Car lights - front on, back ones not..?

S

stevewestern

Suspended / Banned
Messages
5,472
Edit My Images
Yes
Am I missing something here?
Something I've noticed for a while now but there seems to be quite a few cars around that in gloomy, foggy or rainy weather have front sidelights on but no back lights on.
Now call my stupid, but if visability is bad enough to warrant having any lights on then surely it's bad enough to have back as well as front ones on?
Who was the genius that thought it a good idea to make it even more difficult to see the car ahead of you in the motorway spray..?
Can anyone explain this to me..?
 
Yeah silly idea. Here in dk headlights on at all times is required by law. Tail lights are not required during the day and at dusk people see the light from their front lights ad forget the tail lights are not on. We had our car reprogrammed to have taillights on as well. The idea should be slightly lower fuel consumption.
 
soeren said:
Yeah silly idea. Here in dk headlights on at all times is required by law. Tail lights are not required during the day and at dusk people see the light from their front lights ad forget the tail lights are not on. We had our car reprogrammed to have taillights on as well. The idea should be slightly lower fuel consumption.
Click to expand...
Ah, so there is a reason, even if (IMHO) totally ridiculous - just how much fuel do lights burn, especially led's?
I always have sidelights on by choice, as I don't feel it can harm, and having been rear-ended 3 times am happy to try to avoid a 4th!
 
Day Running Lights, required by law in UK after a certain date of production can't remember date of top of my head, but they are only legally required on the front, some manufacturers only equip the front, whilst some do front and rear.

Problem is with modern dash boards having illumination on the dials that come on with the ignition people see that and a light on the front and assume headlamps are on and don't turn the main lights on.

Personally I think it should be front and rear that should be made a requirement not just the front, We've had two new Seat Leons and these only have the front DRL lights as standard, on both of them I edited lighting computer so both front and rear came on, an easy job everything is there just needs to be turned on, SWMBO new Land Rover has front and rear as standard
 
stevewestern said:
Am I missing something here?
Something I've noticed for a while now but there seems to be quite a few cars around that in gloomy, foggy or rainy weather have front sidelights on but no back lights on.
Now call my stupid, but if visability is bad enough to warrant having any lights on then surely it's bad enough to have back as well as front ones on?
Who was the genius that thought it a good idea to make it even more difficult to see the car ahead of you in the motorway spray..?
Can anyone explain this to me..?
Click to expand...

It’s been law for over 8 years that new cars have DRLs, and you’ve only just noticed?
The issue is with drivers who don’t turn on all their lights.
 
mickn3 said:
We've had two new Seat Leons
Click to expand...
Why don't they spell that S.E.A.T.? Without the punctuation it looks like you're talking about sitting on my mate "Leon". :naughty:
 
Ricardodaforce said:
It’s been law for over 8 years that new cars have DRLs, and you’ve only just noticed?
The issue is with drivers who don’t turn on all their lights.
Click to expand...
No, I've seen it plenty of times, but having driven a lot over the last few days it's only now I've thought to ask about it. I also tend to do a lot of my driving in the dark so it's not so obvious..
 
I think another thing that causes problems now is the automatic headlights options as well as all the other auto things now in cars. Mine often do not activate in lightish fog, or rain when it is still light.

My missus' car has auto headlight dipping, the is something I hate and turn off every tie I drive it. I lost count of the number of idiots driving on the motorway last week in pouring rain with no lights on, yes the newer cars had their DRL's on, but no rears... but many had none at all. When I was instructing, the rule was, if you need your wipers, you need your lights. Maybe the auto wipers will turn the lights on too ;)
 
I've learnt something new here. I did not realise the requirement for DRLs on new vehicles from 2011 was only for front lights. Although the Dept of Transport webpage on DRLs alludes to them being at the front of the vehicle there is nothing that specifically states DRLs are required only on the front of vehicles.

It seems crazy to me especially when the Dept of Transport says -

"Daytime running lights (DRL) are purpose-made, low-wattage lights that can be fitted to a vehicle and used during the day to improve the visibility of a vehicle to other drivers as well as pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. "

Apparently improving the visibility of the vehicle to other drivers doesn't extent to those who are behind.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
Apparently improving the visibility of the vehicle to other drivers doesn't extent to those who are behind.

Dave
Click to expand...
When I bought my first car with DRL's over 5yrs ago, I noticed more people pulling out on me than in any car I had previously. You'd think a bright red car would be easy enough to spot let alone one with DRL's, my previous car to that had been black, yet I rarely had much problems with people pulling out on me.
Having said that, anyone that needs to be able to see a car lit up during daytime, shouldn't be driving anyway.
 
stevewestern said:
Am I missing something here?
Something I've noticed for a while now but there seems to be quite a few cars around that in gloomy, foggy or rainy weather have front sidelights on but no back lights on.
Now call my stupid, but if visability is bad enough to warrant having any lights on then surely it's bad enough to have back as well as front ones on?
Who was the genius that thought it a good idea to make it even more difficult to see the car ahead of you in the motorway spray..?
Can anyone explain this to me..?
Click to expand...

Simple explanation: Lazy or don't care drivers.

If modern cars have Daylight Running Lights that comes on automatically, but those cars have been designed to only show the front lights, but not the rear lights, then it is still lazy or uncaring driver problem. Because if visibility gets bad, a good driver would make an effort to override the car's automatic system, by opting to turn the lights on (as you would it it was night time) and use dipped beams, which would also have the rear lights on too.
 
Major Eazy said:
Simple explanation: Lazy or don't care drivers.

If modern cars have Daylight Running Lights that comes on automatically, but those cars have been designed to only show the front lights, but not the rear lights, then it is still lazy or uncaring driver problem. Because if visibility gets bad, a good driver would make an effort to override the car's automatic system, by opting to turn the lights on (as you would it it was night time) and use dipped beams, which would also have the rear lights on too.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Blaming the legislation makes no sense.
 
Major Eazy said:
Simple explanation: Lazy or don't care drivers.

If modern cars have Daylight Running Lights that comes on automatically, but those cars have been designed to only show the front lights, but not the rear lights, then it is still lazy or uncaring driver problem. Because if visibility gets bad, a good driver would make an effort to override the car's automatic system, by opting to turn the lights on (as you would it it was night time) and use dipped beams, which would also have the rear lights on too.
Click to expand...

'Some' people now like to have everything done for them ;) Not an excuse, but it doesn't help that newer cars have DRL's & a dash that lights up all the time in which case someone (lazy) sat behind the wheel would just presume & drive.....

'Some' people also started driving in cars which didn't have anything automatic - I started driving in a Mk1 Escort which had one speed wipers, no intermittent, no temperature gauge, no mirrors & candles for headlights!!

I now drive a silver car as my daily car. The slightest bit of mist, drizzle, darkness & I switch my lights on because I know in those conditions silver can be difficult to see.
 
LeeRatters said:
'Some' people now like to have everything done for them ;) Not an excuse, but it doesn't help that newer cars have DRL's & a dash that lights up all the time in which case someone (lazy) sat behind the wheel would just presume & drive.....

'Some' people also started driving in cars which didn't have anything automatic - I started driving in a Mk1 Escort which had one speed wipers, no intermittent, no temperature gauge, no mirrors & candles for headlights!!

I now drive a silver car as my daily car. The slightest bit of mist, drizzle, darkness & I switch my lights on because I know in those conditions silver can be difficult to see.
Click to expand...

Taking @LeeRatters posting as an example...

Those of us who started driving in cars that did not have those driver-aids and automatic systems, or at latest cars with less automatic systems (such as automatic mirrors but not automatic headlights), we would have to do it for ourselves. When there's fog, we turn our lights on. It's something we have to do, that we ended up becoming used to.

Once we moved over from older cars to a more modern car with more technology, some of us just can't get rid of those old habits. If the car have those automatic system, like Daylight Running Lights, that comes on when you start the car, and it just shows front lights but no rear lights, then once there's fog, most of us, out of habit just switch on the headlights to normal dipped beams, which would includes the rear lights.

That's what makes us good drivers, sometimes for us, it's a case of training and drills, you happened to trained yourself to turn on your lights every time there's fog. Rather than relying on the car to do it for you.

It is possible that new drivers who started with the modern cars, are like "Wow! Automatic Daylight Running Lights!" so off they go, then when fog comes, they're either too lazy to turn on the lights to dipped beams (so they would have rear lights on too), because they would assume the car would do it for them.

But that would be mainly due to them being too lazy to read the manual that would have told them this fact, or too full of pride in themselves. It's the same with...

We open a box and take out a brand new camera.
Wife or girlfriend: "Here's the manual."
Us: "Oh puh-leeze! I wipe my bum with manuals!"

@stevewestern It is most likely that most drivers are too lazy to read the manual and realise that the automatic Daylight Running Lights does not apply to the rear lights, so in the even of fog, they're supposed to turn on their lights to dipped beams. That's the first step of the problem, too lazy or uncaring or full of pride to read the manual.

Experienced drivers who started in older cars, are likely to turn on the dipped beams which would include rear lights, mainly out of experience and habit.
 
Major Eazy said:
Taking @LeeRatters posting as an example...

Those of us who started driving in cars that did not have those driver-aids and automatic systems, or at latest cars with less automatic systems (such as automatic mirrors but not automatic headlights), we would have to do it for ourselves. When there's fog, we turn our lights on. It's something we have to do, that we ended up becoming used to.

Once we moved over from older cars to a more modern car with more technology, some of us just can't get rid of those old habits. If the car have those automatic system, like Daylight Running Lights, that comes on when you start the car, and it just shows front lights but no rear lights, then once there's fog, most of us, out of habit just switch on the headlights to normal dipped beams, which would includes the rear lights.

That's what makes us good drivers, sometimes for us, it's a case of training and drills, you happened to trained yourself to turn on your lights every time there's fog. Rather than relying on the car to do it for you.

It is possible that new drivers who started with the modern cars, are like "Wow! Automatic Daylight Running Lights!" so off they go, then when fog comes, they're either too lazy to turn on the lights to dipped beams (so they would have rear lights on too), because they would assume the car would do it for them.

But that would be mainly due to them being too lazy to read the manual that would have told them this fact, or too full of pride in themselves. It's the same with...

We open a box and take out a brand new camera.
Wife or girlfriend: "Here's the manual."
Us: "Oh puh-leeze! I wipe my bum with manuals!"

@stevewestern It is most likely that most drivers are too lazy to read the manual and realise that the automatic Daylight Running Lights does not apply to the rear lights, so in the even of fog, they're supposed to turn on their lights to dipped beams. That's the first step of the problem, too lazy or uncaring or full of pride to read the manual.

Experienced drivers who started in older cars, are likely to turn on the dipped beams which would include rear lights, mainly out of experience and habit.
Click to expand...
Unless a driver of a modern car sees a reflection of the front of their car, they will be oblivious to the fact it has DRL's.
Driving in fog would be no different at night, you'd still put your lights on, or you'd go one step further and put your dog lights on.
 
Volvo had them for years, but back and front lights
 
DavieW said:
DRLs - the most dangerous "safety" feature of modern cars.
Click to expand...
Why? it make cars a lot more visible, if a few idiots cannot put their lights on when they are needed that has nothing to do with DRL, unfortunately its just how modern driving has become, the standards have dropped to a scary level and the police haven't got the resources to do anything.
 
Sadly the older I get, the less tolerant I become of the idiots that exist everywhere, not just on the roads.
I really do think that the driving test should be a 3 yearly thing so that bad habits are corrected and I also think that cars need so many of these 'features' removed so that when someone gets behind the wheel they remember that they are in charge of a potential killing machine that requires driver input.
 
My Seat has front drls,it also has auto lights, these are so sensitive that if a stray cloud masks the sun in daylight the dipped headlights come on too, fog lights front and rear require manual addition. I do think that fog lights should go off when the ignition is switched off and need switched on again when the car is restarted though, how many cars do you see with them on on days when there is no fog? PCornering lights? Do they really help? Never had them so I don’t know, I do remember that under the “Construction and Uses” regs that lights under the bumper or a certain distance from the road can only be used in fog or falling snow, has this changed to allow cornering lights?
 
stevewestern said:
Sadly the older I get, the less tolerant I become of the idiots that exist everywhere, not just on the roads.
I really do think that the driving test should be a 3 yearly thing so that bad habits are corrected and I also think that cars need so many of these 'features' removed so that when someone gets behind the wheel they remember that they are in charge of a potential killing machine that requires driver input.
Click to expand...

I don't necessarily think a driving test. But more of a competency test. An 'instructor' sits next to me and I drive them the 10 miles to Bristol Airport and back. I'm then marked on awareness of others, speed, lane discipline, attitude whilst driving, how safe they felt, reading the road and conditions ahead etc Whether this 'result' could be used to remove a licence for too low a score or what ever I don't know....
 
mj4456 said:
My Seat has front drls,it also has auto lights, these are so sensitive that if a stray cloud masks the sun in daylight the dipped headlights come on too, fog lights front and rear require manual addition. I do think that fog lights should go off when the ignition is switched off and need switched on again when the car is restarted though, how many cars do you see with them on on days when there is no fog? PCornering lights? Do they really help? Never had them so I don’t know, I do remember that under the “Construction and Uses” regs that lights under the bumper or a certain distance from the road can only be used in fog or falling snow, has this changed to allow cornering lights?
Click to expand...
I would think on modern cars, the fog lights do switch off when the engine is switched off and require manually switching back on again, my current does as did the previous two cars the oldest was built in 2007, but having the same light switch as when the model was first launched in 2000.
 
LeeRatters said:
I don't necessarily think a driving test. But more of a competency test. An 'instructor' sits next to me and I drive them the 10 miles to Bristol Airport and back. I'm then marked on awareness of others, speed, lane discipline, attitude whilst driving, how safe they felt, reading the road and conditions ahead etc Whether this 'result' could be used to remove a licence for too low a score or what ever I don't know....
Click to expand...

I have to agree with @LeeRatters

Driving tests every 3 (or 5) years is not the way to go. What happens if you fail your test? Are you expected to lose your licence? Once you passed your test, you're in. I suppose after leaving school, we're expected to have English test every 5 years, so a 30 years old working in an office, whose English and grammar became sloppy, thanks to texting, text speak, and all that, if failed the test is expect to be kicked out of the job?

Evaluation is the way to go. Like LeeRatters suggested, there should be an instructor who sits next to you, carrying out an assessment, an evaluation of your skills, very much in the same way as airliners often have one captain carrying out an assessment of the other captain every few years.

Any problems with your driving skills, could be reported to your insurance company, and if you don't like your insurance going up because your insurance company is worried that based on the evaluation of your driving skills, you are getting sloppy, so you feel tempted to refresh your skills.
 
For goodness sake don't give insurance companies more reasons to increase insurance premiums.

Perhaps what we need is more traffic police to enforce existing laws regarding vehicle lighting, including people who 'upgrade' their car headlights with illegal bulbs or those who drive with fog lights on when it is not foggy......
 
LeeRatters said:
I don't necessarily think a driving test. But more of a competency test. An 'instructor' sits next to me and I drive them the 10 miles to Bristol Airport and back. I'm then marked on awareness of others, speed, lane discipline, attitude whilst driving, how safe they felt, reading the road and conditions ahead etc Whether this 'result' could be used to remove a licence for too low a score or what ever I don't know....
Click to expand...
Yup, my bad choice of words, I agree with what you say.
 
My driving gets an appraisal everytime the wife is with me. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top