News article on a fatal accident reminded me of a near miss I had at the weekend involving the same make of car, new style Honda Civic. The fatal was at a known accident black spot and involved a stationary Civic being rear ended by a lorry.
I had been sitting behind the same model of car at traffic lights when we started to move. Traffic came to a halt almost as soon as we started. What I saw was what looked like the reverse lights of the car in front of the Civic which is why I slowed not having seen brake lights and Civic coming to an abrupt halt! MrsT did not see Civics lights either. Once we started to move again it was still difficult to see the Civics brake lights without really concentrating.
Having had a recent eye test I know my colour vision is ok. The sun may have had an impact being low and behind us?

Anyone else have issues with modern day car lighting?

Your thread title sounds like a crossword clue.

The ones which annoy me, and which are definitely unsafe, are the ones where the brake and indicators are combined – a red ring around a yellow indicator or similar. From a distance, it’s far easier to see a red light become a red and a yellow, rather than a red light become a slightly brighter red/orange light.

Spare a thought for us color defective folks red and orange appear the same to me .

same with status lights on stuff red green orange cant tell the difference so have to ask if if my batteries are charged .

why cant it be red and blue now thats easy for me

I’m doubting the validity of this claim given the author cannot spell “Rear”.
I’ve no issue with distinguishing break lights (thought I would slip that in there)

I struggle with front indicators when they are directly under the main headlight…

Not just cars, I had a really close call with a motor bike recently. He was driving with a vermilion/ purplish filter on his head light, over-taking the line of traffic. One of the cars flashed me out allowing me to join the stream of traffic. I didn’t look properly and as he was in the ‘wrong’ lane my useless brain figured he was moving away from me rather than towards me so I pulled out.

He just managed to swerve around me. My fault, although I felt the coloured filter on his headlight contributed to the near-miss though.

scared the crap out of me

One of the cars flashed me out allowing me to join the stream of traffic

That was the source of the problem right there.

Highway Code:
110

Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.
111

Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully.
😉

Peugeots always annoy me, particularly the ones I see with all 3 brake lights permanently on even when moving! Guess there must be a widespread electrical fault with em.

sodding fashion.
I hate and can’t see the point of white indicators. If they can be made bright enough using orange bulbs why not use those bulbs and make them evening brighter.
side lights are a bloody menace and its idiots in silver cars who are the worst. You never see one of those puke green Seats with the lights of.

People using tint sprays on lights really wind me up.

What is wrong with these idiots who think it is acceptable to make their back lights harder to see? If they get rear ended then they should automatically be given 100% of the blame.

Rare lights can be a bit difficult to spot, like rare tigers…

Try it in North America though – more than half of cars don’t have yellow indicators, they’re basically the brake light. Not good

Those cars with front indicators that seem obscured, Golfs’ and the like, are a pain too.

I really struggle to see indicators these days. They seem to be stupidly small plus the headlights seem brighter than ever so obscure them more. Rear indicators seem to be s strip of light a few mm tall next to bright brake/rear lights.

Thanks for the spelling lesson 😉

I have a peugeot and it excels at having weird self rectifying electrical faults.

Once was behind a golf in torrential rain at night on the M8 from Edinburgh. The only time you could vaguely see his car was when he braked. Self smoked rear light clusters are such a great idea. Not !

Think it’s some new Mercs that have the round light cluster with the indicator inside the brake lights. Damn fool idea.

Ell-tell – that’s a wiring fault and quite common unfortunately. Normally they go off when you press the brake pedal! 🙄

I find the VW really bad with the indicator surrounding the brake/rear lights. When they brake its even worse

I have trouble with how bright some brake lights are now – they’re dazzling! I was sat behind a new merc in traffic, teh brake lights were 2 massive slabs of multi-LEDs about the size of a 17″ laptop screen, plus a central higher one. Made my feel physically sick it was so bright!

And why do people insist on using fog lights in rain – even more glary!

Yep some of the Merc brake lights are ridiculous. Was sat behind a new S-Class the other day and getting seriously p***ed off that the guy would not put his handbrake on! The cheek of it!

If people sit in queues with their brake lights on, I just retaliate with full beam headlights…

I think LED lights are more directional than their counterparts usually but I’ve never had issues seeing them. They have to meet the same standards as lights always have so I assume it’s partly just in peoples heads and partly because modern headlights are so bright and dazzling tha they often completely mask bike and car rear lights when there’s a few in a line.

My eternal “lights shouldn’t be an arms race” argument will get shouted down again I’m sure so I won’t bother arguing it again lol

Perhaps the super bright Mercedes brake lamps are to counteract the fashion for fitting black windows in the rear of cars….

A great idea that totally negates the value of high level brake lamps.

I’m doubting the validity of this claim given the author cannot spell “Rear”.
I’ve no issue with distinguishing break lights (thought I would slip that in there)

Are those the lights that tell you when it’s time to go for a brew?

I got overtaken by a Mustang GT the other day (unusual enough in the UK), it had pretty funky rear indicators, like this:
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxSh1vH0WX8[/video]

p***ed off that the guy would not put his handbrake on

I see this a lot and wonder if its due to quite a few* larger German Exec saloons being automatics and therefore keeping the brake depressed to prevent creeping forward. I’m not condoning this btw as there is nothing to stop them using the handbrake.

*based on general assumption but a lot of big 2nd hand mercs and BMW’s largely appear to be autos.

i HATE BMW 5 series headlamps that have a little iluminated orange section at the top which makes it look like the indicators are on all the time. Bloody nightmare when you catch a glance of one at a roundabout

Peugeots always annoy me, particularly the ones I see with all 3 brake lights permanently on even when moving! Guess there must be a widespread electrical fault with em.

My 206 had the pressure sensor for the brake lights in the passenger footwell – if your passenger stretched their legs out it knocks the plug out and your brake lights stay on. Crap design.

Hi. Bigger Merc autos (they almost all are) have a hold feature. In Drive when stationary you just depress the brake pedal slightly harder and it holds the car. Great feature for Merc drivers but not the people sitting behind staring at 7feet of super bright LED.