Are drivers mental or what ?
I have travelled on the M4 today and covered about 140 miles in atrocious conditions, heavy rain, spray,poor visibility, every other car or so did not have their headlights on, in fact most did not have ANY lights whatsoever, and as for the pillocks who
have their nice bright LED front lights on so they can see where they are going, don't realise they have no rear lights, so you cannot see them in poor visibility and spray.If you flash them as you pass they only stick two fingers up and on occasions only
one !!
IMO, all cars should have permanent headlights and rear light running lights a la Volvo and my BMW.
Now Iv'e got that off my chest I am going for a lie down.
Admiral
Comments
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Admiral, my OH would agree with you whole heartedly, he says the same thing every time we go out in poor conditions/visability.Mind you he isn't as polite as you!
when he says it.0 -
Yes we agree as well. Some drivers have no idea how to use their lights (if they use them at all
) Then there are the cars that are made these days without any indicators0 -
Add to that list of Pillocks the Drivers who leave their rear fog lights on when its not foggy! Don't they realise the danger of dazzling following drivers? The bulb wattage in fog lights is at least as high if not higher than brake lights, so following drivers may well not only be dazzled but also not see your brake lights when you really need them to do so! It is especially dangerous at night in wet conditions! The direct cause of several fatal accidents!
TF
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Yes we agree as well. Some drivers have no idea how to use their lights (if they use them at all
)
Then there are the cars that are made these days without any indicatorsWrite your comments here...I think these are what are now known as "Optional Extras" in the same way as spare tyres are.
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Followed a police car up to a junction yesterday and he didn't appear to have indicators until he started to turn left, suddenly an indicator started to work. Not just ordinary motorists that don't indicate till last minute.
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The Scandinavian manufacturers started fitting permanent lights many years ago but mind you they are in the lands of almost perpetual daylight darkness during winter months. Read an article many years ago about how much extra fuel world wide would be used
if all cars were fitted with daylight running lights. The answer to this question was an incredible amount, can't remember the exact figures but it surprised me. This is particularly pertinent today when you consider the engineers are attempting to squeeze
out the very best mpg figures as possible. Yes, lights are useful, particularly in low light levels but what has happened to common sence and we drivers taking the responsibility to turn them on and off when needed! Better still, like my car, many vehicles
do this automatically when light levels drop to lower levels! All we have to do is select 'auto' mode!0 -
I have this forum to thank for making me realise I might not have rear lights as well as front ones! That is crackers Mitsubishi should do better. However I do have the automatic ones that turn on in bad conditions - even though I occasionally override that facility and put them on sooner. What happened to Be Seen - Be Safe? I lived in Scotland for a while and they seemed worse - we used to joke that perhaps the drivers thought it cost them to put their lights on!
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I have travelled on the M4 today and covered about 140 miles in atrocious conditions, heavy rain, spray,poor visibility, every other car or so did not have their headlights on, in fact most did not have ANY lights whatsoever, and as for the pillocks who
have their nice bright LED front lights on so they can see where they are going, don't realise they have no rear lights, so you cannot see them in poor visibility and spray.If you flash them as you pass they only stick two fingers up and on occasions only
one !!IMO, all cars should have permanent headlights and rear light running lights a la Volvo and my BMW.
Now Iv'e got that off my chest I am going for a lie down.
Admiral
No matter how many lights of whatever lumens are displayed by your vehicle, it will not improve the competance of the a'hole in front or behind you. Just take extra care. feel sorry for them.
PS weather couldnt have been that bad as you were able to flash at them and they were able to wave back in a jolly way with two or on fingers.
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As I said earlier, but no one seems to have picked up upon, the most dangerous IMHO are those careless individuals that leave their rear fog lights on when not needed. They are then very dangerous especially at night and in wet conditions. They completely overpower and thus mask the brake lights.
In my many years as a motorway patrol officer, I can honestly say that more accidents were caused that way, than were prevented by those darned lights. They are fine in really foggy conditions, but lethal at night & in the rain!
TF
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what has happened to common sence and we drivers taking the responsibility to turn them on and off when needed! Better still, like my car, many vehicles do this automatically when light levels drop to lower levels! All we have to do is select 'auto' mode!
Auto mode often doesn't work in foggy conditions. Many drivers so equipped seem to have forgotten where the manual overide is ...
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Just an observation, ---------it's good to know that the members of this forum are all perfect drivers. That all the mental drivers who create dangerous situations on the roads are the oft maligned " Other People" .
K
K, agreed. I often come across all the usual problems re perceived bad driving, after asking myself-'have I ever done that' invariably the answer is yes I too have done all the dumb things I then accept it. There's nought worse than a driver who thinks they are perfect. . . .Dangerous & deluded
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Just an observation, ---------it's good to know that the members of this forum are all perfect drivers. That all the mental drivers who create dangerous situations on the roads are the oft maligned " Other People" .
K
Not me 'K', I'm normal and sane most of the time
I have done most of the 'tut tut' things that these 'perfect' drivers deplore, I'm also honest 
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Just an observation, ---------it's good to know that the members of this forum are all perfect drivers. That all the mental drivers who create dangerous situations on the roads are the oft maligned " Other People" .
K
Not me 'K', I'm normal and sane most of the time
I have done most of the 'tut tut' things that these 'perfect' drivers deplore, I'm also honest Write your comments here...As have most of us if we are honest Dave.. By the way I love the flashing headlights on your avatar.
K
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Well I know that i am not perfect, far from it, yet I am an advanced driver and and was a class ! Police Driver. I suppose the important word in that sentence is 'was" ,because despite my experience, I know that at 71 my driving is not quite as sharp as it was. My reactions are still very sharp, - recently tested as age 38, but I know that my attention is more easily diverted than it used to be.
The most important factor is as always "situational awareness" and as soon as I feel that has slipped to the point that i am no longer confident, I intend to surrender it as clean as when I got it in February 1962. Since then 1.25 million miles later, No accidents, no convictions and one parking ticket on council car park!
TF
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It's surprising the number that insist on using their front fog lights at all times as well and are unaware that they are committing an offence.
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Should we all have to take a driving test when we reach a certain age
Write your comments here...Yes, I think we should. At what age would be the sticking point. Certainly, bad habits and blasé attitudes creep in. As a professional driver, I don't think you can have too much training.
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There's been another person on tv saying that older drivers should have a test before they are issued with a licence, I agree up to a point but,don't younger drivers have accidents? What should happen is all drivers should take a test every 5 years, I say this because in my opinion driving standards have dropped considerably since I took my test and, it is all drivers not just the older drivers.
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If you want a bit of fun, count how many cars have faulty lights, usually headlights. My current record is 8 in a 15 minute journey. If they can't afford to keep their vehicles in a roadworthy condition they shouldn't be driving them on the road and not
all off them can genuinely say that "they were OK when I set off" !0 -
Richaed, Thats a new one on me. I have never come across a car fitted with auomatic fog lights. Automatic lighting yes, but not fog lights!
TF
I was referring to the folks with automatic HEADLAMPS, which don't always light up in foggy conditions.
Drivers either unaware that their lights haven't come on, or are aware, but can't remember how to manually switch on their lights. Or simply don't care.
My own car has automatic head and side lighting, and I must admit to having to look at the manual when it came back from its last service, auto lights and wipers set back to default settings. And as for the auto climate control, still haven't got that set
back to where I like it.Front and rear fog lights operated by separate switches, confusin dash board display, I had to get out of car to see which switch operated which light. Similar story with heated front and rear windows, not immediately obvious which switch operates which.
Gawd help us when cars come with touch screens rather than switches ....
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Still looking for the rear fog switch on OHs latest car.
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CY, for what it's worth I've driven hire cars that have the rear fog lights on the main lights stick as an individual twist addition(like a ring on a finger)-one twist forward-front fogs, further twist forward rear fog light.
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If you want a bit of fun, count how many cars have faulty lights, usually headlights. My current record is 8 in a 15 minute journey. If they can't afford to keep their vehicles in a roadworthy condition they shouldn't be driving them on the road and not
all off them can genuinely say that "they were OK when I set off" !Where I drive, often it is every other one with only one headlamp working.
tigerfish :- pre led's , the wattage of rear fog lamps are the same as brake lamp bulbs , not more.
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CY, for what it's worth I've driven hire cars that have the rear fog lights on the main lights stick as an individual twist addition(like a ring on a finger)-one twist forward-front fogs, further twist forward rear fog light.
SWMBO's C3 is like that
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There's been another person on tv saying that older drivers should have a test before they are issued with a licence, I agree up to a point but,don't younger drivers have accidents? What should happen is all drivers should take a test every 5 years, I say this because in my opinion driving standards have dropped considerably since I took my test and, it is all drivers not just the older drivers.
...Interesting one Mollydomino. Insurance companies will tell you that it is males up to 35 that are the greatest accident risk. Why pick on older people with these facts to hand?
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