It is also easier to judge the speed of a vehicle that has it's lights on. Imagine you are emerging right from a small road onto a main road, a car to your right is approaching, can you get out before it passes? If it has it's lights on it is far, far easier to judge accurately.
Cannot agree with that. I think it is completely the opposite.
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Cannot agree with that. I think it is completely the opposite.
I don't see the point in arguing, it seems that around 95% of the users of this board completely disagree with everything I think and/or suggest.
I shall stand by my opinion based on personal experience regardless.
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" I don't see the point in arguing, it seems that around 95% of the users of this board completely disagree with everything I think and/or suggest."
- No we don't..
;-)
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If I meet an oncoming motorcycle that has main beam headlights on in broad daylight then I put my headlights on main beam also. I reckon that if said motorcyclist needs main beam to see where he is going in daylight then I need to do everything I can to make sure that he can see me.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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If I meet an oncoming motorcycle that has main beam headlights on in broad daylight then I put my headlights on main beam also. I reckon that if said motorcyclist needs main beam to see where he is going in daylight then I need to do everything I can to make sure that he can see me. -- L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
I keep my headlights on during the day, not to see where I am going, my eyesight is perfect, but to make sure others spot me. It is extremely easy to "not notice" a bike with no lights on, but with lights on there will be a far higher chance of you noticing me and not running into the side of me, as has happened in the past.
If you wish to put your headlights on too, that's fine.
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I posted this on a recent bike thread, but as not everyone reads those it may be worth posting again;
Here is a piece written by a guy called Tony Carter, who is an experienced accident investigator and a respected motorcycle trainer. He often writs for the motorcycle press, including Bike magazine.
The following is re-printed with his permission.
Firstly, used main beam in the face of approaching traffic, even in daylight and you are looking at a court appearance for driving without reasonable consideration for other road users. In simple terms Careless driving.
Secondly, many riders choose to display headlights 24/7, but have you ever thought about the fact that you could actually be reducing your safety margin? There have been a number of studies in other parts of the world where the displaying of headlights is compulsory for both bikes and cars, and the accident rate has actually increased for a number of reasons, and some of the reasons I can testify to as a result of a number of crashes I have dealt with over the years.
In the first instance, many drivers have a depth and speed perception problem when they see a motorcycle approaching with its headlight displayed. Many think (and this is only an example) that the bike is doing say 30 MPH and is half a mile away when in fact it is doing 60 and is only a quarter of a mile away, so in the case of a car emerging from a junction the tendancy is for the driver to think that they have more time than they actually have. The reason? Well next time you are out and about, look at an approaching bike and see if you can actually see the bike clearly behind the aura of the headlight (made even worse if its on full beam). Now put the same bike on headlights with the sun behind it and it becomes even worse, in many cases the bike disappears altogether.
Now get the same bike approaching a junction, and it hits a pothole or undulation in the road surface. the number of times a driver has pulled out because they believed they were being flashed out! Now I appreciate that they shouldn't pull out just on a headlight flash, but they do. In most cases they go down as a sorry didn't see you type of crash. The truth is they were seen, the drivers simply could not determine accurately speed and distance.
The third aspect, which I have had some direct dealings with recently is that if the use of the headlight caused a depth perception problem, and in particular if you are on main beam headlight, you could be held partially liable in a crash as being contributory to the cause. I have had a number of cases recently where I had to show the court the sort of problems using dipped beam can cause, (bear in mind my duty is to the court) and the court has held that the rider was partially responsible.
Before long, now that many of the manufacturers are hard wiring their headlights to save money, I believe that one of them will be held liable for a crash, and I know of one instance where this is under consideration at the moment.
By all means use headlights in poor visibility or at night, but when visibility is good, then why not consider (for those of you who are not hard wired) just using the sidelight as it is bright enough to draw attention but not bright enough to dazzle. Coupled with using bright colours, paricularly loud coloured helmets you will make yourself far more visible and actually increase the bubble of safety around you.
I should add that I never use headlights during the day unless visibility is seriously reduced, but i do use sidelights, and 2 million miles on I am still here to tell the tale.
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Here is a piece written by a guy called Tony Carter, who is an experienced accident investigator and a respected motorcycle trainer.
Tony Carter's article should be made compulsory reading (and require proof of comprehension thereof) as part of all driving tests. In addition all learner drivers should have to pass a test to prove that they are psychologically compatible with driving.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I have started to switch the lights on (dipped beam, not main beam) in bright sunlight when the sun is behind me, especially when driving along country roads. In certain places, the effects of deep shadows cast by hedgerows/trees etc, contrasting with bright sunlight and/or windscreen glare (especially if the inside of the windscreen hasn't been cleaned recently - a lesson one should only need to learn once) can combine to render me invisible for cars coming towards me. I know because I have experienced the "oh pfd" moment when travelling in the other direction! I just think the old safety message "be safe, be seen" makes sense.
Also, when driving on a bright day and coming to a spot where most of the road is in shadow, but the sun is still in your eyes, any pedestrians, cyclists, etc. can be difficult to spot until the last second. Plus, most of the roads around here don't have footpaths and are not very wide. Seeing as I'm the one driving over a ton of metal and glass towards them, anything I can do to make sure I see them as clearly and as early as possible is my responsibility, including having my lights on. I also slow down (often substantially) in these conditions to increase my chances of completing an emergency stop in time. Doesn't help that some fools insist on walking along on the left side of the road with their backs to me, but in spite of such Darwin Award-winning stupidity I still prefer to avoid running them down - so far ...
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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>> If I meet an oncoming motorcycle that has main beam >> headlights on in broad daylight
I keep my headlights on during the day, not to see where I am going, my eyesight is perfect, but to make sure others spot me. It is extremely easy to "not notice" a bike with no lights on, but with lights on there will be a far higher chance of you noticing me and not running into the side of me, as has happened in the past. If you wish to put your headlights on too, that's fine.
Daz. Stop getting your knickers in a twist. If you ride around with your headlights on dip beam then that isn't the issue here. The issue is the bikers who seem to think it's ok for them to ride around with their headlights on main beam so they'll be spotted more easily.
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You guys should look at this:-
www.iihs.org/safety_facts/qanda/drl.htm
My Volvo S80 has DRLs and no-one flashes me - except for the odd person who thinks I have left them on by mistake! They are well adjusted and have a small cover over the top of the bulb. I think they are a great safety aid, and the research on the above website supports this view.
Cheers
S80
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>I keep my headlights on during the day, not to see where I am going, my eyesight is perfect, but to make sure others spot me.<
The use of headlights
(a) helps a driver to see ahead,
(b) helps others to see his vehicle, but also
(c) can make other important objects less visible, due to a hazy windscreen, optical flare in the receiver's eye, or reflections from wet road surfaces. Most contributors to this thread seem to be concerned with (b). A little more thought about (c) is what is being asked for.
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On principle, I would not object to daytime running lights provided that they did not dazzle like dipped headlights do, which is why I do not use dipped beam on the bike and I find it annoying when approaching vehicles do.
Perhaps the answer is LED lights, which although bright do not project a beam.
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Anyone who drives on main beam headlights during the day (as opposed to dipped) will blind oncoming traffic.
So by common definition they are thoughtless, irrepsonsible and a danger to others.. (irrespective of whether they dirve a morobike/car or whatever).
madf
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>>> If I meet an oncoming motorcycle that has main beam headlights on in broad daylight then I put my headlights on main beam also. I reckon that if said motorcyclist needs main beam to see where he is going in daylight then I need to do everything I can to make sure that he can see me.<<<
Disagree. I don't blame the motorcyclist for doing everything he can to make himself as visible as possible. I've seen plenty do this and it's never bothered me.
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I've yet to work out how blinding oncomming drivers makes the road safer for me.
Have I missed something?
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SFAIK using main beam, day or night and to the inconvenience of oncoming drivers, is inconsiderate and illegal.
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