›

Stealth Drivers

sionisaissionisais Shipmate
in Hell
Mrs Sioni is the household driver and she is pretty good. She’s not a dithery driver, I’d say she’s assertive but far from aggressive.
There’s just one thing that gets her goat on the road, and that is drivers who do not use their lights. This evening, a dingy overcast, light rain but there were still cars with no lights on. None, not even side lights. Worse still, they were all black, grey or silver, the very colours that are hardest to see against wet tarmac in half-light. And my wife has decent, legal, eyesight (she’s diabetic and has annual checks).
What is it with these people? Are they saving energy?

Comments

  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    Do you have a lot of cars where this sort of thing is even possible? (Dumb question I guess, but how? The legally required ones (which include daylight running lights) are not left up to the will of the driver on most cars here; and the others tend to be automatic in low light situations, unless you have a very old car. Is it different there?.
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    Most American cars I’m familiar with, except some older ones, have an automatic setting for the headlights, but you can turn it to a different setting (off, on, parking lights). The only time a cars’ lights come on automatically regardless of where the switch is set is when the windshield wipers are on.

    I was driving just after dark recently and didn’t realize I didn’t have my lights on. I keep the switch at automatic, but my daughter had used my car the night before and had turned the lights off when she got home, and I didn’t realize that.

    When I see people without their lights on, I assume they don’t realize it.


  • sionisaissionisais Shipmate
    Many newer cars in Britain have automatic lights but a) these can often be overridden and b) in some types only the front lights are automatic.
    This evening’s journey was a quiet one of about seven miles. We saw eight cars coming towards us, seven black and one silver. Make of car withheld, but three are associated with faulty direction indicators.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    Now that my brain is awake, of course people can turn those things off accidentally. My husband does it all the time on my car (his own requires manual on-off changes, which means he has a habit of turning the knob in just such a way that my automatic settings go off!). I've learned to check the car lights visually (against a tree or wall or something) before I drive very far.
  • ArethosemyfeetArethosemyfeet Shipmate, Heaven Host
    I have been known to start driving and forget that just because I can see doesn't mean that others can see me. Not often but it happens.
  • The RogueThe Rogue Shipmate
    Our car has an automatic light setting which is always on so I don't even think about it when behind the wheel. It even puts up main beam on country roads and dips the lights again when it sees somene else. However, every time the car is serviced they turn it off. I don't know why and because I don't think about the lights any more I don't realise at first.
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    The Rogue wrote: »
    Our car has an automatic light setting which is always on so I don't even think about it when behind the wheel. It even puts up main beam on country roads and dips the lights again when it sees somene else. However, every time the car is serviced they turn it off. I don't know why and because I don't think about the lights any more I don't realise at first.

    You do have to be careful in fog though.

    I blame this phenomenon on dashboards that light up even when the lights aren't on. This didn't use to be the case.
  • W HyattW Hyatt Shipmate
    Arethosemyfeet wrote: »
    Not often but it happens.

    I like to do a rough analysis of things like this along the lines of (a) if drivers in general do something like this, on average, say once every ten years, and (b) if I encounter an average of 3,560 cars per day, then I could expect to see, on average, one example per day, oftentimes several in the same day. Just as a way to amuse myself.
  • ArethosemyfeetArethosemyfeet Shipmate, Heaven Host
    W Hyatt wrote: »
    Arethosemyfeet wrote: »
    Not often but it happens.

    I like to do a rough analysis of things like this along the lines of (a) if drivers in general do something like this, on average, say once every ten years, and (b) if I encounter an average of 3,560 cars per day, then I could expect to see, on average, one example per day, oftentimes several in the same day. Just as a way to amuse myself.

    Understanding expectation as it relates to probability is fascinating.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    Every so often at twilight a car will be approaching with its lights off. I just assume they have not noticed it is getting dark enough to have them on. I will flash my light at them. They will often turn theirs on and wave as they pass. Have never noticed an obscene gesture.

    If they ignore the flash, it is on them.

    I will never forget the time when I literally pulled over a police car. I was coming into town, and a car came on to the road. It was getting dark, but I noticed his back lights were not on. As I got up to him, I flashed my lights, and he pulled over. He got out of his car. I noticed then, he had a uniform on. I pointed out the lack of the rear lights. He said he would take the car in right away. We figure a fuse had burned out.
  • Leorning CnihtLeorning Cniht Shipmate
    sionisais wrote: »
    Mrs Sioni is the household driver and she is pretty good. She’s not a dithery driver, I’d say she’s assertive but far from aggressive.
    There’s just one thing that gets her goat on the road, and that is drivers who do not use their lights. This evening, a dingy overcast, light rain but there were still cars with no lights on. None, not even side lights. Worse still, they were all black, grey or silver, the very colours that are hardest to see against wet tarmac in half-light. And my wife has decent, legal, eyesight (she’s diabetic and has annual checks).
    What is it with these people? Are they saving energy?

    IME, they are people who left somewhere (work, perhaps) half an hour or so earlier in good light, and haven't noticed the light fading.
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    Leorning Cniht wrote: »
    sionisais wrote: »
    Mrs Sioni is the household driver and she is pretty good. She’s not a dithery driver, I’d say she’s assertive but far from aggressive.
    There’s just one thing that gets her goat on the road, and that is drivers who do not use their lights. This evening, a dingy overcast, light rain but there were still cars with no lights on. None, not even side lights. Worse still, they were all black, grey or silver, the very colours that are hardest to see against wet tarmac in half-light. And my wife has decent, legal, eyesight (she’s diabetic and has annual checks).
    What is it with these people? Are they saving energy?

    IME, they are people who left somewhere (work, perhaps) half an hour or so earlier in good light, and haven't noticed the light fading.

    Well, that comes under the category of Careless Driving
  • SandemaniacSandemaniac Shipmate
    Ironically, I was 100 yards down the road today before I twigged my headlights weren't on. Admitedly it was fairly light, but still should have got there sooner.
  • mark_in_manchestermark_in_manchester Shipmate
    Modern car lights - LED I assume - aren't half bright. Especially if one is on or in something with much less bright lights - after one passes in the opposite direction on a dark road, it can take quite a while before ones eyes adjust back to where they need to be.
  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    Yes. And Cardiff has lots of hills and road humps, both of which cause lights to shine up and dazzle even more.
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    Hence the Viz Top Tip - "Motorists! Fool oncoming traffic that there are speed bumps by slowing to a crawl and flashing your headlamps every hundred yards."
  • mark_in_manchestermark_in_manchester Shipmate
    :-) Some of those top tips are great.
  • SandemaniacSandemaniac Shipmate
    Bollocks! A headlight bulb has gone, and I've had no time to fix it before a 4am exit tomorrow. Better hope the plods don't spot me.
  • sionisaissionisais Shipmate
    mark_in_manchester wrote: »
    Modern car lights - LED I assume - aren't half bright. Especially if one is on or in something with much less bright lights - after one passes in the opposite direction on a dark road, it can take quite a while before ones eyes adjust back to where they need to be.

    Mrs Sioni hates these as they all but blind you-you know there is a car, but it’s hard to tell where it is and how fast it’s going.
    For goodness sake. The purpose of car lights is to be seen, to warn others. You can’t see so much on the basis of your own lights.

Sign In or Register to comment.