Driving standards

[SM42]

Stopping on the right used to be illegal at night on an unrestricted road (i.e more than 30mph) Does this still apply? Is motoring  law still part of the driving test?

 

What's worse is stopping with the headlights on, on the right. Most drivers don't seem to realise that the left hand beam is far longer than the right for good reason. (kudos to the milkman the other morning who dropped his down to side lights)

 

Dazzling other road users, whether that be by parking on the right at night with dipped headlights, using fog lights when it's not foggy, i.e visibility less than 100m  (why are they automatic when modern cars turn now? Great idea. Dazzle others just when you want them to see your indicators) leaving rear fog lights on. (ever wondered what that orange light on the dashboard is for? (I don't know, but it seems to come on the day after it's been foggy)) and indeed sitting  in stationary traffic with the brake lights on for prolonged periods (record in my experience  is 45 minutes on a snowy day in 2007, His leg must have been really sore when we moved 10 feet) could be seen as a contravention of the either The Road Traffic Act or the Construction and Use Regulations. 

 

The brake lights are the same power as rear fog lights (55W) and hence if rear fog lights are dazzling, then so are brake lights when being used outside their design purpose. I.e to indicate that your vehicle is slowing down as the foot brake has been applied.

 

It also seems the emergency services are now doing their best to dazzle everyone with the blues now.

 

On Mrs SM42's semi auto, when stopped, apply handbrake, drop into neutral. When ready to move off, a quick dab (2-3 seconds) of the footbrake (to release the interlock) whilst nudging the gear select lever to the left and into 1st with the left knee. Hands never leave the wheel,

 

Andy. (feeling better now he's got that off his chest)

Edited November 25, 2019 by SM42

[SM42]

On 31/10/2019 at 08:19, TheQ said:

Serious injuries much less, but that's due to crumple zones, seat belts and air bags...

 

Remember your car is my crumple zone, i've a steel chassis to crumple your car. Hence an old type landrover is the most likely to walk away from. (Also we generaly don't drive at lunatic speeds..)

 

Interestingly, way back in the dim distant days of the late 80s, a school friend found out the hard way that a head on collison can be very painful. The photos of the accident showed a Metro (a modern car in those days)the roof of which bore a resemblance to a piece of well known Swiss triangular chocolate and an Allegro with a slightly caved in radiator grill. We all thought he was in the Metro, given the serious leg and other  injuries he suffered, but no, he was in the hardly touched Allegro.

 

The elderly driver of the Metro walked away dazed, shaken and with a nice seatbelt bruise.

 

The cause of the collison: black ice on a gentle left hand bend in a 30mph zone and both vehicles deemed by the police to have been well within the speed limits.

 

Andy

 

[kevinlms]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

 

 

The brake lights are the same power as rear fog lights (55W) and hence if rear fog lights are dazzling, then so are brake lights when being used outside their design purpose. I.e to indicate that your vehicle is slowing down as the foot brake has been applied.

 

 

Andy. (feeling better now he's got that off his chest)

 

Are you saying that the brake lights on British cars are 55W (or equivalent LED) each?

 

Then no wonder this thread is full of whinging about overbright brake lights! In Australia the standard is still 21W.

[Pete the Elaner]

3 hours ago, SM42 said:

(kudos to the milkman the other morning who dropped his down to side lights)

 

The brake lights are the same power as rear fog lights (55W) and hence if rear fog lights are dazzling, then so are brake lights when being used outside their design purpose. I.e to indicate that your vehicle is slowing down as the foot brake has been applied.

 

The milkman was probably in (or used to driving) an Electric float so would more likely to have dipped his beams to prevent being towed back to the dairy after running the batteries flat. Not dazzling others would have been an added bonus.

 

Combined tail/brake lights are 12/21W bulbs.

Combined front main/dipped beam bulbs are 55/60W

[SM42]

9 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

The milkman was probably in (or used to driving) an Electric float so would more likely to have dipped his beams to prevent being towed back to the dairy after running the batteries flat. Not dazzling others would have been an added bonus.

 

Combined tail/brake lights are 12/21W bulbs.

Combined front main/dipped beam bulbs are 55/60W

 

Indeed, got me lamps mixed up. Still a fog light is quite bright and hence so is a brake light.

 

How many would be happy sat behind a car with the rear fog lights on?

 

When did you last see an electric milk float? Ok I saw one two weeks ago, but it was being used as an electric car rather than delivering milk.

They've all been transits or similar round here for years.

 

Andy

Edited November 26, 2019 by SM42

[Hobby]

12 hours ago, SM42 said:

The elderly driver of the Metro walked away dazed, shaken and with a nice seatbelt bruise.

 

I have a book on the history of the Metro and the comments made by the designers are that it's crashworthyness came out much better than they'd expected and far better than the design requirements. So that does not surprise me. It got overtaken by events in the mid 90s but things had moved on a lat from when it was designed in the late 70s.

[kevinlms]

10 hours ago, kevinlms said:

 

Are you saying that the brake lights on British cars are 55W (or equivalent LED) each?

 

Then no wonder this thread is full of whinging about overbright brake lights! In Australia the standard is still 21W.

OK, so it is whinging about 21W brake lights then.

 

I would still prefer to know that people are stopping/stopped! Vastly different to 55W fog lights.

[kevinlms]

On 23/11/2019 at 03:34, Paul13 said:

 

 

And don't get me started about DRL's and people who think you can drive around at night with just these. 

I have never understood the point of DRL's, they just make the driver think the lights are on normally.

[Hobby]

21 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

I have never understood the point of DRL's, they just make the driver think the lights are on normally.

 

They do if they are too bright, which is the point the original person that was commenting on them was making, I think! Looking back at some of the early versions (Volvo ones from the 80s) they have no need to be as bright as many are these days.

[Reorte]

46 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Indeed, got me lamps mixed up. Still a fog light is quite bright and hence so is a brake light.

 

How many would be happy sat behind a car with the rear fog lights on?

 

When did you last see an electric milk float? Ok I saw one two weeks ago, but it was being used as an electric car rather than delivering milk.

They've all been transits or similar round here for years.

Last week. There's one that I occasionally pass coming the other way (in Stockport, at rush hour) on my way in to work. Where I lived five years ago there was still a milk delivery with an electric float, I'd sometimes hear it when I stayed up late (usually turned up around 2 am).

[Reorte]

11 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

They do if they are too bright, which is the point the original person that was commenting on them was making, I think! Looking back at some of the early versions (Volvo ones from the 80s) they have no need to be as bright as many are these days.

 

I'm still utterly unpersuaded by having them at all, so they represent a point at where I feel the regulations started entering silly territory - their introduction on all new vehicles (2015?) marking the point at which I really don't want to have to buy a new car (a pity, because I wouldn't mind an electric one, I just don't want all the other electronic nonsense that comes with any new car).

[SM42]

We havent had em round here for years.

 

The milkman in question was mine and he has never used electric, he's not old enough.

 

They make cheap secondhand electric cars apparently, providing you don't need heating, not in a rush and have lots of luggage to move around.

 

Andy

Edited November 26, 2019 by SM42

[royaloak]

41 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

I have never understood the point of DRL's, they just make the driver think the lights are on normally.

And why position them where the front fog lights would be making it look as if the car has its fog lights on.

 

Why do DAYLIGHT running lights remain lit when the normal lights are switched on, by definition they arent needed as it is no longer daylight either because its got dark or visibility has reduced (fog etc) to such a point that normal lights are needed.

Edited November 26, 2019 by royaloak

[SM42]

1 minute ago, royaloak said:

And why put them where the front fog lights would be making it look as if the car has its fog lights on.

 

Why do DAYLIGHT running lights remain on when the normal lights are switched on, by definition they arent needed as it is no longer daylight either because its got dark or visibility has reduced (fog etc) to such a point that normal lights are needed.

 

Don't they double up as side lights?

 

Having driven many miles in Poland where day time lights are compulsory, they do help to see what's coming down the road towards you a good way off, deciding which side of the road that vehicle is on and whether you should be making a bit of room  is another matter.

 

The clue to the un-neccessary brightness in general  is  the fact they switch off to make indicator more visible.

 

Don't start me on electric handbrakes and automatic headlights and wipers

 

Andy

[jonny777]

40 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

I have never understood the point of DRL's, they just make the driver think the lights are on normally.

 

1 minute ago, royaloak said:

And why put them where the front fog lights would be making it look as if the car has its fog lights on.

 

Why do DAYLIGHT running lights remain on when the normal lights are switched on, by definition they arent needed as it is no longer daylight either because its got dark or visibility has reduced (fog etc) to such a point that normal lights are needed.

 

On my car I have no choice. The DRLs come on when I start the ignition and go off when I turn the ignition off again. There is no over-ride switch. 

 

They do go off when I turn on dipped headlights, because I have experimented while parked in front of my garage door. 

 

However, my car is old and does not have all this dashboard LED nonsense; just old fashioned speed and rev counter dials, and these are not lit when the DRL is on. Therefore, as it begins to get dark I know it is time to turn on the headlamps because I am beginning to have trouble reading my speedo.

 

As for fog lamps, yes I have them; but in 50 years of driving I can count the times I have used them on my fingers (mainly when the visibility is less than 50 metres, which is very rarely in the UK). 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

DRL's may be disabled in the UK via the cars onboard systems.

 

Mike.

[royaloak]

3 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Don't start me on electric handbrakes and automatic headlights and wipers

All needed by people who cant drive!

[jonny777]

1 minute ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

DRL's may be disabled in the UK via the cars onboard systems.

 

Mike.

 

Not on mine it can't. I did search through the handbook. 

[kevinlms]

1 minute ago, jonny777 said:

 

Not on mine it can't. I did search through the handbook. 

Google often finds short cuts and hidden features that don't appear in manuals. Or youtube.

[Reorte]

6 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Don't start me on electric handbrakes and automatic headlights and wipers

 

I've got automatic headlights and wipers but thankfully not an electronic handbrake. At least the automatic lights work, although they're a great example of how utterly ridiculous I find a lot of modern "convenience" to be. All that effort of flicking a switch saved! The wipers on the other hand are just a PITA. The settings are off, auto, and full, no intermittent, and in light rain and light spray they never work as well as an intermittent would, either too fast or (more often) too slow, so I have to have them turned off and keep manually flicking them. The only time they're useful is passing a lorry on the motorway in really heavy rain when they'll kick in to high speed. But really all just more examples of pointlessly high tech for the sake of it.

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 minutes ago, jonny777 said:

 

Not on mine it can't. I did search through the handbook. 

 

Unless the C&U regulations have changed, then they are an option and must be capable of being de-selected.

Maybe the manufacturer has hidden it to make or it more difficult, or, as I suspect, UK vehicles are getting the standard control circuitry which applies to other countries, which, depending on the current C&U regs, is technically illegal?

 

Mike.

[SM42]

Auto headlights are a nightmare. Drive through one of the short well lit tunnels in Brum, go under briodge, past a tree  and the back of the car lights up in red,  person behind hits the brakes before realising that its the headlights coming on, not the brakes, 200 yds behind someone stops as the brake effect ripples through. 

 

In courtesy (I use the word loosely) cars I have had they can be turned off, but the default position is auto.

 

Andy

Edited November 26, 2019 by SM42
spelling

[jonny777]

2 minutes ago, Reorte said:

 

I've got automatic headlights and wipers but thankfully not an electronic handbrake. At least the automatic lights work, although they're a great example of how utterly ridiculous I find a lot of modern "convenience" to be. All that effort of flicking a switch saved! The wipers on the other hand are just a PITA. The settings are off, auto, and full, no intermittent, and in light rain and light spray they never work as well as an intermittent would, either too fast or (more often) too slow, so I have to have them turned off and keep manually flicking them. The only time they're useful is passing a lorry on the motorway in really heavy rain when they'll kick in to high speed. But really all just more examples of pointlessly high tech for the sake of it.

 

Many years ago I had a Mondeo and that had a five speed intermittent wiper setting, which at first I thought to be somewhat overkill; but after a few winter months became invaluable, because in most English weather except a violent thunderstorm the rain is barely heavy enough for the proper continuous wiper setting.

 

The slowest interval was about 15 seconds and they were graded in steps up to about 1 second. This was one of the most useful driving features I have ever had and about the only one that I have missed on cars which only have one intermittent wiper setting. 

[Reorte]

1 minute ago, jonny777 said:

 

Many years ago I had a Mondeo and that had a five speed intermittent wiper setting, which at first I thought to be somewhat overkill; but after a few winter months became invaluable, because in most English weather except a violent thunderstorm the rain is barely heavy enough for the proper continuous wiper setting.

 

The slowest interval was about 15 seconds and they were graded in steps up to about 1 second. This was one of the most useful driving features I have ever had and about the only one that I have missed on cars which only have one intermittent wiper setting. 

The only Ford I've ever had was a Focus, which didn't have that feature, just a straightforward single intermittent setting IIRC. The thing I miss the most from that car is the heated windscreen.

[TheQ]

I've had two fords, an Anglia van and an early sierra when it was ancient, in both cases the wipers worked.. sort of..

Edited November 26, 2019 by TheQ