Side lights

[Ploddy Paul]

Why do modern cars have side lights?
Why do some people drive in misty conditions with only their side lights on?
Why are they invariably driving silver coloured cars which blend into the mist?
Paul

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I did 52 years designing vehicles and I cannot understand why with the new wunder LED headlights when a turn signal is switched on, that sides headlight goes out.
Am I daft or have you just lost half your lighting of the road ahead?

 

[VSS]

I did 52 years designing vehicles and I cannot understand why with the new wunder LED headlights when a turn signal is switched on, that sides headlight goes out.
Am I daft or have you just lost half your lighting of the road ahead?

I have been wondering the same. Seems daft.

 

[Quixote]

I despair of modern car lights. They're just too bright. And when you add in the additional reflection of the beam off the newer style roadsigns (especially on a wet evening) the glare is so bad it effectively blinds you. And if you have a car in front of you with the recent (hideous in my book) full-width rear lighting it just makes it worse.

Nobody would advocate returning to old 6-volt 'yellow candle' lights of course, but surely there must be an acceptable compromise?

 

[finbar]

Some of the new vehicles have there indicaters inside the the main light on bright days it’s difficult to see indicators

 

[Bavarianbrit]

They should automatically dim by a percentage by law if there are car lights behind it. Cannot be rocket science.
Also they are too bright with drivers foot being stuck on the brake pedal and not using the handbrake (now electric????) at stop lights, I have to hold my hand up at my eyes to block the shiite glare.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Some of the new vehicles have there indicaters inside the the main light on bright days it’s difficult to see indicators

VW often had mini rear indicators Golf/Polo that you could oversee. Tesla are craap too.

 

[TringSaint]

I did 52 years designing vehicles and I cannot understand why with the new wunder LED headlights when a turn signal is switched on, that sides headlight goes out.
Am I daft or have you just lost half your lighting of the road ahead?

I think it’s because new light clusters are very tightly packed and leds are much brighter so the proximity of different lights an the increased brightness makes it harder at night to see a small flashing orange light when it’s surrounded by a chuffing great ‘white’ spot lamp!!

 

[jall55]

The number of cars i see on motorways and things just driving with sidelights and therefore no rear lights on is shocking

 

[Quixote]

Anyone notice how bad traffic lights are now? There's been a few occasions when someone's walked across the road when they've been on green and it's been almost impossible to see them due to the glare.

(And the fact pedestrians seem to be universally stupid by wearing all black clothing at night )

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Anyone notice how bad traffic lights are now? There's been a few occasions when someone's walked across the road when they've been on green and it's been almost impossible to see them due to the glare.

(And the fact pedestrians seem to be universally stupid by wearing all black clothing at night )

And staring at their hands. Augsburg in German has added an extra red/green light into the pavement for the knuckle draggers.

 

[Cyres]

I must say that in the day I find it difficult at times to see modern traffic indicators. Often obscured by driving lights. Then again most drivers hardly ever use their indicators.
D

 

[Mountain Bug]

Ok, this isn't about side lights but I'll throw this in. Auto dimming headlights are the new bane of my night driving. They dim to oncoming lights only (apparently). What idiot engineer decided that running your brights while 50 yards behind another car wasn't irritating? And, no, none of my old cars or trucks have this option or ever will.


Scott

 

[Smellydog]

Daytime driving fronts are good but folk forget nothing is on at the rear. In mist or grey days if the car hasn't automatically done it for you do it!

 

[TringSaint]

Daytime driving fronts are good but folk forget nothing is on at the rear. In mist or grey days if the car hasn't automatically done it for you do it!

Buy a Volvo - you can’t turn the lights off.
You have a choice of sidelights on, on auto or just on, including the rears.

 

[dunwater]

Why do modern cars have side lights?
Why do some people drive in misty conditions with only their side lights on?
Why are they invariably driving silver coloured cars which blend into the mist?
Paul

Probably because the lights are on “ Auto” and supposed to do it all themselves?

 

[Quixote]

Buy a Volvo - you can’t turn the lights off.
You have a choice of sidelights on, on auto or just on, including the rears.

Yep. My XC60 is pretty much foolproof. I just leave the switch on 'auto' and forget about it

 

[Donkey Basher]

Q. Why do modern cars have side lights?
A. All cars manufactured since 2012 have to be fitted with daytime running lights.

Q. Why do some people drive in misty conditions with only their side lights on?
A. Because they have their main lights set to ‘auto’ but the reflected light from the water droplets in the mist/fog fools the cars sensor into thinking it’s not dark enough to automatically switch on dipped beam.

Q. Why are they invariably driving silver coloured cars which blend into the mist?
A. They aren’t, it affects all colour cars, they’re just driven by the offspring of those who believed ABS would stop you even in snow, ice or rain so drive like they’re invincible, and with relatives who believe traction control means they can drive in snow, ice & rain like they’re out on a dry road in the sunshine.

As a side note, the worst offenders are those who don’t have their lights set to ‘auto’ & insist on driving around at night using just their LED DRLs to see where they’re going. Tools the lot of them!

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I must say that in the day I find it difficult at times to see modern traffic indicators. Often obscured by driving lights. Then again most drivers hardly ever use their indicators.
D

It means for those buying a newish stalking vehicle that you cannot sneak into the area you will stalk.
BMW is deleting the indicator function as it is so seldom being used this is to lower production costs.

 

[Quixote]

the worst offenders are those who don’t have their lights set to ‘auto’ & insist on driving around at night using just their LED DRLs to see where they’re going. Tools the lot of them!

We have a certain demographic in this area who seem to think it's the done thing to drive their debadged bag-of-crap ****mobile in just that manner. They also generally cross the median because they fondly imagine they're clever enough to see that as the 'racing line' on a main road, but are simultaneously stupid enough to think their POS A4 has a tailswing like an 32-tonner, necessitating a swing to the right before turning left and scaring the crap out of oncoming traffic