 at least)

 

[moonloops]

The trouble with an auto is that putting it in park while queuing means going back to drive will put on the reversing lights for a second and scare the bejesus out of the car behind.

S

If drivers don't understand that this happens with auto boxes then they shouldn't have a driving licence IMHO

 

[Value Motering]

A friend who is a Taxi man tells me he was trained to always put the parking brake on when stopped, the reason given was if you get bumped, your car will react/move slower, this could be better for people's necks in your car, plus less chance of you hitting another car or object, less paperwork etc etc.

He drives an auto, I must ask him what he does with the gearbox at this time.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Strangely, I have read somewhere that the best thing to do with an auto in traffic lights is leave in D, apply parking brake, and let go of the brake pedal.

Exactly what I do.

 

[Mercy1]

IMHO, it's not the brightness of lights that are the problem - it's those that ain't on at all and that includes brake lights, side lights and headlights. Not to mention those indicators that come on when the brake lights should! Every other car these days seems to have one or another light out...

On my car, there is definitely a delay on the reversring light when you run through the auto drive selector. In any event, better for the reverse light to come on as a false alarm, than have the guy in front with a manual rolling back on a hill start. That can't happen with an auto!

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

If drivers don't understand that this happens with auto boxes then they shouldn't have a driving licence IMHO

...and what about the people that drive for over 20 years in a manual, and then later in life switch to an auto?

 

[ukcodger]

And if I'm behind a car in a queue sitting with it's brake lights on I think 'Poor Driver, must be an amateur in front', ......don't they know people are getting blinded behind them?

Prepare to be flamed Codge.....But if anyone thinks they'll convince me I'm wrong about this, forget it now.

 

[Mr E]

And if I'm behind a car in a queue sitting with it's brake lights on I think 'Poor Driver, must be an amateur in front', ......don't they know people are getting blinded behind them?

Prepare to be flamed Codge.....But if anyone thinks they'll convince me I'm wrong about this, forget it now.

Not a flaming but...

Having been hit sitting on the end of a queue by a car doing 70 in broad daylight, I'm more then happy to do anything that hopefully increases the awareness to anyone behind that I'm there.

The red light won't "blind" you in as much as red light has limited impact on low light vision capability.

 

[ukcodger]

Sorry Mr E, (there's always something one could add to any post isn't there)?. If I'm at the end of a queue in a vulnerable place like roadworks then it's brake lights firmly on until the last car joins behind me, when I apply the 'handbrake' and then release the brake pedal

 

[snoop51]

Not sure about a new E but the hill hold feature I had on my CLS where you press the brake hard to put the brakes on permanently always lit up the brake lights even if your foot was off the brake - could have been that ?

It's the same on the E class! I don't understand why the lights have to stay on, it seems pretty daft to me. If you have a manual and put the handbrake on the brake lights don't stay on. Yes I know the hill hold is NOT a handbrake but it performs the same function i.e. prevents the car moving. Yes I know you could use the park brake and this would prevent the lights coming on, but it's an auto and sooo much easier to use than the park brake

 

[Rovinghawk]

Yes I know you could use the park brake and this would prevent the lights coming on, but it's an auto and sooo much easier to use than the park brake

God forbid that anyone has to do anything as difficult as applying a parking brake rather than having other people inconvenienced by unnecessary glare.

RH

 

[snoop51]

God forbid that anyone has to do anything as difficult as applying a parking brake rather than having other people inconvenienced by unnecessary glare.

RH

So sorry but why have a feature you don't use? You heard of having a dog and barking yourself LOL If you have electric window do you remove them and fit manual winders? Or get your other half to push instead of using the accelerator? Ain't my fault MB decided to make it the the lights stay on.

PS. Avert your eyes and stop looking at my ****!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

Now what you really need is an auto-dimming windscreen...