Why do we have sidelights ?

[fozzybear210]

In a built up area with street lights, you don't need dipped beam headlights on, so this is where the sidelights come in to play.

[Eater Sundae]

That rule just applies to roads with a speed limit greater than 30mph.

 

I usually commute northbound, early morning, up Halifax Rd. There were usually several cars parked partly on the kerb.

 

One day I suddenly became aware that several of them had sprouted the little plug in parking lights that you fasten onto the top of a wind up window. They contain a single bulb, a white lens at the front and a red lens at the rear. I assumed that they had all recently received a ticket. This was a long time ago. I don't know if the police still bother.

As mentioned above, its a problem at speed limits > 30. Also, cars need to be facing the right way so that approaching drivers see the correct colour reflector.

 

Also, a final aside. A few years ago I was driving an unfamiliar car (a large Vauxhall). I parked and got out of the and saw that the offside front and rear lights were on. Clearly these were parking lights which I had inadvertently switched on, but I didn't know how to turn it off. I tried to look it up in the manual, but there was no reference to parking lights. Also nothing in the lighting section, either. I subsequently found out it was linked to the indicator. Poor manual writing IMO.

[kidley]

This is quite interesting

http://www.atft.co.uk/r-law.html

 

look under "Lighting-up time, moving motor vehicle" for this topic

[MrSmith]

You park the correct way so that your rear reflectors let vehicles see you at night.

 

I know, but not on the 30mph road that is a cul-de-sac, my car was at the end of the cul-de-sac under a street light, reflectors wouldn't have prevented my car be hit by a blind driver that could only hit my car if they wanted to park on the same spot.

[laineyiow]

I always use dipped headlights so that I can be seen by other road users not necessarily so I can see!

A little experiment the next time you are driving along either at dusk or in poor weather conditions. Look at the traffic coming towards you and decide for yourself which vehicles are the most noticeable - the.ones with pin prick side lights or the ones with dipped head lights? Then ask yourself a question can other road users actually see me with my poorly lit car?

[Lockjaw]

In a built up area with street lights, you don't need dipped beam headlights on, so this is where the sidelights come in to play.

 

Nonsense. With street lights on sidelights are almost unnoticable. Dipped beam headlights ensure you can be seen.

[DT Ralge]

Nonsense. With street lights on sidelights are almost unnoticable. Dipped beam headlights ensure you can be seen.

 

Indeed, you are absolutely right but the post your reply was aimed at is also correct in that the HC calls only for sidelights when strretlights are present. The HC needs updating, methinks.

[vwkittie]

Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way.

Side lights are for parking on roads with a speed limit over 30 unless in a marked parking bay. They do not excuse parking facing the wrong way at night.

Parking lights are allso required to be shown on goods vehicles with an unladen weight over 1525 kgs. when parked on a 30 limit road at night (never enforced?)

 

Otherwise, in my view, sidelights are are a waste of space for driving on - if you want to be seen, use your dipped headlights!

 

This. Sidelights aren't for driving with - if you need headlights, you need dip beam!!

 

Of course DRLs are becoming more prevalent now too which will further (hopefully) negate the sidelight driving noob brigade.

 

On some cars, if you park up and leave the indicator on, one of the sidelights will stay on when you get out of the car as a parking light (just one side to reduce battery drain)

[Rupert_Baehr]

DT Ralge approached (but did not address squarely) the problem.

 

WTF are 'Sidelights'?

 

Are you talking about 'Parking lights'? - those low-intensity lights (white) displayed at the front of a vehicle and (red) at the rear?

 

The correct term is 'Parking Lights'. - The fact that they are usually near the side of the car is irrelevant. They're there to tell others that you are parked.

 

Should you and I be involved in a collision in fog and should you be driving on parking lights only then I will have no hesitation in suing you for driving an improperly-lit vehicle which failed to display appropriate lights in accordance with the provision of the Road Traffic Act.

 

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find I would win.

 

If you're driving, turn on your driving lights.

 

If you haven't got DRLs (bright 'daytime' lights) check whether your headlights [dipped beam] go off when you turn off the ignition.

 

If they do, leave the dipped beam on and use them as DRLs.

 

The more you can do to protect you from unobservant riders/drivers on the road, the safer you are.

 

I'm not allowed to advertise ... You might want to PM DT Ralge for additional information on how you can protect yousrelf (and reduce your insurance bill significantly.)

[alankearn]

Well, the policeman doesn't know the law either; it's never legal to park facing the wrong way, whether you turn the lights on or not, and the lights are legally required if you are facing the right way.

 

 

That said, it's never a good idea to argue with a policeman either. Compliance was probably your best move.

 

I think according to law you need to have reflectors (red?) on the rear of a vehicle so that at night approaching traffic are warned. If you are facing the wrong way the reflectors won't be showing. If I remember correctly when MOTs first became law no reflectors on the rear of a vehicle resulted in a MOT failure.

Remember the little round red reflectors on the rear of cars years ago, I think the reflectors are now incorporated into the rear lights.