Drivers without lights on at dusk/night.....WTF???

[Bill M]

Basic road craft skills lost in the narrow mind numbing regime of 'speed kills"

[uniacidz]

Followed car into car park and pulled up at told her that her lights aren't on, at 9pm

She was surprised that they weren't on and then made a phone call I guess asking how to turn on.

She was of Mediterranean decent, hardly any English and driving a Captiva

Now driving a Captiva is a sin, but to be honest, she didn't look like she was raised here also based on her very very very thick accent

I'm guessing international license, visiting and or migrated and maybe license test or even home country wasn't as strict as ours in the testing or dealt with newer cars like above mention about dash lights on all the time.

But yeah end of the day, as all have prior mentioned is a pet hate if mine and I flash like a college girl at a party




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[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by uniacidz

Followed car into car park and pulled up at told her that her lights aren't on, at 9pm

She was surprised that they weren't on and then made a phone call I guess asking how to turn on.

She was of Mediterranean decent, hardly any English and driving a Captiva

Now driving a Captiva is a sin, but to be honest, she didn't look like she was raised here also based on her very very very thick accent

I'm guessing international license, visiting and or migrated and maybe license test or even home country wasn't as strict as ours in the testing or dealt with newer cars like above mention about dash lights on all the time.

But yeah end of the day, as all have prior mentioned is a pet hate if mine and I flash like a college girl at a party




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Absolutely nothing to do with it, 1000's of dinky di f-wits out there doing the same thing every day.....

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by leesa

It's because they can see out of their windscreen and their instruments just fine.
They don't consider that they need lights so that other people can see them.

That.. in my personal opinion.. stems from a greater issue where noone cares about common courtesy in the community anymore.

I have a story that's probably totally unrelated but I'll tell it anyway 'cause I find it really interesting. About a year ago I was heading to a grocery store and as I was walking from the car park to the store, I came across this guy who was walking back to the car park.

We were both walking up against the wall and we both came around the corner at the same time, and both had to come to an abrupt stop as we were both on the same path, else we would have run into each other.

There was that brief moment where someone has to decide to step over and take the another path, and normally I do without hesitation but for ****s and giggles I decided to just wait an extra second or two to see if he would step over instead. He didn't have any bags or anything so it's not like giving way to someone who's trying to get back to their car with heavy groceries.

Anyway, after a couple of seconds it seemed that neither one of us was stepping to the side and so it got super awkward.
After about 5 seconds he does step over so that he can keep walking and gee he was mad. He started ranting and raving about why he should have to get out of the way, why didn't I get out of his way!

It was super interesting but really outlined for me how most people seem to have this expectation that others must move out of their way, but no concern about ever moving out of the way of others.

Did he step to his left or his right?
JP

[uniacidz]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Absolutely nothing to do with it, 1000's of dinky di f-wits out there doing the same thing every day.....

Lol yeh

Just baffles me regardless that drivers can't tell if headlights on or off

I mean at night there is light guiding me, and don't see how some drivers cannot even fathom or understand that there are no vehicle lights projected in front of the vehicle at night

One time however, I flashed a car and copper saw it and saw that the flashed car was driving with no lights on
Best flash ever

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Originally Posted by jpblue1000

Did he step to his left or his right?
JP

He stepped to his left, I stayed up against the wall.
I feel like you're about to tell me there's an unspoken rule that covers this and that I've committed a major social sin.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by leesa

He stepped to his left, I stayed up against the wall.
I feel like you're about to tell me there's an unspoken rule that covers this and that I've committed a major social sin.

No you did good young man. Keep left even when walking! Makes sense of everything and keeps the stars aligned.
Busts my sense of order when I have to divert right!

JP

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

Keep left even when walking! Makes sense of everything and keeps the stars aligned.

I thought so too! I sort of thought he'd just move over so I stayed there but you should have heard him shouting and swearing. I think he took offense, ah well.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by RegSpec

While I agree completely about idiots not using their lights dawn/dusk...
What really gets me are geniuses who insist on driving hard to spot (read; silver,grey,black vehicles) on rainy/foggy/overcast days? ....
What is it with these people?....how hard is it to find the lightswitch?....
I drive a truck and for some reason these knob jockeys seem to love cruising up the freeway and sitting in the spray where they become almost invisible?.....
It's gotten to the stage where at times you just put the blinker on and wait for the horn blast?....

People who hate driving are the type of people who love buying silver and grey cars.
You can't be good at something that you hate doing.

Originally Posted by uniacidz

Now driving a Captiva is a sin, but to be honest, she didn't look like she was raised here also based on her very very very thick accent

I'm guessing international license, visiting and or migrated and maybe license test or even home country wasn't as strict as ours in the testing or dealt with newer cars like above mention about dash lights on all the time.

Other countries have cars too. I don't think someone should use that excuse for not having lights on. If you have a licence, you should know how to use a vehicle you are allowed to drive.

I have driven and owned a few cars that have the speedo lights on all the time, but the entire centre console is dark until you turn your headlights on.

[.:4:.]

Today I was changing light fittings in an underground car park and whilst the work area was lit and barricaded off the car park entry was only lit by emergency lights which are minimal and hardly any cars turned their lights on, yet most proceeded to get on the accelerator more then necessary as soon as the boom gate went up. With no lights on. It was like watching the start of the Melbourne cup. It's not so much reversing cars to look out for. It's the people in suits walking from their cars that are the hazard.

[johnmal]

I totally agree, I am in the Gold Coast and it's unbelievable how many ****ing morons just don't turn on their head lights, they see their dash lights and think that their headlights are on. It's just a matter of time before they T Bone some poor bastard. I do give them a little toot, some get it and turn on their lights the majority 99% just keep driving into the dark. Something has to be done.


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[Streets]

I see so many idiots without their headlights on. And as others have said, it's always dark-coloured cars. This is why they need to legislate so hard, because people are morons. Driving is just a way to get from A to B, they don't think about what they're doing on the way.

These days I drive everywhere with my headlights on, even in daytime. It helps people see me coming. The human brain is wired to recognise faces so I like to think the headlights look like eyes, which makes your car more noticeable. Even if they are a moron who isn't paying attention, the lizard part of their brain recognises the "face" automatically. Or so I hope.

I also like people who pull over on the side of the road and leave their headlights on. That's what parking lights are for... that's why they're called parking lights.

[au350hp]

What I find ironic is 9/10 times, the offender is driving modern cars which have every conceivable automatic feature. I have ridden motorbikes for 30 years and it has been law for headlights to be on at all times for as long as I can remember. I have always thought driver aids just makes lazy drivers out of us. Yes, they have their benefits, but the people that need these features are generally on their mobile phones or sending a txt.

[RegSpec]

Originally Posted by Streets

I see so many idiots without their headlights on. And as others have said, it's always dark-coloured cars. This is why they need to legislate so hard, because people are morons. Driving is just a way to get from A to B, they don't think about what they're doing on the way.

These days I drive everywhere with my headlights on, even in daytime. It helps people see me coming. The human brain is wired to recognise faces so I like to think the headlights look like eyes, which makes your car more noticeable. Even if they are a moron who isn't paying attention, the lizard part of their brain recognises the "face" automatically. Or so I hope.

I also like people who pull over on the side of the road and leave their headlights on. That's what parking lights are for... that's why they're called parking lights.

Agreed 100% there....;)

[johnmal]

So everyone at the end of all this debate, what can we do to make things happen so these morons get the picture


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[au350hp]

I am 50yo. When I was a kid, my old man used to flash hi beams quickly at a motorist who didn't have their lights on and the driver 9 out of 10 times would instantly respond. These days, I do the same thing as my late dad used to and 9 out of 10 times, nothing happens at all. They look at you like your crazy and a few times I have even stopped the car, got out and told them or wound my window down to yell out. They always have this incredulous look on their face or assume your about to attack them. There seems to be two types of offenders I have noticed.

[devilcv8]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

No you did good young man. Keep left even when walking! Makes sense of everything and keeps the stars aligned.
Busts my sense of order when I have to divert right!

JP

To explain the common sense part, it means when walking on the left of a footpath you are either further from traffic or walking the other way close to traffic but facing traffic.

[4vxc]

After reading this it seems obvious why manufacturers have to fit lane departure and collision warning systems

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

No you did good young man. Keep left even when walking! Makes sense of everything and keeps the stars aligned.
Busts my sense of order when I have to divert right!

JP

Being a Londoner you would be well accustomed to keeping left on an Escalator.
Just an unwritten rule that has never taken off in Aus

[au350hp]

Originally Posted by 4vxc

After reading this it seems obvious why manufacturers have to fit lane departure and collision warning systems

Which is even more bizarre considering most offenders are in cars less than 5 years old which supposedly do everything automatically.

[johnmal]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

Which is even more bizarre considering most offenders are in cars less than 5 years old which supposedly do everything automatically.

These morons turn their lights off at the indicator lever or the switch on the dash, instead of just leaving it on Auto, hence the ****widity on these people who cause the accidents.


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[EgoFG]

Just my opinion - this should be policed with a greater points penalty and fine than Speeding <20%

[johnmal]

Originally Posted by EgoFG

Just my opinion - this should be policed with a greater points penalty and fine than Speeding <20%

Definitely, maybe we should tell the police department to focus on this more than speeding


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[au350hp]

Originally Posted by johnmal

These morons turn their lights off at the indicator lever or the switch on the dash, instead of just leaving it on Auto, hence the ****widity on these people who cause the accidents.


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Last year I was driving home up Windsor Rd crossing the M2 Castle Hill direction when a late model euro piloted by an hysterical middle aged woman ran through the exit ramp red light and T boned me, writing off my recently finished rebuilt E series. It has only just occurred tome why I didn't even see her out the corner of my eye...because she didn't have her lights on.

[GASWAGON]

6.00am, semi rural area (plenty of Roo's around) and about 50% daylight.

Older model BMW M3......No fricken lights on.

Drove right up close behind and flashed my high beams.

He did nothing until i passed him on a two lane road into town.

And then.........He turned his lights on.

[Ben73]

I did it, I found the thickest driver I have ever seen just a week ago.

1145pm on the M1 from Sydney to Newcastle. In the middle of no where, not a single street light or car in sight I come up behind a brand new Mazda 3 with no lights on.
It had DRLs on the front but they hardly light up anything. They are like driving with really good parking lights.
I flashed them multiple times and they did nothing. I even turned my lights off and on just after I overtook them and it still didn't click.
My DRLs are quite bright and I couldn't see much when I flicked my lights off for a split second.
I saw their DRL's disappear of into the distance behind me 5 minutes later.
I can somewhat understand someone driving around town with no lights on at midnight, but on a rural highway with literately not a single car or street light in any direction? I have no words. Probably using majority of their brain capacity to remember how to breath.

[uniacidz]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I did it, I found the thickest driver I have ever seen just a week ago.

1145pm on the M1 from Sydney to Newcastle. In the middle of no where, not a single street light or car in sight I come up behind a brand new Mazda 3 with no lights on.
It had DRLs on the front but they hardly light up anything. They are like driving with really good parking lights.
I flashed them multiple times and they did nothing. I even turned my lights off and on just after I overtook them and it still didn't click.
My DRLs are quite bright and I couldn't see much when I flicked my lights off for a split second.
I saw their DRL's disappear of into the distance behind me 5 minutes later.
I can somewhat understand someone driving around town with no lights on at midnight, but on a rural highway with literately not a single car or street light in any direction? I have no words. Probably using majority of their brain capacity to remember how to breath.

Yep seen that all the time in peak night traffic in Sydney and also on the M5, M1, M7, M4 lol

It really does astound me that the person behind the drivers seat and potentially front passenger cannot ascertain that 'hey, those headlights meant to be brighter' and turn on the driving lights.

Now, indicating at roundabouts

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by uniacidz

It really does astound me that the person behind the drivers seat and potentially front passenger cannot ascertain that 'hey, those headlights meant to be brighter' and turn on the driving lights.

You're assuming that they know how to

[uniacidz]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

You're assuming that they know how to

Ok ok ok you got me

I was being assumptive and hopeful

[Kingsley]

Would the problem be that most modern cars have the instrument cluster constantly lit giving the driver the false impression that the headlights are also on? With the cluster lights on maybe the driver is too thick to understand theres a lack of light in front of the vehicle?