Daytime Headlights
Submitted: Sunday, Dec 15, 2002 at 01:00
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Bob Y.
What is everyone's thoughts on running headlights on low beam during the day. And I don't mean the sporty set with fog lamps on. Does it annoy you, or is it a useful safety tool?
On dusty roads it seems superfluous, with dust billowing for
miles, but there are regular fatalities, where vehicles collide in dust, often at high speed.
With many vehicles these days being in dark, or inconspicuous colours, it is often difficult to see them, even on long, straight roads. With lights on, they are more easily seen.
Reply By: Goodsy - Sunday, Dec 15, 2002 at 01:00
Sunday, Dec 15, 2002 at 01:00
Carn't see any thing wrong with headlights in the day time. Dawn and dusk are very a dangerous time for darker coloured cars.
Funny I seem to turn my lights on before other people in black, dark green, gunmetal
grey cars, and I drive a car thats fire truck red.
Turn your lights on you wouldn't believe how invisible you are.
AnswerID:
9724
Reply By: Hedonist - Sunday, Dec 15, 2002 at 01:00
Sunday, Dec 15, 2002 at 01:00
I'm a believer Bob.
Defence rider training for motorcyclists have long advocated riding with headlights on to improve visibility - the same goes for cars, especially in darker colours. (Dark Green seems to be worst than most for visibility)
When you round a corner to find a vehicle coming towards yoiu on the wrong side of the road, it takes the brain a little while to make sense of what's going on -
1. Recognise that shape as a car....
2. Work out whether it's getting bigger or smaller....
3. Calculate the trajectories involved.... (Oh sh*t)
4. Decide on evasive action.....(Ahhrrrgggg!)
When the car has headlights on your brain skips straight to step 3.... That's my theory, and I drive with my lights on just in case it's true!( Gotta make sure it's low beam though)
Cheers,
Pete
AnswerID:
9728
Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Pete, As much of my highway driving, heading to coast from west Qld, is done in a semi alert state, I need all the help I can get to go straight to step 3. Wife and I only drive in daylight hours these days, to reduce chance of driving while over tired. Just hope my lights will kickstart the oncoming drivers to that level as
well. High beam during the day is a bit over the top, eh! Regards...
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Cruiser1 - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Yep, been doing it for many years, ever since I started riding motor bikes back in the sixties. I don't mind being seen in plenty of time!
As far as dust is concerned, I used to regularly drive the Nullarbor in those days. After a few scares with people trying to overtake trucks in the dirt, I always made sure I did the dirt bit during the night, that way I stood a better chance of seeing the idiots! And interestingly I never hit any roos on the dirt bit either - just LOTS of rabbits!
Which reminds me, I actually saw a couple of elephants wandering around at Cocklebiddy one trip but that was in the day time.........
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Old Soldier - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
G'da Bob,
It's a good habit to get into. Makes oncoming traffice that would normally fade into the background heat haze so much easier to pick up.
From memory the practice was first introduced in Australia by the [now defunct] Pioneer bus company wasy back in the early sixties.
Their press release on the subject at the time reflected on visibility issues - especially as their colouring at the time was a sort of gunmetal
grey, and blended too easily into the background..
The habit was picked up by many experienced long distance drivers, and the facts supporting the visibility issue were so strong that Volvo installed high intensity, "permanently on", day time running lights in the mid 70s
The funny thing is that even after all this time, people still flash at you. I just smile and wave :) :)
regards
DennisN
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Dennis, I too am old enough to remember those old Greyhounds, Think they were imported from the states, and had Gm's in the back. Someone better correct me if I'm wrong?
There used to be one broken down on the road between Auvergne station and
Timber Creek, back in early 70's. Think the running gear went missing, suppose the works and jerks buried it when they put the bitumen through there?
yeah, Dennis we get flashed a fair bit too, and often get cheery waves on outskirts of towns, people thinking we are alerting to a 'flash for cash' not far ahead. Course we just wave back. talk to you later, regards...
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Follow Up By: Old Soldier - Tuesday, Dec 17, 2002 at 01:00
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2002 at 01:00
G'day Bob,
Greyhound - now there's a name from the past. you still see them running in Qld, but McCaffertys of
Toowoomba own them now as they went broke after lisitng on the stock market.
McCaffertys have conquered all before them in the bus industry.
Poor old Pioneer are long gone, I think that old Sir Reg Ansett started them back in the year dot.
regards
DennisN
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Reply By: Truckster - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
On dusty roads it seems superfluous, with dust billowing for
miles, but there are regular fatalities, where vehicles collide in dust, often at high speed.
Anyone who drives at high speed in conditions that dont suit it like fog, dust etc, deserve to lose...
With the dust on the weekend, headlights helped once when there was oncoming car, but that was only due to the fact that I stopped and let the dust settle... Not worth the risk to my family..
YMMV
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Truckster, my point about lights being superfluous, was not
well worded, I meant you can see approaching vehicles for
miles, but it's still wise to have them on once in the dirty stuff. Attended an accident north of Isa, where 2 vehicles hit, headlight to h/light. One fatality, one bloke with broken vertabae, and a third with leg injuries near as bad as yours. A baby survived without a scratch, she was in the footwell. All happened because of no lights, and they didn't move over to left a bit. Catch you later...
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Reply By: Member - Andrew - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
On a slightly different point I get REALLY REALLY REALLY annoyed with the idiots that drive with parkers-only at night and/or in the drizzle.makes it REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to see out the back/side window against other motorists lights. PLEASE turn em on!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Does any one know how to send advice to future ADR recomendations?????????????? Like not allowing parkers only while driving for instance. Another one would be to wire up the standard rear tail lights as
well as those stupid bumper lights (which are too low anyway).
Time to get off my soapbox_getting dizzy
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Reply By: johnsy - Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 16, 2002 at 01:00
yeah turn em on be seen to many people driving around with the
seat laid way back being cool but are half asleep and while talking safety lets increase speed limits out of the doze zone 90/110 k ond make people drive instead of steer fatigue kills not speed .nulla, western qld ,top of the west,stuart sa,
hay plains nsw,off my soap box cya
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