Firstly we had Volvo driving lights ~ another good safety feature from this safety-concious company.
Then we had motorcyclists using dipped headlights. Presumably the riders were trying to tell us that their machine was as safe as a Volvo.
Then we had cars drivers using dipped headlights. Presumably they were trying to tell us that their car had as many safety features as a Volvo.
Now we have most motorcyclists (and a few car drivers) using headlights on main beam.
What next, for goodness sake ~ retrofit searchlights ? !!
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"Then we had motorcyclists using dipped headlights. Presumably the riders were trying to tell us that their machine was as safe as a Volvo."
No - what we had were motorcyclists trying to tell us that their machines were NOT as safe as a Volvo, so please make sure that you see us!
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I think it was Denmark who introduced compulsory lights-on-at-all-times driving some years back, and apparently the accident rate on roads (drivers and pedestrians) has dropped significantly. I often drive with lamps on - other drivers notice your there.
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Now we have most motorcyclists (and a few car drivers) using headlights on main beam.
Try this simple test.
Ride a 120 mile round trip on dipped beam as the highway code suggests.
Then ride the same ride on main beam.
Which more effectively discourages people from pulling out on you? [1]
There will be plenty of people alive today *because* they ride on full beam.
I find to sort of people who flash me form riding on full beam are *exactly* the sort of people who would be likely to pull out on me.
[1] Need a clue? MAIN BEAM!
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Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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I agree with Toad, I always put my headlights unless its bright sunny weather, as the odds are it will get you noticed. Certainly as I drive a black metallic car, and I dont think it increases my running costs significantly. I think more people should use they headlights in the daytime, though please not foglights!
Simon
_____________________________________
SVPworld (incorporating PSRworld)
www.svpworld.com
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Surely it's in bright sunny weather that headlamps work to drivers benefit, as well as dim conditions. When driving with bright sun behind you lamps make your vehicle visible.
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But the fact remains full beam headlights do dazzle, whether at night or in daytime.
Of course they help to get the perpetrator noticed - so would keeping your hand on the horn, or constantly flashing the lights, or playing icecream van tunes at full volume. But there are other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and animals, and they deserve consideration too.
If you are only noticed by having your headlights on full beam, then, dare I say it, perhaps you are going too fast?
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But the fact remains full beam headlights do dazzle, whether at night or in daytime.
Well I appologise if my survival slightly put's people out.
If you are only noticed by having your headlights on full beam, then, dare I say it, perhaps you are going too fast?
Your speed affects your visibility? I like to think I'm a steady rider considering but I doubt I'm going quick enough to bend light!
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Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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Toad,
Thought the recent trend was for purple/red headlamps.
Which at least do not cause a searing pain in my eyeballs.
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GWS,
I've just sussed out this red headlights thing.
If they ride fast enough they can get the frequency shift so they appear yellow. Therefore perfect excuse for riding like total nobs.
Ducks down behind cover.
;-)
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>> But the fact remains full beam headlights do dazzle, >> whether at night or in daytime. Well I appologise if my survival slightly put's people out.
Why not just wear a reflective jacket/band/dayglo leather suit?
Bikers always complain at not being seen, hardly suprising if they insist on wearing black leather and dark coloured crash helmets!
Being a biker myself - well I still get the 125cc out the shed from time to time o:) I wear a white helmet and ride on DIPPED beam and find that I get noticed. Mind you it could be that I get noticed for other reasons - fat git on small bike does tend to stand out a bit :o)
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Your speed affects your visibility?
Yes, of course it does. If you are exceeding the speed limit driving down the middle of the road then obviously you are less visible than if you are going at the same speed as all the other trafic.
Read the passage in the 'Wind in the Willows' where the speck of dust in the distance suddenly becomes a hurtling motorcar. Obviously the three friends did not see it in time because it was going so fast. That is what appealed to Toad - he wanted to travel fast too.
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Well said Cliff, and regardless of the rest the effect of bright lights is to reduce peoples ability to judge speed and distance. So maybe, sadly, there is someone not alive due to such a misjudgement.
I think main beam might have more to say about attitude than speed though IMHO.
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Well said Cliff, and regardless of the rest the effect of bright lights is to reduce peoples ability to judge speed and distance. So maybe, sadly, there is someone not alive due to such a misjudgement.
In the real world if someone can't judge yuor distance and speed they err on the side of caution. On dipped beam they are much more likely to pull out on you and cut it fine.
Rather than talking about it why not try it. It makes a *massive* difference to the quantities of all bran moments on the road.
This isn't subjective. It's fact and it's measurable. I've tried both ways and I've settled on the safest.
I think main beam might have more to say about attitude than speed though IMHO.
Utter nonsense! If you're so sure dipped beam is safer why not try it as I have! It makes a marked difference on people cutting out in front you.
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Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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Rather than talking about it why not try it. It makes a *massive* difference to the quantities of all bran moments on the road.
No I will not try driving around on main beam. I prefer to rely on my own judgement and ability to avoid "bran" moments rather than bullying other road users. Each to his own.
This isn't subjective. It's fact and it's measurable. I've tried both ways and I've settled on the safest.
In controlled conditions?? I suspect not.
Utter nonsense!
Chuck some water on this reel, get the landing net ready!
Don't worry Toad I'll remove the hook carefully and put you back.
;-)
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>> Utter nonsense! Chuck some water on this reel, get the landing net ready! Don't worry Toad I'll remove the hook carefully and put you back. ;-)
I should have scented bait with a hook that obvious. I'll come quiet...
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Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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"I should have scented bait with a hook that obvious. I'll come quiet..."
Who was it said "You're no fun anymore etc.....?"
Seriously though Toad, I have no problem, as you know, with you riding quickly and on dip. Its your choice and you are a responsible amphibian.
What I don't understand is why an approach cannot be adopted such that if a situation starts to develop where you want to increase your profile, why a suitable application of speed, together with application of main beam longer than merely a quick flash won't do the job. In that case you avoid "upsetting" folks with main beam when its perhaps not totally necessary. Not that I'd flash you in any case, live and let live.
Now I've just looked out the back window and theres a narrow boat tied up at the bank. Seems the bargee wants a bit of help with the washing. Just the job for a washerwoman. Shall I put a word in while you're getting togged up?
tara a bit.
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Sadly, I got held up on the way to work today by the aftermath of a motorcyclist who terminated himself trying to overtake a bus.
It seems the bus was in the normal lane rather than the bus lane for some reason and the motorcyclist went full tilt into a pedestrian island adorned with railings and traffic lights.
Goodness knows how, the island is visible for a couple of hundred yards on a straight road and the skid mark goes dead for the middle of the island!
The only contributing factor I can think of is that the centre of the road never gets swept and you get a build-up of grit and debris in front of the island. Once you are on that you braking and steering ability reduces sharply.
As was mentioned on another thread, if we knew how these things happened perphaps we could avoid some repetitions.
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the motorcyclist went full tilt into a pedestrian island adorned with railings and traffic lights. Goodness knows how, the island is visible for a couple of hundred yards on a straight road....
Maybe if he had been on full beam he would have seen it coming!!
Toot toot.
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Some standardisation of car sidelights wouldn't go amiss. The dim-dip type are ideal in conditions where you can see well enough without illuminating things in front, but others can't see you well with your lights off. Most modern sidelights however are utterly useless.
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Which more effectively discourages people from pulling out on you?
As a non-biker, it appears that bikers think that because they have their full beams on that they have right of way.
IMHO the reason that people pull out on bikers so often is that they are the road users who ignore the speed limit the most and disregad the highway code most esp. when coming to over/under taking. (Reminds me of when I was driving in France on a busyish m-way doing about 90mph in a steady stream in the fast lane and a biker overtook me in the 2-3 feet between me and the barrier doing about 140mph. Only just saw him in my rear mirrors and only saw him for a few seconds once he had passed)
Perhaps if bikers slowed down a bit then everyone would see them in plenty of time and they would not need to have full beams on.
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IMHO the reason that people pull out on bikers so often is that they are the road users who ignore the speed limit the most and disregad the highway code most esp. when coming to over/under taking. (Reminds me of when I was driving in France on a busyish m-way doing about 90mph in a steady stream in the fast lane and a biker overtook me in the 2-3 feet between me and the barrier doing about 140mph. Only just saw him in my rear mirrors and only saw him for a few seconds once he had passed) Perhaps if bikers slowed down a bit then everyone would see them in plenty of time and they would not need to have full beams on.
Nice try CM, but:
a) I've been caught once today; b) it's friday afternoon; c) I'm just off to spend the weekend with some good old mates and enjoy top food, vino and chat; d) I'm feeling lucky so I'm almost certain to score.
You'll need *far* better bait than this.
Have a cracking W/E one and all I'm off!
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Parp, Parp!
Note: All Toad posts come with an implied smiley.
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As a driver/rider, I agree with the Toad. Always ride with dipped lights. It may well stand you in good stead with the inevitable 'Sorry mate' scenario
To follow on, some chap at t'pub said that new UK vehicles were being made with compulsory daytime sidelights a la Volvo as a result of an EU diktat. Please tell me it was a wind up...
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Sidelights........what on earth is the point of having them on when you are driving? If visibility is bad enough either in blinding sunlight or in rain and spray to warrant you havinng your lights on then why not click one step further on the light stalk and do the job properly. Sidelights are not going to stop you from the risk of a head-on by some guy approaching you overtaking a lorry in spray conditions because he 'aint gonna see you. Dipped beam at all times as a minimum is the way ahead and its FREE!
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Then we had cars drivers using dipped headlights. Presumably they were trying to tell us that their car had as many safety features as a Volvo.
Local Saab garage near me disconnect the day running lights for most of their customers as most of their customers don't want to be associated with being Volvo drivers!!
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Saabs are just hybrid Vauxhall Vectra's so I expect Saab drivers don't want to be seen.
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I understand at least some insurance claim forms ask about the visibility at the time of the prang, and whether one had lights on. Therefor when it's dull or wet I put my lights on whether it's really needed or not, to have the presumably right answer available if it comes to the worst.
But I leave main beam to bikers; they really need it.
Tomo
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Maybe if the Brit roads had fewer humps, bumps, weird lines all over them, fewer inscrutable signs, less need to look at speedo with one eye and for cameras with the other, drivers might have more resources left for avoiding running into things, bikers included.
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Ive lost count of the number of times at night Ive followed a vehicle or seen someone going the other way or gets in a car and drives off with NO LIGHTS ON!
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Ive lost count of the number of times at night Ive followed a vehicle or seen someone going the other way or gets in a car and drives off with NO LIGHTS ON!
The trouble is that some car manufactuers design the dash lights to come on when you turn the ignition key rather than the lights switch, thus giving the impression to driver that he has his lights on as the dash is lit up. IIRC, Peugeot and Renault being at least a couple of them.
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