Typical! I should have read the Highway Code before posting. It seems that all these people I get so angry with, are only doing what the DfT advocate.
PeterE wrote:
If you actually are "old" you will remember that in the 1960s and before it was the norm to drive on sidelights at night in lit urban areas.
It would seem that is still what we should do…
Quote:
Highway Code rule 113
You MUST
· ensure all sidelights and rear registration plate lights are lit between sunset and sunrise
· use headlights at night, except on a road which has lit street lighting. These roads are generally restricted to a speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h) unless otherwise specified
· use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226)
Night (the hours of darkness) is defined as the period between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise).
Quote:
rule 226
You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet).
This is a seriously stupid rule. How do we define ‘cannot see’? Does it mean we can’t see anything beyond 100m, or that we can’t see anything clearly, or that we can’t see another vehicle unless it has it’s headlights on?
But whatever it means, 100m is a ridiculously poor visibility threshold. The HC tells us that at 70mph our Typical Stopping Distance is 96m, yet they tell us not to bother with headlights until we can’t see less than 4m beyond that distance. THAT’S ONLY 1 CAR LENGTH! Are they completely barking? (Rhetorical question!)
Anyway - sorry to all those I got angry with this morning. According to the Highway Code, I'm not supposed to see you.