Stop the arms race on our roads…

http://www.petition.co.uk/blinding-vehicle-lights-or-lightmare

😆 Night riding is obviously getting noticed.

Blinding vehicle lights are surely the most pressing road safety problem of modern times.

Really, I know these sorts of lights are bright but I’ve never been ‘temporarily blinded’ by them.

Some people must have very little in life to worry about.

It is appalling how many people drive around with their lights misaligned, and as for driving around with only one headlight, HTF can you do it? I do live out in the sticks, where full beam is essential, but I can not believe all the cars that are badly lit are townies.

Quick fix: start by banning fog lights.

Blinding vehicle lights are surely the most pressing road safety problem of modern times.

Drink driving, uninsured drivers and mobile phones are undoubtably more pressing problems

warton +1

Quick fix: start by banning fog lights

This.

And fronts too.

Oh the irony… The flash adds at the top of that petition were for bike lights.

Ban people from sitting in traffic jams with their foot on the brake pedal. It should be an offence punishable by death. Or at least by severe torture.

Thank you Mr BMW Driver, I’ve admired your full array of LEDs, now put the ****ing handbrake on.

Extra bright lights help to illuminate cyclists with no lights of their own dressed in black.

I just give them the full beams. Childish I know but thoroughly satisfying.

Thank you Mr BMW Driver, I’ve admired your full array of LEDs, now put the ****ing handbrake on.

There are lots of cars with led rear lights – lexus, audi, etc not just bmw.

Imagine sitting with your foot on the brake pedal at the lights, what a heinous crime. Really you should have spoken to the driver for committing such an offence.

Some of you guys really should have a word with yourselves.

I’m wondering if its possible for a thread, about cars and driving, on STW to not end in childish arguments.

I’m wondering if its possible for a thread, about cars and driving, on STW to not end in childish arguments.

No.

They’re making too much of a fuss but there’s a bit of truth to it, I reckon, it’s not the bright lights though but the operators. Used right they’re a good safety tool, left on high beam all the time they can be dangerous. I suspect it probably pushes up average driving speeds too.

RealMan – Member

“I’m wondering if its possible for a thread, about cars and driving, on STW to not end in childish arguments.”

In an infinite universe, all things are not only possible, but inevitable. Except that.

if you don’t look into the lights they won’t blind you.

Kev

Keva – Member

if you don’t look into the lights they won’t blind you.

Yes, that’s right, just close your eyes every time they point at you.

Some of you guys really should have a word with yourselves.

That would only end in an arguement. 🙂

Yes, that’s right, just close your eyes every time they point at you.

of course that’s what I meant to say, close your eyes, it’s the only thing you can do 🙄

Kev

Ban people from sitting in traffic jams with their foot on the brake pedal

I do this, didn’t realise it pissed people off so much! 😀

Saw this story in another place yesterday; seems appropriate to repost it here.
https://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.motorcycles/browse_thread/thread/d34b8b2056ac10be?hl=en#

Not being funny but I’m struggling to see how else you can stop a light that’s shining into your eyes shining into your eyes. You don’t need to look directly at a headlight to be glared.

avert your eyes to the white line next to the verge. Takes the edge off it and you can still see enough in front. It’s been working for me since 1987.

Kev

Nicknoxx, I like that story!

Out night-riding on road a few years ago with a couple of mates, we were going down some country lane in the middle of nowhere, nothing else around so we were 3 abreast on the road. A little way ahead we saw a car coming so started to drop into single file then we saw the car pull over and flick his lights so we just carried straight on, 3 abreast. The look on the car drivers face as we passed was quite something, I think from the beams he’d seen he expected to be faced with a combine harvester! Bet he wouldn’t have pulled in if he’d have know it was just 3 cyclists…

Keva – Member

avert your eyes to the white line next to the verge. Takes the edge off it and you can still see enough in front. It’s been working for me since 1987.

I’ve tried that on people’s recommendation but it’s pretty ineffective with modern lights, it only reduces the problem but it doesn’t come close to curing it.

Tried all sorts when cycling recently, car approaches and road directly infront of the bike essentially turns invisible, and no a) I’m not starting directly at the car lights, b) they aren’t yet lighting the actual part of the road I’m looking at. Still it’s just something to deal with, not something that concerns me that much.

northwind, you’ll have to keep a pair of polaroid glasses handy then 8)

Kev

toby1 you need one of these to keep the lights out of your eyes.

i have seen a couple of new VW`s and it looks like the one front fog light comes on when you put the indicator on to turn.Who could possible think up the idea to fit this on a car.

bright blinding lights should be banned, I had a motorcycle accident because of these lights: just entering a 60 limit area when an oncoming car blinded me with the headlights, I had to bow my head to avoid the glair and could not see the river like crossing over the road, I aquaplained for about 15m then smashed my bike into the side of the road and finished with a piece of my ankle missing!!!!

have seen a couple of new VW`s and it looks like the one front fog light comes on when you put the indicator on to turn.Who could possible think up the idea to fit this on a car.

Oh it’s worse than that, they’re designed to come on just for low speed cornering even if you’re not indicating. We actually sent our Touran back to the garage thinking there was a wiring fault only to be told (eventually) it was a design feature.

Misaligned headlights are my biggest bug bear although it’s not that easy to tell to be fair unless people flash you a lot.

Have it on my Golf it’s a great feature for turning into the drive or when on dark lanes. Only annoying thing about it is people telling me I have a fault on my car as I only have one fog light on.

What annoys me is when they put the front indicator as part of the front light cluster. The main beam completely drowns out the flashing yellow indicator, especially on dark wet mornings on roundabouts when i thought they were going straight on and my cr@ppy brakes didn’t work.

cornering lamps were something citroen did back in the late sixties using pulleys cables linked to the steering.

I know I shouldn’t but I refuse to dip my lights for anyone with their foglights on. I flash my fog lights at them, very few get the message, if they do then I dip them.
Had a very near accident on the M3, middlelane hogger with his rear foglights on for some reason, look just like brake lights. Chaos behind him and completely oblivious.

Is it just me or are front fog lights even worse when there is a lot of snow on the ground? The glare is horrendous. (more of a problem when I’m riding than driving, is there some sort of coating on a windscreen which reduces this problem?)
Quite a sensible idea in The Times letters page a while ago, link the fog lights to a speed limiter set to 20mph. If it’s foggy enough to need your fog lights then 20mph is plenty fast enough!

I flash my fog lights at them, very few get the message, if they do then I dip them

Often what look like foglights are actually the DRLs ie sidelights and cannot be switched off independently – afaik.

Plus doing stuff like that is dangerous and stupid.

What annoys me is when they put the front indicator as part of the front light cluster. The main beam completely drowns out the flashing yellow indicator

Never seen that happen.

Binis seem to be the worst for driving everywhere with foglights on

Often what look like foglights are actually the DRLs ie sidelights and cannot be switched off independently – afaik.

Sidelight is not nearly so bright (Minis for example always have them, and Audi’s with Chav-lights) and cannot dazzle other drivers, foglights are even worse in rear view mirror then face on.
Also rear foglights can be mistaken for brake lights, rear lights almost certainly won’t be.