Lights in this Gloomy Weather

[Brian WH]

I don't know about you but I am totally pi**ed off by people with no lights on in these gloomy winter days. They totally ignore you when you flash them, they haven't a clue what you mean and continue on there stupid way oblivious to the danagers of driving with no lights.

I am sorry it even applies to mercedes drivers. A lady in an SLK totally blanked my efforts to tell her to put her lights on, even when I drew alongside and signalled, then drew in front of her putting my lights on and off to tell her what I was on about. Complete world of her own.

 

[Ian B Walker]

I don't know about you but I am totally pi**ed off by people with no lights on in these gloomy winter days. They totally ignore you when you flash them, they haven't a clue what you mean and continue on there stupid way oblivious to the danagers of driving with no lights.

I am sorry it even applies to mercedes drivers. A lady in an SLK totally blanked my efforts to tell her to put her lights on, even when I drew alongside and signalled, then drew in front of her putting my lights on and off to tell her what I was on about. Complete world of her own.

We had fog here yesterday and I was amazed at the number of people who drove without lights, I am convinced that they must either trust in God or have extra good vision.

 

[vito113]

I don't know about you but I am totally pi**ed off by people with no lights on in these gloomy winter days. They totally ignore you when you flash them, they haven't a clue what you mean and continue on there stupid way oblivious to the dangers of driving with no lights.

I have it on the authority of Chief Inspector Brunstom of the ACPO that speeding is the great evil on our roads. Therefore as long as she was obeying the speed limits she would clearly be of no danger to other road users.

But seriously, I totally agree with you! Too many d**kheads wander about with no lights on when its nearly pitch dark or in torrential rain.
But if you think the SLK driver was bad, I drive with my lights on all the time, (habit I picked up from abroad), I was followed by an Old Fart in a Micra this summer who kept flashing me furiously. I pulled over thinking something was wrong with the car. He had only stopped me to tell me "Your lights are on, you'll flatten your battery!" Total Knob >:-|

 

[Kinky]

Andy,

You are 100% correct, in that this is now how it appears to be - they are not speeding so it's not a problem, and no children can be killed either (so that satisfies BRAKEs blinkered opinion) as theres no speed involved.

 

[fuzzer]

I drive with my lights on all the time, (habit I picked up from abroad), I was followed by an Old Fart in a Micra this summer who kept flashing me furiously. I pulled over thinking something was wrong with the car. He had only stopped me to tell me "Your lights are on, you'll flatten your battery!" Total Knob >:-|

Good man I do the same . Ive got my Car set to have my headlights as constant. Come rain or shine they are on. No worries and everybody can see you all the time.

The worst law in the world concerning headlights it the one as long as there are street lights you can drive about with your sidelights on Carzy Mofos.

 

[Bear]

Then after the fog clears we have morons driving about for weeks on end with their fog lights permantly on A great feature with MB's is that you can't accidently leave your fog lights on.These sad twats who drive round at night using just streetlights or small ineffective sidelights are a menace.

 

[Brian WH]

Good man I do the same . Ive got my Car set to have my headlights as constant. Come rain or shine they are on. No worries and everybody can see you all the time.

That is what comes of coming from a foreign country eh. :bannana: :bannana:

 

[Shude]

I see so many people driving about with no lights on, this time of year there's only about 2 hours per day you can get away with no lights! I usually turn my lights all the way off and back on again to signal to people that their lights are off, they usually get the message.

As for rear foglights...

I only use the rear foglight if I can't see anyone in my rear view mirror. As soon as I can see some headlights in the RVM I turn it off, red light is way more visible through fog than white light, so if I can see the headlamps of the car behind then they can definitely see my foglamp, and probably my taillights.

 

[jimmy]

What really annoys me is people who drive with their front fog lights on, either just side lights and foglights or headlights and foglights. Why? It's not just young boy racers saying 'look at me', I see loads of new MB's 203's and 211's with the front fogs on, don't they switch off with the lights like the older Mercs??

So bl**dy annoying, it's not that they shine at you but that you have 200watts or more of lights at the front instead of 100watts which really dazzles, switch them off.

Talking of driving with the lights on permanently, a friend has a Volvo, and he does over 1000 miles a week with his lights on cos he has no choice , he replaces on average one bulb every two weeks, not very econonical/environmentally friendly.

As for trying to tell people how to drive/use their lights, I think this is a bad idea in this day and age, you are more than likely to provoke road rage and get thumped! Unfortunately it is best to leave people alone. I saw somebody flash to let a car out of a side road last week, the car pulled out across the road straight into the side of a car coming the opposite way, who's fault was that? The driver who pulled out presumed the coast was clear as the other driver had flashed him, he couldnt see the other way because of queing traffic. Thats why I never flash anybody, I will slow down or stop and let them decide if it is safe to pull out!

 

[Brian WH]

What really annoys me is people who drive with their front fog lights on, either just side lights and foglights or headlights and foglights. Why? It's not just young boy racers saying 'look at me', I see loads of new MB's 203's and 211's with the front fogs on, don't they switch off with the lights like the older Mercs??

On a W211 if you use Auto lights as I do you have to switch to manual before the fogs front and back will come on. So they are doing it deliberately, or they are a Moron or both.

 

[Flash]

I have bi xenons and when I turn them on during the day/headlamp asist because of poor visibilty I get peolpe flashing me and all sorts (and yes they are aligned correctly...) and even get hand gestures...

Last week I pulled inside a petrol station with the lights on during the day because of poor visibility and get a lecture from some t*at "to switch them off because they blind/dazzel plp and that the life of the bulb will be significantly reduced and that it wont be cheap to replace...." I didbnt want to be rude and just ignored him....

Flash

 

[vito113]

Life of Bi-Xenons

"to switch them off because they blind/dazzel plp and that the life of the bulb will be significantly reduced and that it wont be cheap to replace...."

Flash

I thought Bi-Xenons can last for the life of the car?

 

[Shude]

I thought Bi-Xenons can last for the life of the car?

They can. HID capsules don't have a filament so they can't wear out like a normal bulb, they should last a few hundred times longer than a normal halogen bulb. This is reflected by their £100-each pricetag

 

[Dieter]

They can. HID capsules don't have a filament so they can't wear out like a normal bulb, they should last a few hundred times longer than a normal halogen bulb. This is reflected by their £100-each pricetag

My understanding is that Xenons don't wear out but they may gradually fade (years?). This is a function of the number of times they are switched on (few molecules of electrodes displaced) not the length of time they remain lit.

Cheers,

Dieter

 

[Santa]

Wish I could have Xenons on my sleigh. Poor old Rudolphs getting on a bit now, and how eyesight is not what it used to be.

Santa

 

[RichardM]

I've never been flashed with the Xenon's on in my car, but I had a loan W203 with Xenons and did get flashed in that, maybe they are slightly higher. Mine are on most of the time too in this weather as the auto lights are very sensitive.

I was driving in thick fog a week or so ago on the M11 and an X5 was driving along with no lights on in the outside lane. It did cross my mind he probably left his lights on auto but it wasn't dark, just foggy so the auto lights might not have turned on. I'd had to switch mine on manually.

 

[Brian WH]

just foggy so the auto lights might not have turned on. I'd had to switch mine on manually.

Yes I had that problem the other day, and was embarassed when someone flashed me.

 

[mercedes lover]

I don't know about you but I am totally pi**ed off by people with no lights on in these gloomy winter days. They totally ignore you when you flash them, they haven't a clue what you mean and continue on there stupid way oblivious to the danagers of driving with no lights.

I am sorry it even applies to mercedes drivers. A lady in an SLK totally blanked my efforts to tell her to put her lights on, even when I drew alongside and signalled, then drew in front of her putting my lights on and off to tell her what I was on about. Complete world of her own.

In all fairness if that was my area the women in the SLK would think you were either out to car jack her or try pull her over to attack her.

 

[mercedes lover]

What really annoys me is people who drive with their front fog lights on, either just side lights and foglights or headlights and foglights. Why? It's not just young boy racers saying 'look at me', I see loads of new MB's 203's and 211's with the front fogs on, don't they switch off with the lights like the older Mercs??

So bl**dy annoying, it's not that they shine at you but that you have 200watts or more of lights at the front instead of 100watts which really dazzles, switch them off.

Talking of driving with the lights on permanently, a friend has a Volvo, and he does over 1000 miles a week with his lights on cos he has no choice , he replaces on average one bulb every two weeks, not very econonical/environmentally friendly.

As for trying to tell people how to drive/use their lights, I think this is a bad idea in this day and age, you are more than likely to provoke road rage and get thumped! Unfortunately it is best to leave people alone. I saw somebody flash to let a car out of a side road last week, the car pulled out across the road straight into the side of a car coming the opposite way, who's fault was that? The driver who pulled out presumed the coast was clear as the other driver had flashed him, he couldnt see the other way because of queing traffic. Thats why I never flash anybody, I will slow down or stop and let them decide if it is safe to pull out!

I agree with you I tell my family not to flash anyone in these days for light or anything, I say mind what your doing keep your self to your self because there is some extreamly naughsty people out there, was a women in a naughsty area thats 10 minutes from my house, she was pregnunt bumped into the car in front driver got out and shot her. Thats just sick, when I drive through that area i'm bloody careful as I know someone who had road rage there got a gun pulled on him.