Your lights at roadworks.
Discussion
Driving home there are some roadworks,with traffic lights, they where on red (my luck as aways)
When I stopped I always turn my lights to sidelights so that oncomming traffic don't get blinded via mine,I have always done this ,but no-one have ever done it when it was my turn.
Any-one do this or is it just me?
When I stopped I always turn my lights to sidelights so that oncomming traffic don't get blinded via mine,I have always done this ,but no-one have ever done it when it was my turn.
Any-one do this or is it just me?
I do, it is good manners. I also had an old Alfa with a dickie alternator and actively looked for reasons to conserve the battery years ago. I also don't flash a thankyou at night in the lanes around here but momentarily switch the headlights off as flashing is wrong in my opinion.
it'll never catch on though, we are still in a small minority, sadly.
it'll never catch on though, we are still in a small minority, sadly.
I wouldn't do it at junctions , traffic lights or roadworks where I am stopped in the normal position on the left , although I do apply the handbrake and take my foot off the footbrake to avoid dazzling drivers behind . I have never perceived it as a problem , other than from drivers with misaligned headlamps who are a nuisance at all times anyway .
One place I do do it though is outside my house : if I approach from the West such that my house is on the right hand side of the road , I cross to the hard standing in front of my house before reversing into the drive . If I am stopped at night on the 'wrong' side of the road , the asymmetric part of my beam could bother oncoming drivers , so I drop to sidelights as soon as I stop .
One place I do do it though is outside my house : if I approach from the West such that my house is on the right hand side of the road , I cross to the hard standing in front of my house before reversing into the drive . If I am stopped at night on the 'wrong' side of the road , the asymmetric part of my beam could bother oncoming drivers , so I drop to sidelights as soon as I stop .
matt-ITR said:
If your dipped are correctly adjusted then you wouldn't need to go to sidelights.
so why do we have beam deflectors whilst driving on the Continent?i do it mostly - but especially when the open lane is my side of the road
I have nothing to gain by keeping my lights on beam and others do gain from improved forward vision when coming directly at me
Trefy5 said:
so why do we have beam deflectors whilst driving on the Continent?
Because the "dip" is designed to deflect light away from oncoming traffic and up onto pedestrians & road furniture on your nearside so you can see them more clearly.When you drive on the "wrong" side of the road, the area kicked up would shine directly into oncoming traffic so the beam deflector cuts off the area of the lens/reflector which does this.
Changedmyname said:
Any-one do this or is it just me?
Can't say I've ever done it, nor ever felt that the headlights of the car facing me are a problem when it's my turn to go through the roadworks.But it seems from some of the responses that you're not the only one who does this. Next time I'm driving through roadworks in the dark, I'll try and remember to think about whether sidelights instead of headlights on the car facing me would help.
218g said:
Changedmyname said:
Any-one do this or is it just me?
Can't say I've ever done it, nor ever felt that the headlights of the car facing me are a problem when it's my turn to go through the roadworks.But it seems from some of the responses that you're not the only one who does this. Next time I'm driving through roadworks in the dark, I'll try and remember to think about whether sidelights instead of headlights on the car facing me would help.
Slightly puzzled as to why you might do it though, as mentioned already, if your lights are adjusted properly then it's no different than any other situation where you might pass each other on closely.
?
Fastra said:
Me neither, and can't say I've ever noticed anyone else doing so too.
Slightly puzzled as to why you might do it though, as mentioned already, if your lights are adjusted properly then it's no different than any other situation where you might pass each other on closely.
?
OK here's the differenceSlightly puzzled as to why you might do it though, as mentioned already, if your lights are adjusted properly then it's no different than any other situation where you might pass each other on closely.
?
you're on a single carriage way travelling north
there are roadworks on the southbound side of the road
you have stopped at the red light and oncoming traffic is travelling south directly towards you on the same side of the road as you
your lights are on dipped beam which lights up the road directly ahead (and the side of the road to your left)
because oncoming traffic is in your lane, your lights are shining directly at the driver of the moving vehicle
HTH
SWITCH TO SIDELIGHTS ... you know it makes sense
Nope. I do not want to do this. It is uneccessary and detrimental especially if you have cars behind you with headlights on.
You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
BertBert said:
Nope. I do not want to do this. It is uneccessary and detrimental especially if you have cars behind you with headlights on.
You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
WrongWrong BertBertYou are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
BertBert said:
Nope. I do not want to do this. It is uneccessary and detrimental especially if you have cars behind you with headlights on.
You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
I agree with Bert .You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
Unless you are on the 'wrong' side of the road , with opposing traffic to your left , the asymmetric part of your beam won't affect anyone ; the rest of your beam will be no worse than at any other time .
As already said , if you switch to sidelights and others behind you remain on headlamps , there is a danger of oncoming traffic not seeing you AND HITTING YOU .
Oh , and outside built up areas , where there is no street lighting , you MUST use dipped headlamps at night ( stopped at traffic lights does not count as being parked ) , so if someone hits you , you could be charged with failing to display the proper lights .
HTH
Pontoneer said:
BertBert said:
Nope. I do not want to do this. It is uneccessary and detrimental especially if you have cars behind you with headlights on.
You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
I agree with Bert .You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
Unless you are on the 'wrong' side of the road , with opposing traffic to your left , the asymmetric part of your beam won't affect anyone ; the rest of your beam will be no worse than at any other time .
As already said , if you switch to sidelights and others behind you remain on headlamps , there is a danger of oncoming traffic not seeing you AND HITTING YOU .
Oh , and outside built up areas , where there is no street lighting , you MUST use dipped headlamps at night ( stopped at traffic lights does not count as being parked ) , so if someone hits you , you could be charged with failing to display the proper lights .
HTH
BertBert said:
Nope. I do not want to do this. It is uneccessary and detrimental especially if you have cars behind you with headlights on.
You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
You must have rubbish sidelights then You are likely to confuse the driver coming towards you and sidelights are not very good at showing your position. So far from being better, you are compromised.
Bert
Ok you are unable to see the sence in this....fair enough.
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