Living in a rural(ish) part of Cambridgeshire, I'm bemused as to why many drivers don't bother with full beam on country roads at night.
This makes overtaking that bit more difficult, as the view of the road ahead is obviously not as good. These drivers often potter along at 45mph or so on a clear road - all the time on dipped beam.
I've occasionally pulled out, drawn level with the car in front then put on full beam to better see the road ahead. I guess this may come across as aggressive, but enables a quick decision to be made on whether to overtake or not.
In addition, using full beam on twisty roads makes the approach of an oncoming car fairly obvious, allowing drivers to 'dip' in good time. Quite often, an oncoming car on dipped beam will only become visible once it has rounded the bend, risking being dazzled by a car coming the other way (quite rightly) on full beam.
Maybe some drivers just aren't aware that full beam exists???
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In my experience it is possible to go faster on country roads at night simply because you can see people coming from further away. My theory is that people think the main beam switch is purely for flashing their mates when they see them.
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One of the reasons why I drive back down to Devon at night. It's a very abrupt switch to narrow roads after 4 hours on the motorway, and being able to take it at night slightly faster on full beam to get home a bit quicker is great fun, and a lot more relaxing than having to creep round the corners.
Footnote: Don't do this on the A382 towards Moretonhampstead in very heavy rain. Part of the road floods and hitting it at even 30mph is extremely unpleasant. Cleans the underneath of the car nicely, though!!
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Headlights, fog lights, I guess its just all too confusing for some people.
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Actually, this brings back memory of a little incident I had last year - was driving home late at night and coming towards me was a car on full beam, even though I'd gone onto dipped ages ago.
Do what's customary and go back to main beam a couple of seconds early to give them a taste of what it's like... it's only when I pass that I realise I've just deliberately dazzled an oncoming police car!
Fortunately, he continued on his way...
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Sounds like yet another example of the poor standard of police driving one sees these days.
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I go full beam every time i'm met with oncoming foglights that have been left on in error.
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I'm convinced it's because they don't know there's such a thing as a main beam.
"Why would people want to go fast at night? It's too dark!!!"
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SWMBO, highly educated and qualified, drives home from the pub without fail on dipped beam (PU in passanger seat) why oh why when she has access to state of the art bi-xenons ?
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SWMBO, highly educated and qualified, drives home from the pub without fail on dipped beam (PU in passanger seat) why oh why when she has access to state of the art bi-xenons ?
I was PU in passenger seat last week too on way home from pub!!!!
vvbr.......m
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Wasn' me - blame the dog. Spotted my spelling mistake now as well.
SWMBO says that she can see well enough on dip beam at the speed she drives.....she drives like a banshee though !
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LHM,
fully agree. Wife doesn't seem to know there's a main beam switch. I make occasional comments aloing the lines of "suppose there's a pedestrian / cyclist" but you can imagine how that goes down. Main beam gets used for a mile or two and then you're back to hurtling headlong into the darkness.
John
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Perhaps these drivers have read the postings here about people whose retinas are seared by brake lights at traffic lights and people driving on dipped lights at dusk and they are being helpful.
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Be very careful of relying on headlights of other cars coming around corners at night.
It wouldn't be the first time I've come across a cyclist or a drunk staggering around the road.
Someone I know of came accross some such individual at night, hit him, killed him and last I heard he (the driver) was being charged with manslaughter.
As I say, be very careful.
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Perhaps these drivers have read the postings here about people whose retinas are seared by brake lights at traffic lights and people driving on dipped lights at dusk and they are being helpful.
LOL!!!!
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In my younger years I owned a Morris Traveller, wonderful apart from the irritating lack of full beam, which I put down to the classic credentials of the car.
It was only when I sold it after a year or so that the buyer pointed out the small rubber switch in the driver's footwell..........saved him replacing the full beam bulbs for while, I guess.
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I always use mainbeam / fullbeam when at the front of a cue but dip when approaching a corner, with headlights oncoming and will flash my mains if they don't dip there light's (saw a bus driver doing this and it was very effective)
One big problem though is the newer technology gives a beam distance of 70 meters in dipped mode.
I found a review from 2001 on AutoExpress website
www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/17393/dazzling_idea_is_...l
has anyone seen or used this system ?
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It would be a start if all cars had both dipped lights working, never mind using main beam. I'm sure that one-headlight cars are on the increase. I suppose that now that a lot of cars have foglights as standard there isn't the same incentive to replace the defective headlamp bulb. Just use foglights instead!
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L\'escargot.
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If you drive on mainbeams faster than would be safe on dipped, then the instant you switch to dip you are, by definition, going too fast.
So do you slow down each time you dip, or plough on regardless?
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Slam the brakes on at the same time as you dip the headlights - at least that's what every numpty I drive behind seems to do!
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Has anyone noticed that you really do need full beam these days as the actual standard of road illumination is very poor compared to ,say 20 years ago.
The so called cats eyes these days seem not function as the "old" style did,the new ones are not located every centre line break.
Even on the main A1 and A19 north yorkshire the lightening is so bad that I have seen many drivers almost overshoot the exit due to poor light and signs.
My wife also commented on this fact---bring back good old fashioned cats eyes-they worked.
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Has anyone noticed that you really do need full beam these days as the actual standard of road illumination is very poor compared to ,say 20 years ago.
I can't say I've noticed this as a problem. What I have noticed is that light is reflected back from road signs and when you get a lot of signs in close proximity it can be a bit off-putting.
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L\'escargot.
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I agree with Cliff - we should slow down when going to dipped.
If someone slams their brakes on in front of you it's no big deal unless you are following too closely.
Almost overshooting an exit is really bad driving. We should be looking where we are going whether there are lights or not. Being able to see cats eyes is not enough - what about the deer or fallen tree on your side of the road?
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It depends what you mean by "country roads" as opposed to "country lanes".
I often drive along our local lanes at night on dip beam, for two simple reasons:
- firstly, I can't go fast enough to gain any benefit from main beam. I'm travelling at a safe speed, and have enough forward vision to see approaching hazards;
- secondly, *most* people, as borne out by some of the responses to this thread, naturally use full beam. So while I'm on dip, I get much more notice of their approach if they are out of my direct line of sight as my full beam doesn't kill my ability to see theirs. When I am aware of them, I then put my full beam on, or at least flash it a couple of times, to make them aware of my presence.
You may or may not agree with this approach, but it is a considered action rather than than just "can't be bothered to put main on".
"Country roads" are different. Assuming they are perhaps B-class standard, then normal common sense should apply in the use of main & dipped beam.
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I think Mike H has said it - it is a vital distinction between country lanes and roads.
A further consideration is that the more you illuminate the far distance, the less your eyes can see things that are close up. On a narrow country lane, such as where I live, you need to be aware of sagging branches, fallen branches, gates swinging open, sheep and cattle on the road, massive ruts, soft muddy verges, piles of leaves, dropped bales of straw, unlit tractors, etc. Also I prefer to let wildlife have a sporting chance of avoiding being mown down.
Incidentally, I wasn't necessarily arguing one should automatically slow down on dipping - just asking how one could justify maintaining speed that was clearly in excess of the reduced visible distance.
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I'm with Hugo on this. Far too many drivers on country roads near us assume that full headlamps enable the driver to drive flat out along unlit lanes with no pavements.
Pedestrians? Cyclists? Animals?
Imo it's sheer bad driving and manslaughter if anyone i skilled. As I run in the early mornings with a fluorescent vest I am aware of the possibilties and have thrown myself into hedges before to avoid muppets driving flat out round blind corners.
Anyone who assumes that main beam will enable reckless driving of the sort I frequently see should be banned imo for driving without due care and attention - before they kill themselves or worse - someone else...
madf
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You are all talking nonsense of course. The only way to operate is as some of the Farmers do. Wait until dusk or beyond and hit the trail with a HUMUNGOUS trailer with no number plate, no reflectors and of course, no lights at all. They never get nicked and don?t give a toss about anyone. In addition to the above rant. I live on a rural road and my entrance is on the outside of a 25 degree bend, right on the point. This road is used by the same people morning and evening as a route, I presume, to and from work. Now here is the rub. The Farmer next door does, twice a day, bring in and take back to a field, a small herd of cows to be suckled indoors by Calves. All of the regulars who use this road know it as I have watched them queuing time and time again behind him and his quad??.but still 75% of the regulars go round this bend at a speed above the distance in which they can see/stop. A disaster looms I feel, and the Farmer says that it is not if, but when it will happen and I find it bordering on the hilarious to see these berks, (can I say that?) do this over and over again, day after day and still look amazed when it happens???Roll on Easter.
Very Best Regards to you all?.M.D.
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I try and stay on low beam, saves wearing the bulbs out flicking between the two.
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I try and stay on low beam, saves wearing the bulbs out flicking between the two.
I can't make up my mind whether you are being serious or not. When I advocated minimising wear and tear in an earlier thread it was greeted with derision.
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L\'escargot.
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No I was being quite serious. I detest having to take my car to the dealer whenever a bulb needs changing. The low beam on my Megane is very good, almost as good as full beam on my VW. Also when I'm driving in central France or Kosovo I can drive for miles without seeing another car so low beam is adequate and I have found wildlife is less likely to run out in front of the car. However back in the UK I am more prone to using full beam.
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And by how much do you reckon you have extended the life of your bulbs, expressed as a percentage?
How do you arrive at this figure?
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"Also when I'm driving in central France or Kosovo I can drive for miles without seeing another car so low beam is adequate and I have found wildlife is less likely to run out in front of the car. However back in the UK I am more prone to using full beam."
I don't get it - where there is no traffic you stay on low beam (why not full beam?). But in UK where there is loads of traffic you use full beam? Surely other way round?
Phil
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I try and stay on low beam, saves wearing the bulbs out flicking between the two.
chuckle!
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Always take it slow on the country lanes (those with a single lane and passing places) wether on not I have dipped or main beams on, and generally have to slow down on main a roads when some berk comes towards me with either baddly alinged lights, illegal bulbs or main beam still on or a combination of all the above!!
What I also hate is driving along a country lane or an Aroad (happened once) to have some berk who has parked up in a layby facing me with main beams on - don't even need dipped
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