Bi xenon light settings confusion UK (Right hand traffic)

[Graemer147]

It would seem pretty obvious to me that as we drive on the left in the UK that the headlight settings on my car should be set at Left hand traffic?? However if you put it in left hand traffic and press OK the next time you start the vehicle the maxi dot display shows... Headlights set to drive on the right! Now this confused me so I changed the settings to right hand traffic and the message went off! Obviously the left/right hand traffic must mean oncoming traffic and not which side of the road you drive on. Hope this doesn't sound obvious but certainly confused me so just be careful when setting up the lights!

[TheOctaviator]

I found it a bit confusing as well, but checked I had the correct setting by aiming the headlights at the garage doors while adjusting them. Left/right hand may refer to the side of the car the steering wheel is located (so we are right-hand drive, even though we 'drive' on the  left-hand side of the road).

[blahde2]

Indeed, the most ambiguous set if messages ever. Best rule is as above, point lights at wall/ garage door then select the other setting. If your lights don't move or move up and left, you are in UK standard setting, down and right is European.

An even bigger tell is when in Europe setting and you use the Main beams. Big change in light posn, and when switched off they drop but then slowly make their way back to their original posn on the right.

I've had a few Germans give me a flash after I have switched the high beams off because the lights are still sliding across.

Also, there is no light cornering function when in Euro setting which ****es me off big time as I am forever over here!

[Graemer147]

Haha good to see it'd not just me then bloody skoda confusing things again!

[WesternDuke]

When the salesman was talking me through the features on the car even he got confused!

[kfckfc]

I am not sure if the issue is related to the MY of the vehicle. I set my lights to LH traffic for the correct beam pattern for UK roads; my O3 is a 63 plate.

[Graemer147]

I am not sure if the issue is related to the MY of the vehicle. I set my lights to LH traffic for the correct beam pattern for UK roads; my O3 is a 63 plate.

Mine is a 14 (63) plate vrs and my lights are set to RH traffic this is the correct setting for the UK! If I set it at LH traffic my lights move right which would dazzle other drivers! I would be tempted to check if yours is correct.

[Neily03]

If you set the option that wrong for the UK it should come up with a warning everytime you switch on the ignition

[Graemer147]

If you set the option that wrong for the UK it should come up with a war ning everytime you switch on the ignition

Yes it does if it is set to left hand then it says lights are set to drive on right!

[kfckfc]

Yes it does if it is set to left hand then it says lights are set to drive on right!

Even though I am set to LH traffic I am pretty sure my set-up is OK, I do not get the above warning. The beam pattern is biased towards the LH side, the cornering function is active and I never get flashed by on-coming traffic. Not sure why our cars are set-up differently.

[FluffyEyeball]

Just tried it on mine: Originally set to LH traffic, changed it to RH traffic and the lights moved right and down. Changed back to LH traffic and they moved left and up.

LH must be correct for UK, otherwise it would say LH drive. It's odd that people's settings are different.

[Croat]

No disrespect. But why are you still driving on right side? When the most of world is driving on left.

 

It's like Americans with imperial system instead of more accurate metric system.

[FluffyEyeball]

No disrespect. But why are you still driving on right side? When the most of world is driving on left.

 

It's like Americans with imperial system instead of more accurate metric system.

Who? And I would imagine it's fairly costly and troublesome to change to the other side of the road now that people have being doing it for years and years.

[Croat]

I can't remember right now which one. But one country in Europe was like UK driving on right side. Over night they changed all traffic signs and repainted roads. I only remember country was on main land surrounded by left driving side countries so it was natural to change. It was planned and drivers were buying already left side driving cars. Right side cars eventually got old and replaced by left side driving cars.

Edited 6 November, 2015 by Croat

[Mardu]

I can't remember right now which one. But one country in Europe was like UK driving on right side. Over night they changed all traffic signs and repainted roads. I only remember country was on main land surrounded by left driving side countries so it was natural to change. It was planned and drivers were buying already left side driving cars. Right side cars eventually got old and replaced by left side driving cars.

It was Sweden.

[Croat]

Yes Sweden. If Sweden could do it I don't see why rest of minority countries can't do it over longer period let's say until end of 2020?

 

Just saying would be nice.

Edited 6 November, 2015 by Croat

[SC03OTT]

I think the opportunity to swap sides had come and gone. Traffic lights, road signs, road markings. The cost to change them would be astronomical. Roads are also much busier than when Sweden switched over. It would be absolute chaos for weeks, probably months.

[FluffyEyeball]

I can't remember right now which one. But one country in Europe was like UK driving on right side. Over night they changed all traffic signs and repainted roads. I only remember country was on main land surrounded by left driving side countries so it was natural to change. It was planned and drivers were buying already left side driving cars. Right side cars eventually got old and replaced by left side driving cars.

 

Now I'm confused. Do you mean driving on the left, or sitting in the left hand side of the car?? UK drives on the left of the road.

[Croat]

Sry language barrier. By saying driving on right side I am implying you are sitting on right side while driving the car.

[FluffyEyeball]

Sorry, my bad, we're on the same page now  :p. I agree it would be so much easier if most countries drove on the same side as each other, unfortunately it is neally impossible for it to happen now.

[baxlobs]

Lots of other countries drive on the Left as do we in UK. Japan for a start, and some Commonwealth countries.

[DGW]

I think the opportunity to swap sides had come and gone. Traffic lights, road signs, road markings. The cost to change them would be astronomical. Roads are also much busier than when Sweden switched over. It would be absolute chaos for weeks, probably months.

Pitcairn Island - population 48 - could probably change at minimal cost....

[andyvee]

Its simple, we invented it, like Rugby, Cricket, Football and the English language. The rest of the world should just change to match the UK and life would be so much simpler.

 

It's exactly the same when I go abroad, the locals haven't spent enough time learning English so I have to shout at them really slowly so that they understand.

 

All this European driving on the wrong side of the road and fitting steering wheels to the wrong side is just plain wrong.

 

And don't get me started on the Americans, they can't even spell colour so what do they know.

 

All in jest obviously

[JungleJames]

Yes Sweden. If Sweden could do it I don't see why rest of minority countries can't do it over longer period let's say until end of 2020?

Just saying would be nice.

Nice? Would be boring if every country was exactly the same.

Also, there was benefit to Sweden changing. For the UK there is no benefit. In fact, the opposite. We would be driving on the different side of the road to a country we border. Ie Ireland. The reason Sweden changed is the reason we shouldn't. An awful lot of cost for no benefit

[Daveinuk]

We also have over 370000 cars stolen each year (more per capita than any other western European country), many of the more prestigious models turning up in countrys that drive on the right. Can you imagine how many would be stolen if we converted to LHD, not to mention if we were joined to mainland Europe?