Turn your headlights on!

[kiva]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-az1smQMWHYk/unsafe_driving/

Watching that video is heart breaking. Maybe if everyone realised how easily an accident can occur, the roads would be safer.

As for headlights, ours stay permanently on when driving. I think its better to be seen.

[Bird]

Still hard to believe how many people dont turn lights on when its dull, dark or wet... is it cause many cars have a setting of "auto" on and people just assume?

[manchu]

is it cause many cars have a setting of "auto" on and people just assume?

The only problem with my auto lights  is when I use the mrs car  I forget to turn the manual headlights on.   It has really bright DRLs,  which is good I guess, but probably why I don't quickly realise the headlights aren't on. 

My biggest light gripe these days is auto high beams.   Around the dark windy roads near my place I'm constantly being blinded by cars that come around a corner with their high beams on for a second or 2 before dipping.     

I'm not sure but I reckon the auto dipping doesn't work until it actually sees the oncoming headlights ,  whereas a person will see the environment around being lit up, realise there's a car around the bend and dip earlier.    Or they wouldn't be using high beams at all,  because they're really not much benefit on the roads in question, IMO.

[Bird]

My biggest light gripe these days is auto high beams.

Never knew there was such a Shit idea out there LOL

Do we really need all these "Auto" things to successfully drive a car?? Auto high beam? WTF?
Like auto park assist? if you cant park a car, hand your license in.

[manchu]

Never knew there was such a Shit idea out there LOL

Do we really need all these "Auto" things to successfully drive a car?? Auto high beam? WTF?
Like auto park assist? if you cant park a car, hand your license in.

There sure is.   https://www.toyota.com.au/toyota-safety-sense/automatic-high-beam

No we don't need all the features,  but you're going to get them regardless sooner or later because a lot of new car buyers seem to think they're a must have so manufacturers will keep adding to more and more cars.     

The one that I just don't understand the fuss over is adaptive cruise control.    If I set my cruise I want it to stay on the speed I set,  not adjust to the guy in front doing 2kmh less.     I'm perfectly capable of reducing the speed myself,  or preferably changing lanes to overtake if its clear.   

[Bird]

There sure is.   https://www.toyota.com.au/toyota-safety-sense/automatic-high-beam

No we don't need all the features,  but you're going to get them regardless sooner or later because a lot of new car buyers seem to think they're a must have so manufacturers will keep adding to more and more cars.     

The one that I just don't understand the fuss over is adaptive cruise control.    If I set my cruise I want it to stay on the speed I set,  not adjust to the guy in front doing 2kmh less.     I'm perfectly capable of reducing the speed myself,  or preferably changing lanes to overtake if its clear.

These people would blow their brains out jumping into an EH or XY....

[#jonesy]

Auto high beam is more complex than the Toyota link. 
BMW will dip the portion of the light that will hit the oncoming car.  The left side of the road is still high beam, the opposite direction section is low beam and the trees to the right are in high beam until the car gets closer.  It's weird to get used to and at first feels like there are a couple of little men hiding under the bonnet with search lights.

[GeoffA]

These people would blow their brains out jumping into an EH or XY....

Bring back the floor mounted dipper switch....

[bmwfreak]

1995, suburban road in Salisbury, QLD, I was on the way home from work at 21:30 riding an MC that was wired for lights on at all times (they were working). I was approaching an intersection, with traffic lights, at the bottom of a hill. Lights changed to green when I was approx 100m from the intersection, doing between 50-60kph. Front car in turning lane, opposite direction, went through no worries. I approached the intersection and the second car in the turning lane went, with me approx 5m away. I had time to swerve 1m to the right, meaning my bike and I somersaulted  over his boot, rather than plowing into the rear passenger door. Laying flat on my back, listening to conversations, the guy who pulled across in front of me told the police ‘I didn’t see him’.
Lights on are great, if you are dealing with drivers with half a brain!!!!

[Spada]

Auto high beam is more complex than the Toyota link. 
BMW will dip the portion of the light that will hit the oncoming car.  The left side of the road is still high beam, the opposite direction section is low beam and the trees to the right are in high beam until the car gets closer.  It's weird to get used to and at first feels like there are a couple of little men hiding under the bonnet with search lights.

Same same for Mrs Spada's Mazda, but they are quite sensitive to ambient light. Street lights and reflection from some road signs are enough for it to dip, and when it senses oncoming light it dips the drivers side only at first and angles the passengers highbeam off to the left a bit until it detects enough light to dip them both. I was skeptical of all the fancy "aids" at first, but have grown to really like them. I'm particularly fond of the way it angles the lights towards the direct of a turn. As for the adaptive cruise, I recon it's pretty cool. Come up behind a slower car and it just matches it's speed until you either change lanes or deliberately accelerate and overtake. Soon as you've taken your foot off the go pedal and it's clear ahead and, it just goes straight back to the speed it was set on. I get the whole "good old days" argument of needing to be in control of every little thing, but surely having to do less in the cockpit so you can focus more on the surroundings is a good thing? And yes, I remember having a floor dipper, but I also remember the Lucas lights high beam in those days had two settings. Off, and might as well be.

[plusnq]

And yes, I remember having a floor dipper, but I also remember the Lucas lights high beam in those days had two settings. Off, and might as well be.

Lucas the Prince of Darkness 😂😂😂😂

[Rodt]

As for the adaptive cruise, I recon it's pretty cool. Come up behind a slower car and it just matches it's speed until you either change lanes or deliberately accelerate and overtake. Soon as you've taken your foot off the go pedal and it's clear ahead and, it just goes straight back to the speed it was set on.

I was speaking to a bloke a few months ago who reckoned that it was dangerous in drizzly rain conditions. When I asked why he said it kept activating when there was actually no traffic in front of him at all

Don't know if it is still that the technology needs some refinement or not

[corndog]

Got to drive to the conditions. If its raining and your doing 5 or 10 klms faster than what you think is safe its not adaptive cruise control at fault.Tap your foot on the brake or turning it off will disable cruise control  until you reactivate it so don't see the point that it goes back to the speed it was set on is a problem.

[Fizzie]

it was dangerous in drizzly rain conditions. When I asked why he said it kept activating when there was actually no traffic in front of him at all

Don't know if it is still that the technology needs some refinement or not

If its raining and your doing 5 or 10 klms faster than what you think is safe

I wonder if, just possibly, it's doing what it's (secretly) designed to by slowing you down when it's raining

[Rodt]

Wasn't there Fizzie so going off what he said. I suppose there is rain and there is rain.

Slight drizzle should be no drama driving to the speed limit. I reckon the biggest issue for him was the fact that he wasn't expecting it to occur so it startled him

[doc evil]

All these "aids" are doing is creating a society of nonthinking idiots who rely on the aids instead of "driving".

Then, as their brain cells have deteriorated, are blaming the aids for their cockups..........

Partial dipping headlights............WTF, dip the FN things properly.......
Adaptive cruise.........again WTF, lift ya foot off the accelerator.........
Lane control............another WTF, concentrate on what you are doing and how you are driving.......

Are any of these (and others) really "safety" aids? I don't believe so as they are taking the cognitive function of operating a motor vehicle away from the driver and thus the driver relies on these "aids" to drive for them.............really, are we becoming that lazy?

[Bird]

All these "aids" are doing is creating a society of nonthinking idiots who rely on the aids instead of "driving".

Then, as their brain cells have deteriorated, are blaming the aids for their cockups..........

Partial dipping headlights............WTF, dip the FN things properly.......
Adaptive cruise.........again WTF, lift ya foot off the accelerator.........
Lane control............another WTF, concentrate on what you are doing and how you are driving.......

Are any of these (and others) really "safety" aids? I don't believe so as they are taking the cognitive function of operating a motor vehicle away from the driver and thus the driver relies on these "aids" to drive for them.............really, are we becoming that lazy?

add reverse park assist....
what happens when these things all fail   Would be comedy capers.

[Fizzie]

really, are we becoming that lazy?

In a word - Yes!

Add in auto headlights so you don't have to think it's getting dark, & auto windscreen wipers so you don't have to think that you can't see where you're going.

what happens when these things all fail   Would be comedy capers.

Read a letter to the Editor in the RACQ mag "several" years ago. Not exact wording, but along the lines of:

"Our daughter learnt to drive in our BMW M3, equipped with all the bells & whistles & passed her test fine. A little while later, she was out with her cousin, driving his "old" Torana {his words, but didn't specify what it was?}, when somebody didn't stop at a roundabout. She slammed on the brakes, which immediately locked up, she lost all steering, & the car skidded straight into the other vehicle"

He went on to say that kids should learn to drive without any assistance, so they don't rely on it.

[manchu]

He went on to say that kids should learn to drive without any assistance, so they don't rely on it.

Or there should be specific license for 'full assist vehicles' only  like there is for auto trans.


 

[Hairs]

Last Thursday,
I traveled from the Lawrence Ferry(Woodford Island Rd) to Maclean, typical for this time of year to have fog that heavy off you can't see 40 odd meter in front of you.
The five vehicles in front of me Did Not have their lights on, many vehicles that were traveling the other way didn't either.

[Troopy_03]

Last Thursday,
I traveled from the Lawrence Ferry(Woodford Island Rd) to Maclean, typical for this time of year to have fog that heavy off you can't see 40 odd meter in front of you.
The five vehicles in front of me Did Not have their lights on, many vehicles that were traveling the other way didn't either.

Use ya windscreen wipers mate. A lot of that is on the screen..

[Hairs]

Use ya windscreen wipers mate. A lot of that is on the screen..

No it's not.
It looks like it is, but it's not, just drove under trees, few drops.
But you don't know that?
Beside, dirty windscreen or not, these dickheads don't have their lights on, but that's cool, just like dickheads don't need to use their blinks, cause they know where they're going
But hey, chip me

[Troopy_03]

No it's not.
It looks like it is, but it's not, just drove under trees, few drops.
But you don't know that?
Beside, dirty windscreen or not, these dickheads don't have their lights on, but that's cool, just like dickheads don't need to use their blinks, cause they know where they're going
But hey, chip me

Lights on or not, the part marked shows your screen is pretty hard to see through. Certainly much safer when you can see through your windscreen.   

[Hairs]

Man, you'll just have to believe me, seeing through my windscreen was fine, driving into the sun, the camera is mounted at the top of the windscreen where the wipers don't cross in front of the rear vision mirror.
But, hey.

[Troopy_03]

Man, you'll just have to believe me, seeing through my windscreen was fine, driving into the sun, the camera is mounted at the top of the windscreen where the wipers don't cross in front of the rear vision mirror.
But, hey.

Yep, good point. The cam only shows through the top part of the screen, which may be obscured while the rest of the screen is clear.. I get ya.. But did you have your lights on? .... kiddin...