Dipped Headlights

[hellywelly4]

It's a very dull murky day. Drizzling rain. Why are there some people out there without their dipped headlights on? Either no lights at all or just driving on sidelights.
I have heard that some people think they save electricity by using their side (parking) lights. This can't be true, can it?
Don't they realise that in conditions like today they can be virtually invisible.

One of my pet hates, sorry.

[Hopkirk]

I hate front fog lights

[chrissa1]

I agree hellywelly. Just sidelights are nearly invisible. I always wonder when there is a line of traffic coming towards you, some with and some without, how much more visible the headlights are compared to just sidelights. Can these dummies not see the difference?

[chrissa1]

What also bugs me is when I am on a country road and you can see lights coming towards you. The oncoming car waits until you can actually see the lights full on before they dip them. They must know they are going to have to dip their lights but wait until the last minute.

[hellywelly4]

So glad it's not just me!

Another thing - no signals at roundabouts. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

[chrissa1]

Or too many.

[milly143]

I saw a lot of this while driving up the M40 on Sunday. It was p*ssing it down and dark with the clouds. The amount of people with no lights on at all was amazing. It really does make a difference to how easy it is to spot them, especially when you're driving at 70mph.

[McMouse]

It's actually an offense to drive in the rain without lights on, though the police rarely enforce it.

[The-HouseHusband]

The simple answer would be to make the use of dipped headlights/daytime running lights a requirement at all times. Unfortunately this would just make the average driver a target for the police while the real criminals remain at large. Plus cameras are not very good at catching people without lights on unless they are speeding!!

[Toureman]

It's a dull day with a bit of drizzling rain, Why are so many people driving with their headlights on when it is broad daylight and you can see the road and other cars for a distance of half a mile away?

It is not a waste of electricity by having your lights on it is a waste of petrol which is used to generate the electricity, but it is so little petrol that is used it is negligible.

[JoolsTwo]

What??? The lights don't use up petrol, they are powered by the battery which is charged by the engine - which if you are moving you have to have running any way. The petrol consumption is not affected by having the lights on or off.

[hellywelly4]

I think Toureman's answer really answers my question.....................................

[ChuckFickens]

"What??? The lights don't use up petrol, they are powered by the battery"

Do you think they are magic lights that get their power from nowhere?

the battery powers the lights, the alternator charges the battery, the engine drives the alternator, the engine uses fuel. The more drain on the battery the more load on the alternator and the more work the engine needs to do to turn it to keep the battery charged.

It's a negligible amount (as toureman said) but having any electrical item on in your car increases fuel consumption, if it didn't we would all run our houses off a car battery for free!

[koiman]

in the Czech Republic its a legal requirement to have dipped headlights on 100% of the time from October through March. Simple law, uncomplicated to enforce. common sense.
We however live in the UK, that says it all.

[stewey]

I've mentioned this on similar previous posts. Since 1990, all cars manufactured or imported into Canada must be equipped with a 'daylight running system'. This means that when the engine is started, and the transmission is shifted into gear, the headlights are automatically turned on. Excellent visability of other cars in all kinds of weather.

[Old_Geezer]

Tends to amaze me how many folk have lights on in broad daylight, makes me wonder at their thought processes, not being able to work out when something is appropriate and when it just looks foolish. How embarrassing. That said maybe they have a car like my present one which has an 'auto' position which loves to turn the lights on early. Have made journeys with it switching on and off again a number of times on route.

[stewey]

OG, I would think that any thing that enhances the visibility of oncomming traffic is 'appropriate'.

[joko]

i can honestly say the last thought in my head when seeing someone with theit lights on in broad daylight is 'what a fool'...it might not be necessary...but who cares if they want them on?

[chrissa1]

Maaaany years ago, we had a new Volvo Estate car that I think was the 1st car in this country to be equipped with "daylights". The number of times other drivers flashed us for quite a while after we bought it was amazing. They were just unheard of in those days.
PS The best thing you could say about a Volvo was, that it had a great lock!!

[bednobs]

cripes ive been driving for ahem years. What's the difference between side lights and dipped headlights? (i only have 2 settings on my lights dial (on a little bit and on) plus full beams)