I have noticed over the past few weeks alot of cars driving round with no lights on in dusk and dark conditions.

This came to a worrying point last night, when a LHD LGV nearly caught a dark grey Focus that was in the middle lane with no lights on at 16.45 in heavy rain.

This got me thinking, why are so many cars with no lights on driving around, so i started looking into a few cars from my high driving position in my LGV.

The answer i think is alot of new cars have illuminated dials in the dash, so it looks like your lights are on when they are not, so i think people just forget to turn there lights on because they can see there dials all nice and clearly.

So people just turn your lights on please.

Filtering onto a roundabout yesterday I looked right to give way and could barely see a Ford S Max (coincidently dark grey too, so not exactly the most visible of colours) as he was driving around with just his sidelights on, in darkness at 1700 hrs in the rain. If I feel that the conditions warrant lights being turned on, I turn on all of them (bar fog lights of course, as per highway code!), I just don't get people who think its acceptable to drive with just sidelights on after dark. Needless to say when I gave him a flash in an attempt to point this out to him, he looked at me like I'd just shat on his mother! There is no helping some people.

The answer i think is alot of new cars have illuminated dials in the dash, so it looks like your lights are on when they are not, so i think people just forget to turn there lights on because they can see there dials all nice and clearly.

So people just turn your lights on please.

Interesting theory!

The FL Octavia illuminates the needles but not the dials - always struck me as odd. I wonder if this is why they do it. As soon as the needles seem significantly brighter than the dials I put the lights on...

SWMBO has a theory about daytime running lights - she is convinced that the only reason they are needed is because of the high number of semi-invisible grey cars on the road.

Edited 7 January, 201115 yr by eccleshill

The real reason DRL's are being introduced as compulsory on new cars is due to the laziness of drivers not looking properly before pulling out onto roundabouts or major roads.

I noticed a major difference when I had DRL's active on my 500 & the number of people who didn't cut out on me, compared with my Furby vRS without DRL's ( my Octy has DRL's on. )

The only downside is that these lazy drivers will not actually use their headlights as they will think DRL's are enough. .

During the heavy fog recently down in the SE, I counted 13 cars with no lights on, when I did a 9 mile trip, 1 of these was a white VW transporter doing over well over 70 mph on a dual carrageway. complete madness.

I have noticed over the past few weeks alot of cars driving round with no lights on in dusk and dark conditions.

The answer i think is alot of new cars have illuminated dials in the dash, so it looks like your lights are on when they are not, so i think people just forget to turn there lights on because they can see there dials all nice and clearly.

So people just turn your lights on please.

I had the same thought when I noticed an increase of people driving out from undercover/ground car parks doing just the same.

Nail on head. Watch especially for Mini drivers (often not the best anyway) as they have illuminated dials and it catches people out a lot.

I personally think the adoption of DRLs isn't the right way to go. People seem confused enough with the use of sidelights, dipped, main and foglights, to add yet another layer! Do people understand why they're there and when to use other lighting?

So yes, I think we'll see more inappropriate use of lighting as people think the car will either do it for them or they're just not thinking about what they should be doing.

I work on the basis that if I need my wipers on continuously in rain, I switch to dipped headlights.

Steve

Yep, pretty much agree with everyones comments.

While waiting to collect the boss from the shopping emporium that employs her; it is truly scary how many drivers are departing without lights in the dark !

Sadly, I have now tired of flashing and waving at every single one, and really hope my lack of public spiritedness (is this a word ?) has not resulted in any accidents involving well illuminated vehicles.

As a keen cyclist and former motor-cyclist I always want to be seen, once that is instilled in you ,you put your lights on as soon as it is dull.

Worst new car feature hmm!! PRICE

Not even that new. My dads old Citreon ZX had the dial lights on all the time, and that was a 1994 car. Just seems people now have no idea, I saw an Audi with the LED DLRs driving around with fog lights, DLRs and main beams on.

I give up flashing people, and those with bulbs out too. Personally, mine main beam are on all the time, regardless of conditions.

Not even that new. My dads old Citreon ZX had the dial lights on all the time, and that was a 1994 car. Just seems people now have no idea, I saw an Audi with the LED DLRs driving around with fog lights, DLRs and main beams on.

I give up flashing people, and those with bulbs out too. Personally, mine main beam are on all the time, regardless of conditions.

Maybe not worst but pointless:- the push button start.

electronic handbrake

and those so called premium brand cars that do not come with indicators

I find auto lights a great feature and have mine permenantly enabled.

The lux setting in the Mazda is not perfect as the lights come on in brighter conditions than I would expect - but rather that than numptie with no lights!

I hate electronic handbrakes! Just a new way of dealers making money out of you. It's not as easy as it was to change disks and pads. Hard to do it yourself.

+1 for electric handbrake, I had a Passat while my Octavia was having a new rear end fitted and the electric handbrake was diabolical, I much prefer the manual type, more control in situations such as steep hill starts and the like.

I've seen so many cars on the motorway in pouring ran or fog with no lights on over the past week or so.

Speedos and rev counters tend to be very recessed these days so constantly illuminated dials are a necessity. Toyota drivers started the trend of driving with no lights on.

Worst on my car is the flat tyre indicator. It's never accurate, always saying there is one, so I pull over and check, and it's fine. Grrr...

Worst feature on my last car - BMW 1 series - Rear Wheel Drive in the winter

Best feature - Rear wheel drive in the summer!

Unfortunatly while I can live with FWD in the summer I could no longer live with RWD in the winter :S

Worst feature on my last car - BMW 1 series - Rear Wheel Drive in the winter

Best feature - Rear wheel drive in the summer!

+1

Although I am thinking of prehaps going back to BMW one day, just with either a 4x4, or winter tyres on a nice RWD

Worst feature is automatic wipers. They never go when you want them too, so you end up doing a manual wipe, then a few minutes later they wont stop. The adjuster seems to make no difference in usability.

I would much prefer an adjustable timed wipe delay like we used to get.

+1 for electric handbrake

I really like my electronic handbrake. Flip it on as you stop and just pull away when the lights change with no faffing about with the lever.

Having an auto you can leave it in gear at the same time so it's so much easier in start-stop traffic.

the electronic handbrake is a pain from a recovery point of view. i've had a few bmw's that have lost all power inc electric's. which then means i have to use its manual handbrake release, which then means an extra bill for the bmw owner!

the manual handbrake is a much better idea

not meaning to be rude but regardless of if the dash lights are on with or without you turning your lights on, the rather clever people who design the cars also have a light symbol so you know your lights are on........no symbol means no lights and maybe you should turn them on. However no matter how "clever" they make cars you still have the idiot that controls them!

My neck of the woods its either no lights, side lights, side lights and fog lights, fullbeam and foglights or just fullbeam.

Personally if you are so stupid you cannot work out how to switch the lights on correctly you should not be driving.

I would not like an electric handbrake sure its more hassle than its worth.

Anyway rant and grumpy mode over for now

How about the pillock behind the wheel?

The whole rader guide cruise and lane avoidance thing is a pointless feature; whatever happened to concentrating?

not meaning to be rude but regardless of if the dash lights are on with or without you turning your lights on, the rather clever people who design the cars also have a light symbol so you know your lights are on........no symbol means no lights and maybe you should turn them on. However no matter how "clever" they make cars you still have the idiot that controls them!

My neck of the woods its either no lights, side lights, side lights and fog lights, fullbeam and foglights or just fullbeam.

Personally if you are so stupid you cannot work out how to switch the lights on correctly you should not be driving.

I would not like an electric handbrake sure its more hassle than its worth.

Anyway rant and grumpy mode over for now

In all fairness - my Polo doesn't have a light except full beam. But otherwise I agree with everything else you said there.

We test drove a Passat with the E.Handbrake, it jammed on on the VW dealers forecourt, blocking several other cars in. We left it oddly!

+1

Although I am thinking of prehaps going back to BMW one day, just with either a 4x4, or winter tyres on a nice RWD

If you'd been braver, you could have done the latter this time round

not meaning to be rude but regardless of if the dash lights are on with or without you turning your lights on, the rather clever people who design the cars also have a light symbol so you know your lights are on........no symbol means no lights and maybe you should turn them on. However no matter how "clever" they make cars you still have the idiot that controls them!

Alternatively, people could just look out of the windscreen and think about what they see. If they can't see where they're going properly, then they should know what to do :yes: