How would you alert another motorist that there was something wrong?

[PeteMorris]

That depends on the car tho.

 

The newer Vauxhalls have pretty bright DRL's, and their dashboard is all digital so actually brighter when the lights are off than when they are on (it dims to not cause a nuisance during the night)

 

---------- Post added 13-11-2014 at 10:54 ----------

 

 

I saw a car join the M1 last night with only it's sidelights to illuminate the road, you do get these people about

 

I'm afraid I don't recall the make of car.....But do remember it wasn't a brand spanking new one....But don't really understand why the headlights might be on, but nothing at the rear. However her brake lights were working, so that's one consolation.

[Cyclone]

Electrical fault.

 

---------- Post added 13-11-2014 at 11:04 ----------

 

That depends on the car tho.

 

The newer Vauxhalls have pretty bright DRL's, and their dashboard is all digital so actually brighter when the lights are off than when they are on (it dims to not cause a nuisance during the night)

 

---------- Post added 13-11-2014 at 10:54 ----------

 

 

I saw a car join the M1 last night with only it's sidelights to illuminate the road, you do get these people about

 

Sidelights and running lights are (necessarily) the same though.

 

You can legally drive with just SL in a streetlit area, although I doubt that many people intentionally do it.

[PeteMorris]

Electrical fault.

 

---------- Post added 13-11-2014 at 11:04 ----------

 

 

Sidelights and running lights are (necessarily) the same though.

 

You can legally drive with just SL in a streetlit area, although I doubt that many people intentionally do it.

 

Just a bit of a shame I couldn't find a way to alert her...

[milquetoast1]

So it's entirely supposition that running lights increase the risk of forgetting to put on headlights (or sidelights)?

 

No, it's based on observation. I've seen more since 2011.

 

DRLs provide a degree of forward lighting, so it's logical to assume that more motorists will fail to turn on their standard lights in low-light, low-visibility situations, than with no lights at all.

 

I still suspect that the driver Pete Morris observed was driving with DRLs on. Many cheaper cars just have the dipped headlights wired as running lights.

[PeteMorris]

No, it's based on observation. I've seen more since 2011.

 

DRLs provide a degree of forward lighting, so it's logical to assume that more motorists will fail to turn on their standard lights in low-light, low-visibility situations, than with no lights at all.

 

I still suspect that the driver Pete Morris observed was driving with DRLs on. Many cheaper cars just have the dipped headlights wired as running lights.

 

You may well be correct. I've never had a car with 'running lights', so I'm not familiar. The car I saw, the dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree....Would that also be the case if it were just running lights on?

[milquetoast1]

You may well be correct. I've never had a car with 'running lights', so I'm not familiar. The car I saw, the dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree....Would that also be the case if it were just running lights on?

 

The dash lights will be out in a car where the manufacturer has actually thought about how they are going to implement them properly, but some will not.

 

The problem is that cars sold between 2011 and now have all sorts of different ways of meeting the regs, often as cheaply as possible. I know somebody driving a Vauxhall with three choices, off, auto and on.

 

Off: All lights on, dash off.

Auto: All lights on dash on.

On: All lights on, dash on.

 

What's the point of auto?

 

Here's somebody on Honest John discussing the issue:

 

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=99635

[rudds1]

You may well be correct. I've never had a car with 'running lights', so I'm not familiar. The car I saw, the dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree....Would that also be the case if it were just running lights on?

 

I think the dash does light up if you have just running lights on

[PeteMorris]

The dash lights will be out in a car where the manufacturer has actually thought about how they are going to implement them properly, but some will not.

 

The problem is that cars sold between 2011 and now have all sorts of different ways of meeting the regs, often as cheaply as possible. I know somebody driving a Vauxhall with three choices, off, auto and on.

 

Off: All lights on, dash off.

Auto: All lights on dash on.

On: All lights on, dash on.

 

What's the point of auto?

 

Here's somebody on Honest John discussing the issue:

 

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=99635

 

Good grief...How confusing...and that's an interesting link you posted there.

 

So in all likelihood the lady I saw was in effect driving with no lights on (even though the car was using front 'running lights'....it's an accident waiting to happen. I'll concede that she 'should' know how they work.

 

It's simple for me....they're either all off....Side lights only, or full lights....No accounting for 'people' and technology eh?

[Cyclone]

The dash lights will be out in a car where the manufacturer has actually thought about how they are going to implement them properly, but some will not.

 

The problem is that cars sold between 2011 and now have all sorts of different ways of meeting the regs, often as cheaply as possible. I know somebody driving a Vauxhall with three choices, off, auto and on.

 

Off: All lights on, dash off.

Auto: All lights on dash on.

On: All lights on, dash on.

 

What's the point of auto?

 

Here's somebody on Honest John discussing the issue:

 

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=99635

 

Are you saying that "auto" always brings all the lights on? That's just wrong isn't it.

 

Auto in my car brings on the lights when it goes dark, including dash illumination. And doesn't bring anything on when it's light. I can also manually turn on the lights if I wish, at either side light or headlight.

 

---------- Post added 13-11-2014 at 12:14 ----------

 

That thread has nothing about "auto" lights that are always on.

 

---------- Post added 13-11-2014 at 12:16 ----------

 

No, it's based on observation. I've seen more since 2011.

 

DRLs provide a degree of forward lighting, so it's logical to assume that more motorists will fail to turn on their standard lights in low-light, low-visibility situations, than with no lights at all.

 

I still suspect that the driver Pete Morris observed was driving with DRLs on. Many cheaper cars just have the dipped headlights wired as running lights.

 

I should have said anecdote then, which then leads to supposition about the cause/effect and how extensive the problem is.

[milquetoast1]

Are you saying that "auto" always brings all the lights on? That's just wrong isn't it.

 

Auto in my car brings on the lights when it goes dark, including dash illumination. And doesn't bring anything on when it's light. I can also manually turn on the lights if I wish, at either side light or headlight.

 

As I said earlier, you must have a decent car.

 

We might be more used to the sight of those fancy leds at the top of the market, but at the cheaper end of the market the manufacturers have had to come up with solutions to how they can comply with EC rules, as cheaply as possible. Most of them simply make the sidelights, or dipped headlights, permanently on.

 

As somebody who borrows a variety of company cars I can say that there is the same variety of "solutions". It's pretty crazy, so I can well understand why somebody might drive around without their rear lights off.