Hello All,

I was pondering last night why cars have side lights. I never use mine - if it is dark enough for side lights, it is dark enough for dipped beam in my opinion.

I ride a motorcycle in and out of London every day, and the number of cars you see when it is totally dark that think side lights are appropriate is amazing. You know the sort of thing, beat up old Nissan Primera cruising along with one side light working, the other off etc etc. If cars were changed so that the only option you had was dipped or full beam, this problem would go away. It might also get rid of the other one - people driving around on side-lights, but with fog lights on...

So.. what are side lights for and when should they be used?

Cheers,

Stu

The Highway Code allows them to be used in areas where there is street lighting (I think there may be time limits too, but I'm not sure). I never use them either, and certainly wouldn't want to! They have their place when stationary, but that's it IMHO...

I usually drive with my sidelights on all the time. Some roads can get quite dark even during the days thanks to trees and the like and they make you that little bit more visible, especially in my black car,

I also like the dash to be illuminated as it can be too dark to see properly under certain conditions but not dark enough to warrant headlights.

my pet hate or another one of them is people who use sidelights and fog lights together

I usually drive with my sidelights on all the time. Some roads can get quite dark even during the days thanks to trees and the like and they make you that little bit more visible, especially in my black car,

I also like the dash to be illuminated as it can be too dark to see properly under certain conditions but not dark enough to warrant headlights.

My thoughts exactly expect I tend to drive with my dipped beam on all the time. Not sure why I just think it helps people to see me better plus it seems that people get out of the way easier on motorways if you have lights on presumable because your lights catch their eye in the rear view mirror.

The Highway Code allows them to be used in areas where there is street lighting...

If this ever happens, the time restriction will become crucial - and the whole thing gets horribly complicated..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/11/ealights111.xml

I also like the dash to be illuminated as it can be too dark to see properly under certain conditions but not dark enough to warrant headlights. ..

This is an interesting one - my parents have a Honda Jazz and the dashboard lights on that are on all the time. Whilst this seems at first to be a good idea as it solves the problem above... it introduces a new problem...

When people leave places like petrol stations at night, they often forget to put lights on as they've been in luminous faux-daylight for ten minutes. Of course, not being able to see you dash is the first clue normally that you need to put your lights on.. not in a Jazz though...

Good for when the weather conditions are a bit poor, especially the rear lights.

The only time I've used my sidelights is when it's been foggy and I've wanted the front fog lights on but without dipped beam (which was reflecting in the fog). Don't think I'd miss them if they weren't there, tbh.

One thing I do find annoying is cars which don't have a lights-on symbol on the instrument cluster (Mk V Golf is a recent example I encountered) so you have no idea whether the auto lights are on or not.

Chris

Since permanent dipped beam is compulsory in Sweden and all cars have automatic headlights I tend to forget about my side lights till car fails MOT

In Sweden we call them "parking lights" and I think that's their proper use, e.g. when parking on a dark road (road shoulder, bus stop or wherever).

On well lit city streets on a rainy night (when dipped beam reflection from wet asphalt can be slightly annoying) side lights are OK too IMHO (although not allowed here).

Ah, yes: if you have foglights on your car and for some reason must use them they should be used together with sidelights only. People using both dipped and foglights are just...

In Sweden we call them "parking lights" and I think that's their proper use, e.g. when parking on a dark road (road shoulder, bus stop or wherever).

It's the same here, my 5W lights are described as parking lights not sidelights. IIRC the 'sidelight' went out of fashion when headlight level adjustment became a requirement.

If I want to be seen, I run my headlights but turn the adjustment to the lowest level.

I use mine as parking lights on a main road and when fog lights are needed - if you put fog lights on with your dipped beam and can see OK, then you don't need your fog lights on!!

I cover high miles (100k PA), but have only ever NEEDED to use my front fog lights about 20 times in the 22 years Ive been driving, the rest of the time, although it can be foggy its not bad enough to NEED front fog lights.

I hear what you say about side lights in London, it does seem to be particularly bad there (much worse than any other city IMO)

I cover high miles (100k PA), but have only ever NEEDED to use my front fog lights about 20 times in the 22 years Ive been driving, the rest of the time, although it can be foggy its not bad enough to NEED front fog lights.

Although some vehicle manufacturers prevent you from having front and rear fog lights on independently which means if you want to increase your chances of being seen in fog by using the rear fog light, you have to run with your front ones on too :(

Chris

Good stuff all, thanks.

Yes, agree re: foglights. Of course the whole fog lights on when not needed is another thread altogether.

Re: parking lights - is this not the lights that are turned on by leaving indicator on and turning off the ignition.. I think they are one sided.

Stu

Re: parking lights - is this not the lights that are turned on by leaving indicator on and turning off the ignition.. I think they are one sided.

They can either be both sides or one sided (depending on the car) and use the side light bulbs....

Chris

Very rarely use my sidelights too tbh... as when it drops darker my dipped beam comes on automatically... so if warrants sidelights... it usually means my main lights are on anyway.

Re: parking lights - is this not the lights that are turned on by leaving indicator on and turning off the ignition.. I think they are one sided.

I've always thought that this is a peculiar German variety and no doubt a consequence of their traffic regulations or traditions? Had it on all VAG cars in the family but not on Swedish (Volvo, Saab), French (Citroën), Japanese (Mazda, Nissan) or US (Studebaker).

I think the dim-dip system they had over here a few years ago was an excellent idea. You put your sidelights on as parking lights and when you start the engine, the dipped headlights come on at 50% intensity. It made cars a lot easier to see at night even if the driver had forgotten to put their dipped headlights on. I'm not sure why they canned the idea though.

I have my side lights on all the time unless it's a really sunny day. I figure it makes people less likely to crash into my car. Can't understand why everyone doesn't do it.

my pet hate or another one of them is people who use sidelights and fog lights together

Nothing wrong with this IMHO when it is fogy.

In some cars the headlight level and design means that the light beam bounces back from the fog, thus dazzling the driver. As fog lights are lower, the light doesnt get reflected back to your eye level. I will sometimes drive in fog like this as you can get better visibility without headlights on.

Same goes in heavy snowfall.

Steve

I have my side lights on all the time unless it's a really sunny day. I figure it makes people less likely to crash into my car. Can't understand why everyone doesn't do it.

If they cant see a tonne and a half car then 2x 5w bulbs ain't going to help them either.

should have full dipped beam + fogs when it's foggy.

I am always of the opinion that if I feel lights are needed (more often to BE seen of course) then I go straight to dipped beam. I don't see the point in sidelights only as it barely makes a car more visable to others in comparison to a good old 55w bulb.

The whole idea of front fogs is to reduce the glare you get off the fog from your lights, fog lights have a much shorter beam so you don't get as much glare.

So if you are not getting the glare off the dip beam, why put front fogs on in the first place?

IMO most people are too quick to turn fog lights on (& too slow to turn them off again), all this manages to do is to dazzle any oncoming traffic.

So if you are not getting the glare off the dip beam, why put front fogs on in the first place?

That's why I've never used mine. Never been in the kind of fog that really warrants them.

back to the OP... sidelights, should be used for parking on a road at night...

i.e. its illegal to park on the road at night without lights, unless its a streetlight 30mph zone....... your sidelights should be able to run all night without killing your battery, especially the VAG systems that leave a side/tail light on, if you leave the indicator stlk in the direction you require and switch off the ignition.... (only two weak bulbs)

my old lancia, you couldn't put the sides on while driving, you had to turn off the ignition, hold a button, and turn the key to "park" then remove the key... the sides would then come on...

its getting a bit confusing now though, because some manufacturers (ford for example) are making "dim/dip" lights.... that are bright sidelights... like the saab running lights..... these work well to make the car seen when you don't need headlights to see..... (unlike normal sidelights that are too dim for this.....)

I tend to use them at twilight when I want the rear lights on to be seen a bit better, but it's not dark enough to warrant headlamps yet. Ditto driving into the setting sun (a common problem coming home along the M4 for me) again not requiring headlamps because rearward visibility is perfect. Driving into dazzling fog is another example - sidelights + foglights.