Lights on whilst driving.

[Ruan]

Going on from the whole thing about taking old people off the roads...

When is this going to be made the law? There is absolutely NO reason for it NOT to be the law, it doesn't cause any issues... It should be the law to have your normal dipped beam on 24/7... Just like it is in a LOT of EU countries and Scandinavia...

I can think of quite a few times where I've been saved by thankfully seeing someones lights reflecting off something in the road.... Especially in bright sunlight from behind on the motorway, the headlights might be the only thing oyu can see...

Since I passed it's simply habit, get in the car, seatbelt on, start engine, lights on - simples... No reason this shouldn't be the law.

[Ricky]

I always have my lights on. Audi DRL's are annoying but normal dipped beam really helps imo.

[samass]

I always drive with dipped beams on too, force of habit, partially to be seen, partially to see the dials clearer. Good idea imo

[Curt]

I drive with my lights on a lot too, as you say, there's nothing bad about more visibility to others...

Also hate people that use sidelights when it's getting dark, which are like candles. Just go one more and put your lights on! It's pointless.

[samass]

^^ yes! I hate people only driving on sidelights, might as well not bother!

[Connor]

My sidelights look cool though...

[306Dan]

Bikers have been doing it for years and if you talk to any of them at a bike meet about cars having day time running lights it's a bad idea, as you only really notice a bike due to its headlight.
So my point is if everyone started running with day time lights bikes would become essentially invisible again until its way too late, and I've had quite a few close calls on my bike due to people not paying attention.

[cwspellowe]

How would they become invisible though? You can see a bike in broad daylight if you actually look properly, the problem there is people who don't look, not the cars having drl's

[306Dan]

That's the problem people don't look instead only tend to notice the headlight, I can't remember which magazine it was in but there was a argument about car drivers not looking properly.
When I get back on Monday ill have a look for it and post it

[306carter]

Always have the side lights on in the summer. Dipped beam in winter. More visibility plus it makes the dash look pretty! Ha

[4WayDiablo]

I don't usually have my lights on during the day but can see why you maybe should and I wouldn't mind having g then on

[cwspellowe]

Ruan has got a point though, especially with the low winter sun coinciding with rush hour times, glare/direct sunlight is a bitch to drive in. Feel sorry for the poor bastards that commute from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Face full of sun all the way to work, face full of sun all the way home.

[WiNgNuTz]

I usually have my sidelights on during the day and as the light starts to fade, then ill put my dips on, but as 4play says, i wouldnt mind having to have dips on all the time.

[Matt]

I always drive with my hids on, makes me feel awesome

[wil_Dtub]

Here is my problem with it..makes your brake lights less likely to notice.. I like 'driving lights' or 'running lights' that are being fitted to new cars as most the time they are front only.. Not all 306's have a third brake light and if you already have a red light right next to your brake light it may not catch the attention of the driver behind you of they arnt paying full attention..

And also flashing to someone.. Did the car go over a bump or did they flash lights? In the pug I flash people out with my fogs and in the truck with my roof lights but I hate other cars when I can't tell if they did flash or just go over a bump in the road..

I put my lights on soon as it starts to get even a little dark, but not during the day

[parrotveasey81]

How would they become invisible though? You can see a bike in broad daylight if you actually look properly, the problem there is people who don't look, not the cars having drl's

well if you can see a small bike without lights on then there is NO need for cars to have them on

[burnmw]

Bikers have been doing it for years and if you talk to any of them at a bike meet about cars having day time running lights it's a bad idea, as you only really notice a bike due to its headlight.
So my point is if everyone started running with day time lights bikes would become essentially invisible again until its way too late, and I've had quite a few close calls on my bike due to people not paying attention.

As a biker I also ride with my dipped beam on permanently, would never ride without them for my own sake. However what you're saying about them becoming invisible if cars drove with their lights on too is rubbish. The point of riding/driving with lights on is that the movement of the light catches your eye and draws your attention, therefore it makes no difference if just bikers or all vehicles had to use dipped beams.

Ruan has got a point though, especially with the low winter sun coinciding with rush hour times, glare/direct sunlight is a bitch to drive in. Feel sorry for the poor bastards that commute from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Face full of sun all the way to work, face full of sun all the way home.

I also suffer with this, driving to work I'm always driving in to the sun, driving home I'm always driving in to the sun Not a very nice time of year!

Here is my problem with it..makes your brake lights less likely to notice.. I like 'driving lights' or 'running lights' that are being fitted to new cars as most the time they are front only.. Not all 306's have a third brake light and if you already have a red light right next to your brake light it may not catch the attention of the driver behind you of they arnt paying full attention..

And also flashing to someone.. Did the car go over a bump or did they flash lights? In the pug I flash people out with my fogs and in the truck with my roof lights but I hate other cars when I can't tell if they did flash or just go over a bump in the road..

I put my lights on soon as it starts to get even a little dark, but not during the day

To be honest, if they aren't paying full attention they aren't going to see your brake lights with or without driving lights on, so perhaps they shouldn't be on the road!

I agree with the flashing thing, although you can usually tell by the drivers actions (I.E. if they slow down and flash etc) whether it was a meaningful flash or just a bump in the road, and at the end of the day if you're in doubt don't pull out!

I do seem to be driving with my lights on most of the time these days but that's because I leave for work in the dark (and even though it gets lighter I don't bother switching them off until I reach the office), and when I leave it's getting dark so I put them on anyway. Oh, and even in the summer if I drive on the motorway I always have my lights on, not so much if I'm just in town or local roads.

[cwspellowe]

How would they become invisible though? You can see a bike in broad daylight if you actually look properly, the problem there is people who don't look, not the cars having drl's

well if you can see a small bike without lights on then there is NO need for cars to have them on

True, but my point being that drivers' awareness is the problem, not lights. For someone not to see a moving object, be it a car, truck or bike, in broad daylight, they probably shouldn't be driving.

How people get into cars and don't take road awareness seriously I do not know. I see people every day be all "lah dee dah" in a car, completely unaware of the 1.5T battering ram they're in control of.

Maybe everyone should spend a day working under a motor and carrying parts to see just how heavy these things are, and why they should be a little more careful. A young female driver (as an example only) in a bright pink fiat 500 looks at it as a pretty, cute, wonderful thing, not as a tonne of brute stopping power for poor Mr Teutul on his bike.

Bad example. Paul Teutul on a chopper would destroy a Fiat 500, she'd be worse off! But you get the point.

[parrotveasey81]

How would they become invisible though? You can see a bike in broad daylight if you actually look properly, the problem there is people who don't look, not the cars having drl's

well if you can see a small bike without lights on then there is NO need for cars to have them on

True, but my point being that drivers' awareness is the problem, not lights. For someone not to see a moving object, be it a car, truck or bike, in broad daylight, they probably shouldn't be driving.

How people get into cars and don't take road awareness seriously I do not know. I see people every day be all "lah dee dah" in a car, completely unaware of the 1.5T battering ram they're in control of.

Maybe everyone should spend a day working under a motor and carrying parts to see just how heavy these things are, and why they should be a little more careful. A young female driver (as an example only) in a bright pink fiat 500 looks at it as a pretty, cute, wonderful thing, not as a tonne of brute stopping power for poor Mr Teutul on his bike.

Bad example. Paul Teutul on a chopper would destroy a Fiat 500, she'd be worse off! But you get the point.

Agreed
But as a x biker aswell i think you should also need to do a cbt on a bike as part of your car test so that you know what its like to be on a bike and where and why they ride on the road the way they do

The only thing i have against drl's is some of the newer cars the lights are too bright,there is just no need for them to be that bright
Yea its great for the driver of said car but not for the oncoming traffic that gets blinded by them

[Dum-Dum]

I almost always drive with mine on too

[MrsMidnight]

Here is my problem with it..makes your brake lights less likely to notice.. I like 'driving lights' or 'running lights' that are being fitted to new cars as most the time they are front only.. Not all 306's have a third brake light and if you already have a red light right next to your brake light it may not catch the attention of the driver behind you of they arnt paying full attention..

And also flashing to someone.. Did the car go over a bump or did they flash lights? In the pug I flash people out with my fogs and in the truck with my roof lights but I hate other cars when I can't tell if they did flash or just go over a bump in the road..

I put my lights on soon as it starts to get even a little dark, but not during the day

To be honest, if they aren't paying full attention they aren't going to see your brake lights with or without driving lights on, so perhaps they shouldn't be on the road!

I agree with the flashing thing, although you can usually tell by the drivers actions (I.E. if they slow down and flash etc) whether it was a meaningful flash or just a bump in the road, and at the end of the day if you're in doubt don't pull out!

I do seem to be driving with my lights on most of the time these days but that's because I leave for work in the dark (and even though it gets lighter I don't bother switching them off until I reach the office), and when I leave it's getting dark so I put them on anyway. Oh, and even in the summer if I drive on the motorway I always have my lights on, not so much if I'm just in town or local roads.
[/quote]



I agree if people aren't paying full attention they wont notice anyway but for me, the main part of noticing rear lights is when the 3rd one comes on. The amount of times I've been behind a car with no third light and they have their side lights on, I've not noticed as quickly as I would with someone with a third light, soo this makes me think that if it's daylight, you have your lights on and the sun is reflecting on the back of the car braking then you're even less likely to see them braking surely?
I agree front lights in the day make you more noticeable in some ways but not always others...bit of a funny one, like the new cars who's fog lights come on when turning...

[stevieg]

When riding my bike i always keep the lights on, it makes me more visible

[Tom]

When riding my bike i always keep the lights on, it makes me more visible

Most of the newer bikes you cant switch off dip beam anyway comes on with ignition.

[Ruan]

So basically, it should be the law.

Glad it's agreed.

[Kimmie]

I always drive with mine on. The two that really piss me off are:

People driving with their side lights on, plus their fog lights. HOW does that make more sense that using your headlights.
When it's hammering with rain or foggy, and people don't use their lights at all. Even if it is daylight out, the weather will still make it harder to see you!

[Matty]

I'll be honest.

I don't use my dipped beam during the day. Not sure why, just never have..

[Toms306]

I don't use lights during the day unless theres bad visibility from rain or something. Think of all the mpg you're using to run lights! I also wont use the rear window demister or air con as they use fuel.

During the day the lights aren't for your own benefit anyway, I've never found fogs to be any good during the day anyway...white light into white fog doesn't do much lol. BUT its so much easier to see oncoming cars when they have thier lights on.

As for using fogs....I've started using mine now at night to light up the sides of the road/verges as I forgot how poor 306 lights were!

[Niall]

i hate people like you tom. why drive with your fogs on when it dazzles other drivers? And are you actually serious about that mpg comment? Please say no!

[Just Sean]

I thought it was eu legislation that all new cars had to have DRL, so thats that problem fixed.

In jordan, they all drive round with sidelights and fogs. and undercar leds, or leds flashing different colours under their number plate! and the lorries are lit up like xmas trees!

Theyre mad f*ckers over here!!

[Niall]

I thought it was eu legislation that all new cars had to have DRL, so thats that problem fixed.

yeah although seems silly you can turn them off. if they are a legal requirement, why not make them permanently on?