hutpik:
Perhaps its time that more countries started making it mandatory to use dipped headlights during daytime,it works perfectly well throughout all of Scandinavia.Less risk of dazzle because of badly adjusted fog lights.And before some idiot says its because its always dark here,dont forget we have 3 months of 24 hr daylight.Safety statistics prove it works.
I agree and have run with lights on at all times for 20+ years but is sort of law now with the advent of daylight running lights, been around a good few years so very few seem unlit these days
robroy:
The truck I’ve just got and had for last 3 weeks has poor headlights, a pain in the arse on back roads or the type of ‘A’ roads that are red on a map. (Some on here wont even know what that means )
I’ve got the height settings on the dash to max, but they are still [zb] poor, so I’ve found myself putting front fogs on which make all the difference, particularly in illuminating the grass verge on those dodgy roads.
I ain’t had a flash from other road users telling me to dip yet, so I’m assuming they are ok and not causing others problems.
Need to get them sorted in workshop, but keep forgetting when I get back.
I was once pulled in my home town by local copper years ago for inadvertently driving through the town one night with them on,.so I’m assuming it is technically illegal?
When we ran Foden S80 and S83’s with those blooming useless 11 inch headlamps we used front fogs all the time as they gave a far better spread of light.
njl:
Back when there was a Scania in the mix I used to find the high level main beams reflected back so much off any decent sized road sign at night the disadvantages outweighed any benefit.
Absolutely right.
Use excess lighting to the front, and your eyes adjust to it, so any less poorly illuminated objects to the go from being half visible to invisible.
Rally cars driving at very high speed in night time forests, not bothered by other road users, might well benefit from a bank of searchlights glued onto the bonnet, but the rest of us?
There’s actually a legal limit about how much light vehicles leaving factory can show forward. It’s why Scanias with both top fitted spots and ones in grille can’t cone from factory with all 4 being lit up with main beam, have to ask your friendly dealer to switch that on
robroy:
I was once pulled in my home town by local copper years ago for inadvertently driving through the town one night with them on,.so I’m assuming it is technically illegal?
As I remember it:
Fog lights are only to be used in fog etc.
But many lights called fog lights are not fog lights.
1989 act says that it illegal to have headlights below 500m from the ground, but fog lights are allowed to be lower. (see post above about reason for this)
If your extra lights are above 500mm from the ground, they are headlights or auxiliary driving lamps. It doesn`t really matter what is written on the switch.
If your extra lights are below 500mm they can only be legally used in fog etc.
Extra lights above 500mm are not “fog lights” and so long as they don`t dazzle anyone are legal at all times.
robroy:
I was once pulled in my home town by local copper years ago for inadvertently driving through the town one night with them on,.so I’m assuming it is technically illegal?
As I remember it:
Fog lights are only to be used in fog etc.
But many lights called fog lights are not fog lights.
1989 act says that it illegal to have headlights below 500m from the ground, but fog lights are allowed to be lower. (see post above about reason for this)
If your extra lights are above 500mm from the ground, they are headlights or auxiliary driving lamps. It doesn`t really matter what is written on the switch.
If your extra lights are below 500mm they can only be legally used in fog etc.
Extra lights above 500mm are not “fog lights” and so long as they don`t dazzle anyone are legal at all times.
I`m open to correction on the above.
Ok cheers I’ll look into it when I get lights lifted in garage.
Other Renault in yard smaller cab type but newer, has good bright headlights, if they are different bulbs to mine, I’ll ask them to fit some.
Thanks for making me look it up, because I thought you could use front fogs when you like, but knew it was 100m visibility for the rears. Don’t know if it’s changed but it’s both
Talking of lights. It’s bloody murder over here with the light scatter from led and hid headlights. Those poxy things should never have been allowed. I’ve still got properly adjusted QH heads and they’re still OK. And what about those with clear glass with reflector as a prism.
robroy:
The truck I’ve just got and had for last 3 weeks has poor headlights, a pain in the arse on back roads or the type of ‘A’ roads that are red on a map. (Some on here wont even know what that means )
im surprised the truckers atlas is allowed to use the os system i thought it was only their maps that could use it
robroy:
The truck I’ve just got and had for last 3 weeks has poor headlights, a pain in the arse on back roads or the type of ‘A’ roads that are red on a map. (Some on here wont even know what that means )
im surprised the truckers atlas is allowed to use the os system i thought it was only their maps that could use it
os?
Open Source mapping is free to use for all.
Ordnance Survey mapping can be used by others, if they obtain a licence from the OS. Commercial users will have to pay commercial rates, educational users may pay less or nowt.
Going back years i was on my way to work in my Sierra ,it was a gloomy morn and suddenly There he was and at last minute he scooped/jumped onto the bonnet .It was one of those local fellows whose forever walking the roads-and now id hit him,luckily the Sierras droop snoot meant he wasnt injured. It was a combo of gloom,him not wearing anything bright,old headlamps .Bit of a wake up call. Thing is from then on i never saw him again,tho in the past i saw him most every week walking locally.
robroy:
The truck I’ve just got and had for last 3 weeks has poor headlights, a pain in the arse on back roads or the type of ‘A’ roads that are red on a map. (Some on here wont even know what that means )
im surprised the truckers atlas is allowed to use the os system i thought it was only their maps that could use it
os?
Open Source mapping is free to use for all.
Ordnance Survey mapping can be used by others, if they obtain a licence from the OS. Commercial users will have to pay commercial rates, educational users may pay less or nowt.
os = ordinance survey
didn’t think the license covered their colour classification but i guess it must do. This is why none of the apps o have ever come across use it
njl:
Back when there was a Scania in the mix I used to find the high level main beams reflected back so much off any decent sized road sign at night the disadvantages outweighed any benefit.
Absolutely right.
Use excess lighting to the front, and your eyes adjust to it, so any less poorly illuminated objects to the go from being half visible to invisible.
Rally cars driving at very high speed in night time forests, not bothered by other road users, might well benefit from a bank of searchlights glued onto the bonnet, but the rest of us?
Not all of us just drive up and down motorways and dual carriageways…
Don’t have a problem with others using front fogs, doesn’t affect me, but rear fogs, that’s another matter, a bit of mist and on they come, even a bit of spray, don’t understand how the driver feels he needs to have his rear fogs on because visibility is poor yet is doing 60 70 plus thinking that he’s going to get rear ended.
Then in town, sat at traffic lights, foot on the brake, in the rain, at night with brake lights on and rear fogs on.
njl:
Back when there was a Scania in the mix I used to find the high level main beams reflected back so much off any decent sized road sign at night the disadvantages outweighed any benefit.
Absolutely right.
Use excess lighting to the front, and your eyes adjust to it, so any less poorly illuminated objects to the go from being half visible to invisible.
Rally cars driving at very high speed in night time forests, not bothered by other road users, might well benefit from a bank of searchlights glued onto the bonnet, but the rest of us?
Not all of us just drive up and down motorways and dual carriageways…
Thatll be you, and me then! :smiley: I dont find that I need extra lights to see from one bend to the other on a twisty country lane. Once you have enough light, any extra really is IMHO counter productive.
More light reflected back from objects straight ahead, means your eyes adjust to higher light levels, and what is off to the sides (those stupid critters) and overhanging branches etc, all become less visible.
At least that is my experience.
The best thing on the roads I reckon is cat`s eyes. Brilliant ( ) idea. Comparing nighttime UK roads with those in other countries not using them, is a revelation.
njl:
Back when there was a Scania in the mix I used to find the high level main beams reflected back so much off any decent sized road sign at night the disadvantages outweighed any benefit.
Absolutely right.
Use excess lighting to the front, and your eyes adjust to it, so any less poorly illuminated objects to the go from being half visible to invisible.
Rally cars driving at very high speed in night time forests, not bothered by other road users, might well benefit from a bank of searchlights glued onto the bonnet, but the rest of us?
Not all of us just drive up and down motorways and dual carriageways…
Thatll be you, and me then! :smiley: I dont find that I need extra lights to see from one bend to the other on a twisty country lane. Once you have enough light, any extra really is IMHO counter productive.
More light reflected back from objects straight ahead, means your eyes adjust to higher light levels, and what is off to the sides (those stupid critters) and overhanging branches etc, all become less visible.
At least that is my experience.
The best thing on the roads I reckon is cat`s eyes. Brilliant ( ) idea. Comparing nighttime UK roads with those in other countries not using them, is a revelation.
I agree that in normal circumstances, the low level high beams are enough, but as soon as you get of the main roads, the hedges are often overgrown, with sometimes rather substantial branches sticking out, usually at mirror height.
In the UK, hedge control seems to have been largely abandoned, even on lesser main A roads, with some roads now requiring you to move over the centre line, to avoid losing your mirrors, or worse.
Cat’s eyes, for road use, were invented by a Yorkshire man, Percy Shaw almost ninety years ago.
The idea came to him as a cat walked toward him in the dark.
Presumably, had the cat been walking away from him, he would have invented a pencil sharpener.
Star down under.:
Cat’s eyes, for road use, were invented by a Yorkshire man, Percy Shaw almost ninety years ago.
The idea came to him as a cat walked toward him in the dark.
Presumably, had the cat been walking away from him, he would have invented a pencil sharpener.
Star down under.:
Cat’s eyes, for road use, were invented by a Yorkshire man, Percy Shaw almost ninety years ago.
The idea came to him as a cat walked toward him in the dark.
Presumably, had the cat been walking away from him, he would have invented a pencil sharpener.
)
) idea. Comparing nighttime UK roads with those in other countries not using them, is a revelation.