Safe Speed Forums

Having been in front of my own Focus, I can categorically state that they are far too bright.

Why is there no means of adjustment on xenons?

Because cocks (not you, obviously) would then turn them up as high as possible?

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Yeah, you've got a point, but I'd love to turn mine down. My car having no suspension to speak of tends to do a very good imitation of flashing the car in front every time I drive over a drain cover.

The set height can be adjusted by a dealer but the concept is that the aim is set accurately in the factory and the self-adjusting mechanism does the rest. No intervention is needed.

Yes, they can look like you are flashing someone as you ride up over a bump but this is due to the severely cut off beam pattern.

_________________
Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

A simple rule of thumb is: if you see the lights before you see the car then the lights are worthwhile.

_________________
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

Having seen your car JtB, you don't need your lights on to be seen by others.

Same with my Motorbike, but for some reason they still don't see me; happened recently in fact.

Out of interest, my lights are always on by design. I think It's by law on all motorbikes???

Big, bright Orange and four lights at the front staring her right in the face, but she still pulled out in front of me!!!

We need a bigger 'bang head' smilie.

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I would suggest that you would always notice the lights before you notice the car, so it's not entirely clear to me how one could see the car before the lights.

_________________
Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

No, I tend to use the same rule as DCB. You're driving along the motorway (say) and you look at the cars as far away as you can see. Can you see the car before the tail lights? If so, it's not worth having your lights on. If not, it might be worth considering. That said, it doesn't work so well when you look in the mirror. Even on pretty bright days you can usually see headlights better than the car they belong to.

In total agreement here, this is what I was always taught ..if cars coming towards you have lights on and they are more easily noticed than those without lights then it's time to switch yours on. I'm usually one of the first to put lights on though.

_________________
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.

I look for the colours of cars against the tarmac/road surface and scenery, any hint of un-clarity and the lights go on.
I do find that I tend to turn lights on ahead of others (too). As I currently have a dark coloured car I am more likely to turn on side lights earlier and also in dull weather.
It concerns me that some dark coloured cars can be so late in turning on their lights. Street lights seem to confuse people as to when to turn them on, as dim-dip was the norm in these conditions, but people seem to often forget when they then go out of lit areas- at least for a while anyway.
I cannot see any point in having my lights on (even side lights) during daylight hours.
If the answer of having lights on all day is one of my 'protection' then I do not see that is necessary.
If someone hasn't 'seen' me, (without lights on), then I have to learn to be aware how to deal with recognising my safety, better, not dumb down my ability to protect myself nor (heaven forbid) give someone else the responsibility to look after me! Altering that fundamental need to recognise danger and the ability to preserve one's own safety,

_________________
Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

Yes that's a good way of putting it - it's the "contrast", rather than the "brightness" that you need.

Dim-dip was only widely used (I think) because drivers had no choice. As soon as the engine was running, you couldn't have just sidelights on, it automatically went to dim-dip. There was some sense in that, although these days, I don't know if you could have something like dim-dip with HIDs. As a feature, it was peculiar to cars used in the UK and the European Commission made us stop demanding them on cars type approved afeter 1996. By the late 1990s, few cars were being built with them.

Why do so many motorcyclists drive around with full headlights in daytime?

_________________
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 that it's a good thing, it certainly makes them more noticeable and something that I would do if I owned a motorbike. Not main beam though,

_________________
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.

Keep up Dave


They physically don't have a light switch, other than main & dipped, the lights are always on by default. I believe it's a European law introduced some years ago..

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Talking to yourself again Tone? Don't suppose anyone else will listen to you

_________________
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

Ya got me this time

I'd already answered your question earlier, if you read it, and expanded on it in my answer to your question.

I haven't screwed up this time dude; look back and read the posts again if you like..

_________________
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Many drivers drive on parking lights in fog and the car is certainly visible before the feeble glow of the light. That is why it is illegal to drive in fog without proper lights. And in bright sunlight, DRLs or D-Ds can be less visible than a light closured car.

_________________
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

1

_________________
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

You explained that you can't turn off the lights on a modern motorcycle. That doesn't explain why riders of older machines use their lights in daytime. Unless it is to make them more conspicuous. And if that is the case for motorcycles why isn't it the same for cars?

And, purely for information, if you don't have a light switch does that mean that motorcycles don't have parking lights?

_________________
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

What is it with these modern black tinted indicator lenses that some manufcturers are fitting now? Quite often these are hard to see in bright sunlight.

_________________
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.