How much do you trust an indicator?

[diy_fun_uk]

Whilst I agree mostly with your thoughts I wish that the manufacturers would cause the headlights to be switched off just leaving the parking lights (side lights) on when the handbrake is applied. The amount of school mums (and delivery drivers) who say they don't know where the light switch is when they are parked up with the engine running so they or their children don't get cold when coming out of school. It's so dangerous, particularly when stopped on left hand side of the road to the approaching driver/car. So many people purport to NOT knowing where the lights switch is on the car controls.

I think we're referring to slightly different things. I'd need to double check, however I don't think the daytime running lights on my car emit the same amount of brightness as having low beams on.

I get your point thought re folk sitting facing oncoming traffic with their low beams on.

What you have to remember (not that we're perfect on here ... except for Highwayman of course!) is there are a LOT of folk driving that, in various ways, are verging on clueless.

I was watching a YT vid last night of a guy that works on cars. He had one in for a service and mot. He'd asked the driver 'any issues?' to which they'd replied 'no'. As soon as he drove the car into the service bay he heard a loud clunk clunk clunk. One of the rear springs had failed. As he said, it must have been making a heck of a noise for however long it had failed. So the driver either heard it and thought nothing of it, or as he said, they maybe drive constantly with music blaring so have no clue re noises their vehicle is making.

I'm convinced it doesn't even enter drivers minds re what it's like for oncoming drivers if they're sitting facing them with low beams on.

I class all these people as thick drivers. They might not be thick in day to day life, however when it comes to operating a vehicle (other than the basic task of driving) they're thick. No awareness. Either that or they're arrogant, ignorant or maybe a combo of all.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I think we're referring to slightly different things. I'd need to double check, however I don't think the daytime running lights on my car emit the same amount of brightness as having low beams on.

I get your point thought re folk sitting facing oncoming traffic with their low beams on.

What you have to remember (not that we're perfect on here ... except for Highwayman of course!) is there are a LOT of folk driving that, in various ways, are verging on clueless.

Yes. Most people who consider themselves a lot better than average, usually arent

I was watching a YT vid last night of a guy that works on cars. He had one in for a service and mot. He'd asked the driver 'any issues?' to which they'd replied 'no'. As soon as he drove the car into the service bay he heard a loud clunk clunk clunk. One of the rear springs had failed. As he said, it must have been making a heck of a noise for however long it had failed. So the driver either heard it and thought nothing of it, or as he said, they maybe drive constantly with music blaring so have no clue re noises their vehicle is making.

This happens so regularly you wouldn't believe it

I'm convinced it doesn't even enter drivers minds re what it's like for oncoming drivers if they're sitting facing them with low beams on.

What, there are other people on the road ?

I class all these people as thick drivers.

It's the safest way to drive

They might not be thick in day to day life, however when it comes to operating a vehicle (other than the basic task of driving) they're thick. No awareness. Either that or they're arrogant, ignorant or maybe a combo of all.

Spot on.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I was watching a YT vid last night of a guy that works on cars. He had one in for a service and mot. He'd asked the driver 'any issues?' to which they'd replied 'no'. As soon as he drove the car into the service bay he heard a loud clunk clunk clunk. One of the rear springs had failed. As he said, it must have been making a heck of a noise for however long it had failed. So the driver either heard it and thought nothing of it, or as he said, they maybe drive constantly with music blaring so have no clue re noises their vehicle is making.

My friendly local MOT man, a couple of years ago, when I presented my car for it's annual, showed me a van he had just failed - the front brake disc, had become so worn, it had detached from the hub, that's how it had been driven in.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Almost no drivers are aware that their headlights point left, so when they illegally park facing the oncoming traffic their dipped beam is roughly equivalent to full beam in the faces of those driving along.

 

[morqthana]

That means that you're driving like a prick up their back end even though they're stuck in a convoy or driving at the speed limit, they want you to bugger off and endanger someone else's life.

I do it regularly.

That means you are driving so close, the driver ahead of you is finding it intimidating. They are trying to encourage you to overtake, and perhaps drive on someone else tail.

1) If I'm the one signalled to, it's not because of that - unlike Ivor I don't drive like that.

2) It's more often me signalling, and I'm not often conscious of being driven at like that.

3) Sometimes the front car is driving at under the speed limit, which is their choice. If I'm that driver it could well be because it's a twisty lane I don't know, and so letting someone past can be good for me - a sweeper in front who does know the road can let me go faster.

4) Even if I am at the speed limit I'll signal someone, particularly a motorcyclist - must be good for them to know I've seen them and am expecting the overtake.

5) If it's a convoy, a car behind can FO. But sadly when leaving the gap to the next vehicle that you should that looks big enough to bell ends for them to overtake you and drop into.

 

[Diver Fred]

What about, when driving along a road, the person in front of you putting their LH indicator on as an invitation to overtake?

It's something I well understood but with most cars now following the German principle* that a 'light' touch onto the indicator lever instead of causing one pulse on the L/H indicator it causes 3 pulses. And as somemany people no longer understand indicators it probably means even less in the UK.

* I understand it is to indicate (I'm changing lanes) Lane change.

 

[Notch7]

Many other 'features' of modern cars I could do without though.

I find the auto dimming rear view mirror a bit questionable, it does stop the dazzling but then you can easily think there’s nothing behind you.

I do like the puddle lights that modern cars have - the light at the bottom of the door mirror, that’s a handy feature.

I’m never sure if I like the auto speed wipers, they always seem to let the windscreen get too much covered in rain.

 

[Brigadier]

It's something I well understood but with most cars now following the German principle* that a 'light' touch onto the indicator lever instead of causing one pulse on the L/H indicator it causes 3 pulses. And as somemany people no longer understand indicators it probably means even less in the UK.

* I understand it is to indicate (I'm changing lanes) Lane change.

Not fully clicking the indicator stalk caused one of my cars to require it replacing.
The contacts burned out.

 

[Diver Fred]

I think we're referring to slightly different things. I'd need to double check, however I don't think the daytime running lights on my car emit the same amount of brightness as having low beams on.

I get your point thought re folk sitting facing oncoming traffic with their low beams on.

From what I remeber (sadly i'm are talking bulb wattage here)
a parking light bulb was 5Watts
a DRL bulb was either 18 or 21 watts

But today those illuminations are measured in Lumens and I don't know what the C&U reg's say, sorry.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I find the auto dimming rear view mirror a bit questionable, it does stop the dazzling but then you can easily think there’s nothing behind you.

I do like the puddle lights that modern cars have - the light at the bottom of the door mirror, that’s a handy feature.

I’m never sure if I like the auto speed wipers, they always seem to let the windscreen get too much covered in rain.

My 'new' car is either still too old and/or not of sufficient spec to have these