what is this thing with peoplle driving around in the pitch black with just side lights on?

[con1981]

As above, I'm seeing more and more of it surely this isn't legal?

[zollaf]

i'm not sure really but alot of people seem to drive without using main beam too, or is just the generation of fog light users all year round that think it's cool, a new trend maybe

[MalcQV]

If it is a thirty (MPH) zone then you can drive on sidelights, otherwise dipped headlights not Beam headlights

I am getting good at quoting the highway code..

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).

[Redzer]

The mrs has a Zafira and it has a wonderful "feature" where the whole dash lights up when you start the car.

It makes it very easy anywhere there's street lighting to drive off with no lights on at all never mind just side lights.

[Combover]

^^^ My RX8 does that.

It looks identical whether the lights are on or not! Its dead easy to start driving without putting your lights on!

[ScouseNinja]

I may get flamed for this but here goes.

I dont see how it can be possible at all to drive off in the dark with no lights on ? I mean for god sake its bloody abvious if the lights on and its also obvious in the opposite ( regardless of weather your dash illuminates or not). If you cant tell the difference between on and off , then you should have your eyes checked , headlights throw a pattern of light which is easy to see if their is ambient street lighting or not, or try driving with the proper amount of care and attention.

I had a headlight bulb go out the other day while driving , I noticed the difference within a few seconds and had the bulb changed asap , The amount of cars driving round with both a side light AND the same side headlight out defys belief , how the hell can you claim to not have noticed ??

[Combover]

Some people are morons or simply are too preoccupied to notice

I would like to note that, despite my cars dash being the same whether lights are on or not, that I have NEVER (in 11 years of driving) driven off without my lights on.

Incidently, my car has Xenons so would be very easy to notice if I hadn't got them on!

[STEWY L]

and their seems no one around to police it,until the pubs turn out.

[Redzer]

Well according to some people above i'm either blind or worse but i have to admit to driving off in the zafira with the lights off, i did only get a few yards before i noticed but depending on lighting conditions you may not realise it instantly and it only takes a seconds to cause an accident.

Just making the point that an engineer deciding to have the dash light up regardless of whether the lights are on or not is poor design,
as is a fog light switch which doesnt automatically reset when the ignition is turned off and on leaving people driving around for weeks after any mild fog with their rear fog lights on...which really gets me mad

[Ben]

Just making the point that an engineer deciding to have the dash light up regardless of whether the lights are on or not is poor design,
as is a fog light switch which doesnt automatically reset when the ignition is turned off and on leaving people driving around for weeks after any mild fog with their rear fog lights on...which really gets me mad

i agree,

my mk2 punto would reset the fog light if i left it on.

With my golf, the way the light switch is designed, it will only turn off if you turn the fogs off 1st.