Safe Speed Forums

My '91 Golf has the facility to put on the parking lights on one side only. When the ignition is off the indicator switch acts as a light switch.
Is parking with only the offside lights lit legal in the UK?

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I think it always has been as long as I've been driving. The idea is that you illuminate the extremeties of the vehicle, i.e. the corners that stick out into the road, which is why it is strictly illegal not to park inthe direction of traffic flow when there are no street lights, so that reflectors are visible to traffic approaching from behind the parked vehicle,

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Is it working as it should be? I don't have any experience of the Golf but I thought that they illuminated whichever pair of lights the indicator stalk was set to when the ignition was turned off??

Yes. That is what i was trying to say.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

At a guess, it would be legal where sidelights are not required (i.e. streetlit 30mph zones) but illegal where sidelights are required.

It's amazing how such a simple statement can lead to confusion! Do you mean "that's how your lights currently work" or do you mean that only the pair on the right hand side of the car work regardless what you do with the stalk?! (either way, 've no idea about the legalities of using parking light in the UK anyway)!

When the ignition is turned off and the main lighting switch is in the off position the indicator switch is re-functioned as a parking light switch. Putting it to the position that would, when the ignition is switched on, operate the left indicator now operates the left side light-and the left rear-light. Putting it to the position that would, when the ignition is switched on, operate the right indicator now operates the rightr side light-and the right rear-light. In either position the lights are steadily illuminated and do not flash.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

OK, it's working as it should. Still don't know about the legalities though!

Snap! I have a 91 Golf MKII- try this:

Pull into a car park with sidelights on.
Turn off ignition.
Push indicator lever down.

Then wait for a complete stranger to stare at you and switch the head lights off, then on again.

It looks like the car has winked at the stranger!

If only I could post a video of mine doing it, it looks really cool!

text restored by moderator

An even more sensible lady than I already thought

Having frequently left the nearside lamps on when parked at the kerb (the after-market lights on indicator is on the off side circuit) I have taken a pair of side cutters to this circuit

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Thought all VW's had standard parking lights since at least 80's? I assume the after-fit is to over come a fault somewhere.

To the best of my knowledge, parking lights are not a contruction regulation and not tested at MOT. All that means is when in circumstances where the Hghway Code requires the use of parking lights, then side lights should be used if not available.

In theory, in the UK, only the right-hand side lights are required as when parking at night, you must face the "right-way" and therefore only the right-hand side is required!

I after-fitted a "lights-on" buzzer between the Dash Switch and the door light switch. Unfortunately it misses out parking lights circuit and so doesn't warning me when I am parking it up for a week leaving the indicator on!!

By the way mine's called Lord Lucan after a sarcastic remark by a policeman. Does yours have a name?

I had one of them for 6 years, loved it. How ever once you go Jap, you never go back

No I don't name cars because it makes it would make it more painful when you have to put them down

Though as a eco-facist-corporate-Nazi (according to Brossen) perhaps I ought to call it Joseph Goebbels

And I have to ask - what did sarccy plod say?

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

It ain't necessarily so. I had a Honda Accord for three year before returning to VW. But then I like tinkering with auto-electrics

(What a pleasent diversion from the vitriol of the "Charity" thread )

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

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Re: Parking Lights

Postby graball on Sat Dec 20, 2008 10:46 am
I think it always has been as long as I've been driving. The idea is that you illuminate the extremeties of the vehicle, i.e. the corners that stick out into the road, which is why it is strictly illegal not to park inthe direction of traffic flow when there are no street lights, so that reflectors are visible to traffic approaching from behind the parked vehicle,

graball
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Well said Lucy. I said the above ten days ago but he doesn't believe me somehow? Perahps he might start taking some credibility in what I say now!

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

You went BACK to VW after a Honda?? Comparing the golf and current honda and similar ages and milages there is no comparison, but if you like tinkering with auto electricity it must be quite boring just changing a bulb every couple of years.... When the times comes, I'm not sure what to get next. Honda have become allergic to spare wheels

Yep. Partly hankering after my lost youth and partly because I found the Honda rather dull to drive. The VW is much more fun to drive on the twisty country roads which I inhabit and I love the amount of low end torque with the GTI engine. As for electrics - on the Honda three replacement ABS sensors in two years made a bit of a dent in the budget though I did get the fun of repairing the central locking from time to time.

But if I was buying new and to last I wouldn't look at a German car - they just don't seem to understand electrical engineering the way they understand mechanics.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I spoke too soon



I am sorry that i didn't acknowledge your useful reply ten days ago but I never said that I didn't believe you.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Re Lord Lucan: Long story but I mistook a police diesel Astra car for my mates Astra GTi and had a race and wondered why my mate couldn’t keep up. The policemans statement said something like “I observed the speedometer of my vehicle to read 100mph and the car with VRN XX XXX just pulled away from me.” The upshot was I was formally recorded as not guilty of Reckless Driving at the Crown Court and the case made front page of the local rag.
Subsequently another officer stopped me and knew of me and said something like “Alas we have found Lord Lucan.” I never really got it but I assume it was a comparison the Lord Lucan committing a serious crime and “dissappearing”. Or is there something else to the Lord Lucan story?

I also got stopped in a red Fiesta van and the officer asked “Where’s the fire?”. On another occasion I was asked “Who do you think you are? Areton Senna?” to which I was caught hook line and sinker and pointed out that he had recently died. Does anyone else have a funny PC’s opening words?

I also have a Dauhatsu Sprtrak, 80,000 miles and not one single failure. However the engine is courtesy of BMW! But Germans not up to scratch on electronics – one word – Robert Bosch! (well two actually). Think you will find those war crime denying Japs are just very good at copying everyone else. However I was once told that because they are shorter than Europeans, when they are soldering electronics they are closer to the work bench and make a better job – sounds logical to me.

P.S. I would like to say that I am now a reformed driver and a good example of the perfect product of our wonderful criminal justice system!

Well, apologies for the thread hijack and by the way!, but since you asked...

...many years ago, our family had two Reliant estate cars (four-legged ones)! The were almost identical to look at - both white, and they were only one digit different in their registration numbers. My mum used one as a family car and my dad usd the other for work. He was a mobile mechanic and sued to cart all his tools and junk round in the back. Needless to say, it was absolutely filthy! I remember my mum berating him because she'd had to use it one day and had come back with a big oily diagonal stripe across her blouse from the filthy seat belt!

Anyway, one day, my mum was pootling along taking my little brother (who must have been about 3 or 4 at the time) somewhere, when all of a sudden she was stopped by a police patrol car. (That was in the days when they used to have those - now it's just yellow boxes on sticks)! The officer got out, put on his hat and walked over to her car, paused for a second, then leaned in at the window and said "I'm terribly sorry madam, it's not ths car we're after, but another one very like it". She was just about to set off again, when my brother piped up:

"is it a really skanky one with loads of junk in the back"?

"yes son, as a matter of fact, it is".

"that's my dad" (said my little brother, with obvious pride).

"well son, when you get home" (said the copper, desperately trying to keep a straight face!)

"...tell your dad to go and get some road tax"!

(and as a complete "aside", pretty much all my cars have had names)!