Fog

[ajlelectronics]

Tell me, is fog invisible to some drivers (quite a lot of them in white Transits), or is it that they enjoy the "frisson" of suddenly appearing unlit, out of the murk at the last moment? Maybe it is some sort of Halloween thing to scare other drivers?

 

[GW8IZR]

Part of this is a penalty of automatic lights - unfortunately the sensor thinks its light enough to not need lights and sadly the automatic sensor has replaced the common sense part of most drivers

 

[ajlelectronics]

Part of this is a penalty of automatic lights - unfortunately the sensor thinks its light enough to not need lights and sadly the automatic sensor has replaced the common sense part of most drivers

That might explain the first twonk who appeared out of the murk displaying just those silly fairy lights on the front!

 

[GW8IZR]

The other thing I've noticed (edit - with modern cars) is there is no dash light to tell you the lights are in fact on... 'er indoors Volvo dash is lit up like a Christmas tree when you turn on the electrics yet outside just DRL.. so no lights at the back and all looks well from the drivers seat. There is a tiny green LED on the light switch but you wouldn't really notice it unless you looked carefully.

My Hilux has a carefully positioned wooly hat over the sensor and the lights just come on with the key, after too many years driving in Scandinavia I feel naked without the lights on

(edit - added to make more sense )

 

[ChrisJ]

There also seems to be a marked decline in the use of indicators too, grr another pet hate of mine.

 

[Kayos]

I saw something appear out of the fog, too late to miss it so I disposed of it myself

 

[Ton-up]

Brilliant....yours?

 

[Kayos]

Brilliant....yours?

Sadly no, stolen from Facebook but as I drive the same van I sent it to a few friends over the weekend

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Should of seen the stay at home mums and the Chelsea tractor drivers today in Wiltshire.

No lights, still parking right outside schools on a blind bend.
Yes fog is invisible to a lot of drivers.

Oh yes, to the Virgine Van driver on the A350.
The reason we were going slow, as you found out was a dumb cyclist, on a white bike with no lights.
As you found out as you over took the 6 of us, Did you get upset when the on coming cars flipped you off.

Don't worry, you have bean reported to the police and I am sure Mr W. will be claiming for a new wing mirror and repairs to his Civic.


Ok.
Rant over, time for a smoothing coffee.

 

[bletchmonster]

Common sense, manners, etiquette and general consideration for others is rapidly becoming a thing of the past for a lot of drivers.

 

[Jim Davey]

My friend had a Seat Leon, same thing with the dash, lit up like Blackpool seafront as soon as you turn the key. We pulled off his well lit driveway and out of his well lit housing estate, drove round a few well lit roundabouts and onto a (you guessed it) well lit motorway, and got all the way from Whitely to Portsmouth before twigging we had no lights on. Dash lighting should not come on unless the vehicles lights are on, it's so easy to be fooled into thinking all is well.

 

[Robotstar5]

Dash lighting should not come on unless the vehicles lights are on, it's so easy to be fooled into thinking all is well.

The downside on my car is all the instuments are invisible until the dash lights up...

And a trick some of my older Land Rovers had, was the ability to switch the dash lights off while the exterior lights were on.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

time for a smoothing coffee.

You're having waaaay too much of that stuff...........

And am I alone in having dash lights/display which can be dimmed using a rheostat thumb wheel?

I'm astonished at the number of vehicles in poor visibility with DRLs like searchlights, the drivers of which either don't realise, nor care, that they have no lights on the rear.

 

[voipio]

Since most of the rest of the world is unlit, slowing down to match those conditions, and not relying on the lighting arrangements of oncoming cars to set one's speed by, is the way to go. I have to remind myself that this is how it should be.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Since most of the rest of the world is unlit, slowing down to match those conditions, and not relying on the lighting arrangements of oncoming cars to set one's speed by, is the way to go. I have to remind myself that this is how it should be.

Of course. It is still disconcerting to have a vehicle suddenly appear though.

 

[GW8IZR]

Since most of the rest of the world is unlit, slowing down to match those conditions, and not relying on the lighting arrangements of oncoming cars to set one's speed by, is the way to go. I have to remind myself that this is how it should be.

Always drive to the conditions, but then 'most' of the unlit world is stationary, not barrelling along at speed toward you with no lights on.

 

[Shox Dr]

Lived in Wotton Basset 25yrs ago. Got up one morning to find thick fog, I couldn't find see to find my van in the carpark it was that bad...
It's only 2ish miles to the M4 (j16 istr) but because of the fog, I didn't know how far away I was to the m/way junction. That was until I could hear the sound of screaming tyres and loud thuds of cars ramming into the back of the one in front.

Turned round a went home...moved back uoop narf as soon as we could. Its just as bad up here now

 

[rtbcomp]

...

And a trick some of my older Land Rovers had, was the ability to switch the dash lights off while the exterior lights were on.

A lot of old cars did that, it was to save the battery when you're parked up.

I remember driving my Dad's metro at night once, the dim-dip was brighter than my Landrover SIII main beams and I didn't realise I didn't have the headlamps switched on until I got home

 

[Robotstar5]

A lot of old cars did that, it was to save the battery when you're parked up.

Back in the days when you needed parking lights overnight

 

[rtbcomp]

^^ Those that clipped onto the window, and the later ones that put the sidelights on on one side of the vehicle if you switched the ignition off with the indicator switch set to that side.