Dipping High Beam

Here is a handy spot for all Oz road rules

that depends on your lights!

I was quoting the law- it doesn't depend on your lights :-)

The law says no CLOSER than, so if you have good lights dip em earlier I guess is the message. Mr Plod says you have to have them dimmed if you are closer than 200 m

Don't quite agree with dipping when you see someones tail lights as that can be as far as 2 kilometers away leaving you driving in a black hole until you catch up.
Instead I dip when my headlights illuminate the white post reflectors beside the car I'm following. 300m is the law so 600m is more than courteous.
Cheers Craig..........

Dipping to oncoming traffic in Victoria is 300 metres minimum, OR when the other driver dips his lights, no matter how far away he is!

We were just commenting on following others. How does one dip their tail lights anyway? Cheers Craig...........

Does the word "oncoming" mean anything to you?

The reply that we followed up said "approaching or following"

I also tell the trucks to keep the high beam on, just kill the spotties 'til I get a bit further ahead... No-one likes driving on country roads with no light.

I also dip as soon as I see tail lights and as you do just kill the spotties when circumstance dictates. It can be a fine line between courtesy & safety...

I get caught out by truckies a fair bit unlike most here in the West I like to dip my lights before they shine in the eyes but on hill roads (doesnt need to be that hilly ) the poor old truckys head is above the horizon well before his lights and seeing as they usually dip early too I sometimes miss them untill I see their lights in which time they have been dazzeled for a few seconds

Me too. Works well dunnit!

One day you'll do it to a police car, then you'll know how good it is!

Yeah? well they should know better

Man, I hate those foglight/driving light fellas also. I always give them some high beam to make a point.

Otherwise I am on the courteous side. I always drop high beam when coming up behind another and always before someone heading towards me.

If plod wants to drive up my arse with his high beams on, he deserves it same as anyone else.

Sarge +V8 , with your sentiments no freeking wonder that 4x4 drivers get a bad rap , having the extra reversing lights independantly wired will null and void any insurance that you have, dic- heads the pair of you.

Alloy, what's you're problem mate? Ever seen a.......

1. Ambulance
2. Police Car
3. Fire truck
4. Taxi
5. Rubbish truck
6. Any truck
7. ARB / TJM / ORE / OL catalogue
8. Council / shire vehicle
9. Mine vehicle
10. ............???????????/ need I go on.

Commercially registered, commercially insured vehicles are allowed to have work lights, in fact it is a requirement in many occupations for OHS (and commonsense). If someone is driving behind me at night with their high beam / spotlights on they'll cop a quick taste of their own medicine. It is no different to 'flashing' an oncoming driver who has neglected to dim his lights.

What would you suggest, write them a letter? Do a Yuri Gellar and 'will' their Lightforces off? Stop and fold alll my mirrors in?

Alloy, best scamper back inside and grab your floral umbrella and flock lined rubber boots, it would appear the sky is falling.

So V8 by your reconing 2 wrongs make a right ?? so when you flash your illegal reversing lights ,note I said reversing not work light , and you totaly blind the driver behind you ,you say thats ok ?? he or she deserves it for failing to dip their high beam ??? as I said before YOU are a d-ck head who gives 4x4 a bad name.

V8 , obviously Alloy d/h is one of these wankers we are talking about.
The floodlights I use are Hella 1533. 55W is no brighter than a standard low beam. These are designed to give a short ,wide area illumination. They are not spotlights as such that Alloy d/h mistakenly think that they are, but they do get the message across.
End of arguement

Rule 219.
Lights not to be used to dazzle other road users
A driver must not use, or allow to be used, any light fitted to or
in the driver’s vehicle to dazzle, or in a way that is likely to
dazzle, another road user.
Offence provision.

Sarge bet you are not game to use your "standard low beam 55w " on your arse when MR plod or the MRD /RTA is about ,are you , your just your "I dont give a ---- for the law or safety of others" type of d-ch head ,what message are u trying to get across ?? OOOOOW I own the road so dont f--k with me ,egomaniacs like youself belong in 1 of 2 places, Goal or the cemetery ,where your callus regard for other road users will end up, ,,{and just for your own info a very good mate of mine is now a paraplegic because some dic-he-d like YOU flashed on an illegal 55w light on the back of their 4x4 while doing 100klm ,total blindness for less than 5seconds} think about it while your arse gets stretched in goal.

a quick flash will not dazzle, I wish there was some way to apologise when (on the rare occasion) I have been flashed due to being a bit slow - sometimes when someone is doing the right thing and dips early before the corner/crest, and I don't see them until a bit late. Sometimes I wish I could give a gentle reminder to vehicles behind me.......but sooner or later they pass......

Cheers Andrew

So lets get this straight Alloy. How about a quick hypothetical followed by a simple yes / no.

Q.1 - What do you do when driving at night and an oncoming vehicle has failed to dip his high beams / spots? (Have you ever driven in the country at night may be a more pertinent question to start off with come to think of it.)

Q.2 - Do you have correctly adjusted rearview and wing mirrors?

I await your response with interest.

V8 your hypothetical has ABSOLUTLY NOTHING to do with the fact you condone breaking the law with YOUR illegal lights , illegal lights that you use to blind drivers who are BEHIND you , Q1 ,yes I do drive in the country at night ,and when vehicles APPROACHING from the FRONT fail to dip their lights I curse and swear under my breath while averting my eyes down and left so as not to lose vision .
Q2 .and yes they are adjusted correctly ,, a short sharp tap on the brakes soon stops a h/beam/spot without BLINDING.

My hypothertical has a hell of a lot to do summing you up and seeing the cut of your jib Alloy. Got a new name for you now....FLANDERS!!!

The fact you advocate looking away from the road for any amount of time at a closing velocity of 220km/h clearly indicates what an incompetetant driver you must be. Even my neighbour's chook could tell you that is an idiotic, highly dangerous and grossly irresponsible course of action. Don't just sit there, DO SOMETHING you spanner. You simply cannot be for real can you?

Why curse under your breath....huh, what's that all about. God botherer by any chance are we Alloy? Let me give you the tip, old Hughie aint gonna help you when you put the Tojo and camper onto the shoulder at 100km/h.

Next one is just as ridiculous as the first. Hopping on the brakes!!! And you have the audacity to call me a bleep . Flanders, that's called roadrage...pure and simple.

Rather than continuing to criticise you Flanders (which is all too easy considering the ammunition you thoughtfully provide), I'll try and be constructive here. The conventional method employed by road users Australia wide to alert an oncoming vehicle which has failed to dim its headlights is a quick 'flash'. This technique is used frequently by the Police for this problem, as well as to alert drivers to other transgresions such as speeding etc.

Another one that may have evaded your limited intellect is the courtesy gesture of two flashes of the indicator when safely past a truck to say thankyou when they've sent you through using the same method. Bet you've never done that either.

Here's another - a quick flash of the lights when a triple or double road train has overtaken you to let the driver know the last trailer is clear. (Yes Virginia, there are times when truck overtake smaller vehicles).

Anyway Alloy, I'm sick of your childish and petulant attitude and aggressively rude postings. Go Baygon your glovebox or Glen Twenty the mudflaps or something. If that won't do it for you, Im sure you've got plenty of other things to do like writing letters of complaint to the council or local newspaper about trees that drop leaves or dogs that bark or children that park their bikes in the wrong spot at the shops etc. Take your self righteous whining, whinging and incessant bleating elsewhere you pencil necked twit.

BTW, for the record, my work lights are 100% legal on my commercially registered vehicle.

Sarg, I've got the twin 55W Hella worklight on a telescopic arm fitted to the back of my LHS Kaymar carrier. Great for reversing, especially with the trailer on and doubles as a you beaut work light for camping.

I swing the carrier 'open' which gives me unrestricted access to the tailgate and have a fold out table that sits next to the vehicle. This setup and the Hella at full stick, it provides a great spread of light - especially handy for cooking. I've set it up so it can switched from either the drivers seat or direct from the back carrier which is ideal.

V8 ,you have the hide to call a tap on the brakes "road rage" ,news for you pal you lighting up REVERSING LIGHT or as you so adamantly claim legal work light into the eyes of FOLLOWING vehicles is not only dangerous but downright stupid ,,as for "flashing" lights to ONCOMMING traffic to warn of a police presence ,,READ your road rules ,,is now a $180 +3points ,,yes there is courtesy ,not deliberatly BLINDING the vehicle behind you ,as I stated previously ,you are an irresponsible D-CKH-AD. try just try to justify YOUR causing the vehicle behind you to crash by your illegal actions.,, the car behind gives you the sh=ts because they failed to dip their lights so you think its ok to BLIND them ,,yeah right whatever ,during the day why dont you do the same to the tailgater ,4/5lt of oil ,or a kg of tacks ,get these people off my arse ,who gives a rats if I kill someone ,they were behind.

Well said Shaker, I agree and I am now self moderating.

Got better things to do.

V8 "out"