Can anyone explain to me why, when it starts to get dark, people switch on sidelights ONLY?

For all the good they do in terms of showing your car up to other road users, surely headlights should be the minimum requirement when moving?

Because they had them on ages ago and have not got round to switching to headlights .........Maybe !!

My dad used to do this - said headlights were wasting energy!!!!

What about Fog Lights, Since the introduction of Day Running Lights Uneducated Motorists are now driving around with fogs on thinking there DRL's

To$$ers.........................................really gets my Goat

Highway code states this

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070302

Because they're idiots, IMO. As posted above, where there are streetlights it's legal to use sidelights alone, but it's bloody stupid. The number of silver cars I see in fog with sidelights, practically invisible....

Sidelights are for when you're parked up on the side of the road (also useful for when a bulb had popped so that people can see you're a car not a bike).

It used to be UK regs that turning on sidelights had to turn on the sidelight bulbs and the dipped beam at a reduced power (Dim-Dip)

As above, because people are morons.

Regarding the" wasting energy" remark.

The average headlight is 55w (dipped), so 110w total.

The average family sized car is about 100-110KW (~140bhp)

That means headlights use ~1% of the engine power; I leave you to work out the extra fuel burden this causes.:wonder:

Edited 27 October, 201015 yr by GentleGiant

Highway code is for learner drivers just breaking into driving, and with some years experience, to build onto.

The more experienced driver of a few years knows its safety first, then tons of anticipation of other road users.

It's the ones who just fail to either warn others of their presence, by not using the correct lights according to weather and road conditions, that make them dangerous.

Can anyone explain to me why, when it starts to get dark, people switch on sidelights ONLY?

Depending on the design of the car, there may be a point between not needing any lights at all and needing dipped beam where it's hard to see the instruments. Turning on sidelights normally also turns on the instrument lights.

There's value to not turning on headlights unless they are necessary as they tend to make identifying motorbikes and bicycles much more difficult, sometimes hiding them to the point of invisibility.

Well at least they are using their lights - the number of people I have seen around my way driving at night in dark coloured cars without any lights on at all is, frankly, terrifying!

Ignorance :S

Its all about time and place.

If i've got sidelights on, then its more to put my rear lights on, than my fronts. For instance heavy spray on the motorway.

If i've got sidelights on, then its more to put my rear lights on, than my fronts. For instance heavy spray on the motorway.

So that's OK as long as you don't overtake anything - heavy spray will make it impossible for drivers of slower vehicles see you, meaning they may pull out into you thinking the lane is clear.

So that's OK as long as you don't overtake anything - heavy spray will make it impossible for drivers of slower vehicles see you, meaning they may pull out into you thinking the lane is clear.

If i only have sidelights on, then i can see them well enough to take evasive action (followed by shouting abuse).

If i only have sidelights on, then i can see them well enough to take evasive action (followed by shouting abuse).

Why should you feel you have the right to shout abuse if the other driver could not see you because you were foolish enough to drive in conditions when your car couldn't be seen by other drivers, without your lights on.

They will probably be cursing you because you came out of nowhere.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you can be seen by other drivers.

The only way to do that is to use dipped beams as a minimum when your car is moving and visibility is poor or the light is failing, anything else is just plain stupid.

I use my sidelights alot.

If there is enough daylight to see ahead, why put full headlights on? If headlights don't make any difference for you seeing ahead, putting them on will only dazzle oncoming traffic. Dim-dip was a great idea, I still don't understand why it was banned.

Also, why do people put headlights on when the sun is still shining, are they trying to out-dazzle the Sun!

Edited 27 October, 201015 yr by Jim H

Highway code states this

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070302

In the old highway code (when I leaned to drive) was:

You Must

Use sidelights between sunset and sunrise.

Use Headlights at night (between half an hour after sunset and Half an hour before sunrise) on roads without street-lighting and on roads where the street lights are more than 185 metres apart (600ft) apart or not lit.

It also states

You Should

Use dipped headlights at night in built up arias unless the road is well lit.

Cut down Glare. If your vehicle has Dim-dip, use it instead of dipped headlights in dull daytime weather and at night in built up areas with good street lighting.

As above, because people are morons.

Regarding the" wasting energy" remark.

The average headlight is 55w (dipped), so 110w total.

The average family sized car is about 100-110KW (~140bhp)

That means headlights use ~1% of the engine power; I leave you to work out the extra fuel burden this causes.:wonder:

Yeah I fully understand that but try telling that to a thrawn, crabbit 80 year old!!!!

I use my sidelights alot.

If there is enough daylight to see ahead, why put full headlights on? If headlights don't make any difference for you seeing ahead, putting them on will only dazzle oncoming traffic. Dim-dip was a great idea, I still don't understand why it was banned.

If its that light you aint gonna cause ant dazzle

Also, why do people put headlights on when the sun is still shining, are they trying to out-dazzle the Sun!

The Auto lights feature on many cars can catch you out. In my BMW the setting was about right (in my perception), SWIMBO's Mergane doesn't come on soon enough and my Mazda seems to come on when its still very bright.

Dim-dip was a great idea, I still don't understand why it was banned.

Dim-dip was a safety thing to prevent the sidelights only brigade and IIRC it was never banned, it's just that EU type approval means that cars without it can still be sold and used in the UK (just like HID lighting gets in that way)

As above, because people are morons.

Regarding the" wasting energy" remark.

The average headlight is 55w (dipped), so 110w total.

The average family sized car is about 100-110KW (~140bhp)

That means headlights use ~1% of the engine power; I leave you to work out the extra fuel burden this causes.:wonder:

You've over estimated by a factor of 1000, it's more like 0.001%. With todays intelligent charging systems, whereby the alternator is engaged during deceleration the effect on fuel consumption will be a lot less.

My old car runs the dim dip system, so would I be correct in thinking that as the power to the headlamps is reduced by heat dissipating resistors, there is no difference in power consumption between dim dip and normal dip?

Side lights are best used in fog :S

On a personal note, I use my side lights to light up the front of the garage at night.

You've over estimated by a factor of 1000, it's more like 0.001%. With todays intelligent charging systems, whereby the alternator is engaged during deceleration the effect on fuel consumption will be a lot less.

My old car runs the dim dip system, so would I be correct in thinking that as the power to the headlamps is reduced by heat dissipating resistors, there is no difference in power consumption between dim dip and normal dip?

My bad, I knew it was 0.001%, why I wrote 1% is beyond me (where is the "embarrassed" icon when you need one??).

I remember calculating that I would have to drive perfectly fuel efficiently for over 500,000 miles to save 1 gallon of fuel if only using side lights; can someone point me at a car with enough capacity to drive 500,00 on one fill, and a road (preferable circular and flat), with no traffic to attain this perfect fuel efficiency??

@SnailUK, I hate to post personal attacks ,but you are a moron.

It is smug a-holes like you that cause 1/2 the accidents on the UK's roads.

Well at least they are using their lights - the number of people I have seen around my way driving at night in dark coloured cars without any lights on at all is, frankly, terrifying!

I went to Cairo recently and about 50% of all vehicles don't have ANY lights on at night. Apparently this is 'out of courtesy' to other drivers whom they don't wish to dazzle!