In the highway code it says use headlights at night except for on roads with street lighting. :confused:
At night am I supposed to not have my lights on at all on roads with street lighting?
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03-05-09 09:15Section 113, second bullet says:
# use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
Couldn't find anything to contradict this. -
03-05-09 12:25Do you guys use your normal headlights when driving down roads with street lighting or are they dipped or what? -
03-05-09 12:54ross pk, your not one of these idiots that's driving around using sidelights only are you, i would expect the police to pull you over, suspecting you of drink driving, :eek:
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03-05-09 13:31Why doesn't someone just tell me what lights I'm supposed to use instead of just ridiculing me?
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03-05-09 14:04The usual advice is to use dipped headlamps for night driving regardless of street lighting conditions.
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03-05-09 16:11
I agree with this advice. Additionally, I switch on my dipped headlights immediately the light begins to fade, and earlier if the road is darkened due to being tree-lined, or similar. I also use dipped headlights, even in the daytime, in poor weather conditions. There is no substitute for ensuring that you are seen. For example, our local bus company has instructed its drivers to use dipped headlights at all times, including daytime. And a double-decker bus is a lot more obvious than a car. -
03-05-09 16:18
Actually, it is perfectly legal to drive in a built up area with street lighting using just your side and tail lamps!
Admittedly, I always use dipped beam headlamps when it starts to get dark and also in bad weather conditions during hours of daylight (like Snowball does and also as instructed in the highway code).
As for the Original Poster.
If this isn't a 'wind up' then the answer is you must use a minimum of side and tail lamps at night in built up area's but, I would strongly advise dipped beam headlamps. -
03-05-09 19:47My last car, a Renault Grand Scenic, had lights that came on automatically when it got darker. The only time I really liked that idea was when entering a multi storey car park or a tunnel.
It also had those wipers that were controlled by the amount of water that landed on a set part of the windscreen?
All a bit OTT for me, as I think I could have handled those situations myself;)
Cheers, Smudger. -
04-05-09 09:31Smudger, you probably have a similar frame of mind to myself; preferring to drive the vehicle yourself rather than become some form of robotic extension to the car.
When purchasing my new car, the salesman started to push all the usual extra gizmos; self-parking, automatic headlights and wipers, climatic control, etc.
I pointed out that the basic model had all the safety features that related to driving safety, and that I had come to buy a motorcar, not a status symbol.
He did blink when I indicated that he would be better off by concentrating on the best deal he could offer to pursuade me not to go to another franchise.
Regards, Snowball. -
04-05-09 10:01
In my opinion, Anyone who can't park a car, Determine when they need to turn on their lights or wipers etc. Should be questioning if they should actually be driving at all and takes us back to my other thread about removing the 'dead wood' from our roads.
The only thing you listed that I would have is climate control because it is for driver and passenger comfort. -
04-05-09 12:00
Fully agreed!
Regarding the original post, I would agree with everyone else: keep your normal headlights (dipped in other words) on at all times at night! I can't believe the Highway Code says you can get away with only using sidelights!! -
04-05-09 12:07
Our daughter and her husband both have climatic control in their cars. Frankly, I do not find this any more efficient than the semi-automatic aircon that I have in my car.
Personally, I think it is a bit naive to believe that it is possible to create different climatic conditions for individual seats in the confines of a car.
Our daughter's car is an upmarket same model as my own car, and the only advantage I have noticed is that it has heated front seats. As it has leather seats, this is probably more noticeable than it would be in my own car, which has cloth upholstery. -
04-05-09 14:55Could someone tell me how to get the dipped headlights on? I have a Focus but in the manual it doesn't give any instructions on how to get the dipped headlights on.
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Guestwagolynn04-05-09 15:01
Look in manual where it says switching on lights; the headlights may come on at main beam position, if so use LH stalk to go to dipped. -
04-05-09 15:21
Thanks.
I had actually read that part in the manual, but I assumed it was main beam, and I was wondering why it didn't say anything about how to 'dip' them.
I then realised when I noticed the stalk that that had headlight symbols on it too, and when experimenting with it, I realised that you use that for main beam and if you just turn the dial without using the stalk it put the headlights on low beam/dipped.
Would've been nice if the manual just explained that turning the dial puts the headlights on low beam/dipped, instead of just saying it puts the headlights on. -
GuestHometune04-05-09 16:54
The front and rear sidelights in law are known as 'obligatory lamps'. This is to differentiate them from headlamps and of course, the law states that there are separate penalties for each lamp. That is why in an MoT test, the sidelights must work even though almost everyone now drives with headlamps (55 watts) making the front sidelamps (6 watts) redundant.
This all goes back to former times and it is possible to drive a car on the road without headlamps fitted (there are conditions though) but never without sidelamps.
Think its time this archaic law was repealed then we wouldn't have the confusion from the OP and make everyone drive on dipped headlights when it gets dark, irrespective of street lighting and 30mph limits. :cool: -
04-05-09 17:08
Yes, Of course but, If I'd used the term 'obligatory lighting' I'm pretty sure the OP would have been completely clueless to what I was getting at.
The front sidelamps do still have a purpose, They enable people on unlit roads to determine the difference between a car with a blown headlamp bulb and a motorcycle.
Alot of cars were fitted with "dimmed dip" units from the factory which uses the headlamp bulb at a reduced power when the light switch is at the first position and the engine is running (I know Hometune will already know this ;)) -
GuestHometune04-05-09 17:14Yes and a recent safety feature on BMWs switches on the front indicator permanently when a sidelight blows.
Drivers thought the indicators had stopped flashing and did not realise this was a safety feature. -
07-05-09 17:08I'll usually switch sidelights on when it turns to dusk or early dawn and dipped when it gets darker.
Although sometimes i'll leave my lights on in the day...as it looks blazin'!! :D -
07-05-09 18:48When I was working in Russia and Turkey I noticed they all had a habit of driving with lights at all:eek:
I would be driving along the desert road at dusk, back from the site, and would see a blurred shape, then just about 2 seconds before the hit you head on, they would switch on their lights at full beam then swerve to avoid a head on collision!
They always drive in the centre of the road as well, which makes things interesting ;)
I was never sure if it was a vehicle or a camel, and you don't want to hit a camel out there, its a bigger offence than hitting a vehicle head on:eek:
Its the same with their wiper blades, they only use the one, and take it off if its not raining, and put inside the car:rolleyes:
Cheers, Smudger.
