Blown Bulbs`

colm_mcm

I'm so annoyed, coming home from work this evening, was behind a Ford Ka with no rear lights working, this car could have been stopped at traffic lights some foggy morning, an oncoming driver would have made sh1t of her before they'd seen the car.

On the way home saw half a dozen cars with 1 headlight not working, and two with both headlight and parking light blown on drivers side. personally i would notice if even a front foglight was blown simply by noticing that the spread of light on the road ahead looked drastically different to what it usually is. anyhow, even when you come home at night and face any wall you can clearly see the reflections your lights make.

I do not believe that these people are unaware that the bulbs are blown, rather that they can't be bothered to change them, or haven't thought that other road users could mistake their car for a motorbike and misjudge the width of the oncoming car.

do people do weekly or even monthly checks on the basics of their cars, like tyres and lights?

BrianD3

I know the feeling. Just before christmas I was nearly wiped out by a moron in a Passat who had sidelight and dipped headlight not working on the driver side of his piece of sh1t. He was also speeding and had the drivers side of his car over on my side of the road (it was a regional road) Very nearly a head on crash, I only avoided it at the last second.

Hotwheels

This seems to be a nationwide epidemic, every morning/evening I meet loads of TossPots with no lights, this morning I was passed by a right bucket of s**t, a karolla van with no rear lights and number plate completely obscured.

Naturally enough he passed on a continuous white line going up hill into a tight left....
His breaks work though, as he had to get on the anchors vary hard to make it round the bend...
Nearly every week there's 2 or 3 accidents on my run...mostly down to bad driving/judgement.

All the Gardaí have to do is go out and park...they'd make a small fortune handing out fines... a 100 yo-yo's a bulb should sort it....

5500

Whats worse is people who use there full beam to "compensate" one lens being blown,whereas all it does is blind the traffic on the other side and make the car less visable from a distance.

Its happened me a few times now driving on back unlit roads that i thought a bike was coming towards me with one light that was really a car

Lord Nikon

When driving at in the dark(between 5pm and 8.30am), if I see someone with no dips on, or just parking lights, I'll give them a few flashes from my beams. The majority of people respond and put on their dips, you can tell, cause when they drive past you can see their rear lights come on.

The ones you have to watch out for , are the drivers who don't respond, and continue driving along oblivious to any flashing lights. Idiots.

bazz26

Maybe it should be manditory for car manufacturers to fit automatic headlights to all new cars. I have them in my car and it is 3 years old but they are dead handy in the event you happen to forget to switch them on.

Though it still begs belief how someone can see/drive in the dark with no headlights on. Even the dashboard is not lit up so this must give them a clue?

As for blown bulbs, I see my the reflection of my front headlights in the window when parking in my drive and then see my rear lights when I close the front gates.

Fey!

Bazz - you driving a Volvo? The auto lights, imho, are a great idea. As well as all mentioned above, the other one that gets me is parking lights or no lights in fog! WTF are people thinking?

I told one person I know that her back LHS lights weren't working 6 weeks ago - I was behind her in traffic tonight, and they still don't work!

Don't most cars have a warning system on the dash to show blown bulbs these days?

leeroybrown

There certainly does seem to be a very large number of cars driving around with blown bulbs. It's probably the same list of people who can't be bothered fixing their bulbs. I've also had friends tell me that they've been in a car with someone who will drive along oblivious to the failed lamp until a passanger points it out to them. I tend to keep a spare headlamp bulb in the car as there's nothing worse than being stuck on an unlit road at night without a dip beam.

My real pet hate is people who don't bother with any lights on those slightly foggy mornings, including people who have paid for fog lamps (and probably use them when there is no fog).

astec123

Yup all too many like this, however this annoys me a lot less than the tosser boy racers with fogs and main beams on all the time when there is no fog and no need for main beams. Now I am a "lights on for safety person, but thats usually just the dips or sides.

I think the police here should really target these idiots, it is the small problems that are the reason people dont bother and dont worry. Just wait till a cop is killed by one of them, it will change when that happens.

Litcagral

I don't know if it's my imagination but this problem seems to have gotten worse since the NCT was introduced. It seems that people have the notion that they can wait until the next test before replacing bulbs. It never ceases to amaze me how some people can drive away merrily on a dark morning with no lights or those stupid parking lights on. Do they not realise that parking lights are for parking? Do they think they are invincible? Even when you 'flash' them they wave back - they think you know them! The Gardai don't seem to bother checking lights anymore since the NCT was introduced.

colm_mcm

i thinks headlights should be on day and night, i leave mine on and adjust the beam down during the day

Tipsy Mac

This is the main reason for the NCT, there are alot of people who never get one tap of work done to their car from the moment it leaves the forecourt until it goes for an NCT. In France by law you must carry with you at all times a spare set of bulbs for each light on your car. I suppose with alot of modern cars, eg Renault Megane it is not possible for a person to change the bulb without alot of mechanical experience and tools (you need to take the front bumper off ).

bazz26

Fey! wrote:

Bazz - you driving a Volvo? The auto lights, imho, are a great idea. As well as all mentioned above, the other one that gets me is parking lights or no lights in fog! WTF are people thinking?

I told one person I know that her back LHS lights weren't working 6 weeks ago - I was behind her in traffic tonight, and they still don't work!

Don't most cars have a warning system on the dash to show blown bulbs these days?

I drive an Avensis, the lights come on automatically when it starts to get dark. It uses the same system as the rain sensing wipers.

Volvo or Saab probably pioneered the technology though as most Nordic countries drive with their lights on day and night.

Most car makers are offering this system as an optional extra but I think it should be made standard.

Supercell

The amount of people with lights that are not ajusted either or on full beam is just amazing, it horrible being totally blinded by some muppets full on beams in your face going down a narrow road.

C_Breeze

Whats even worse , is that bulbs are so easy to change - it literally takes 1 minute.

I also read in a magazine that the 'always on' lights will be compulsory in the EU on all cars manufactured after 2008 , and that all cars built before have to drive with dips! - like in Hungary and Sweden . -not sure if i like that.

Stephen

Why? What difference does it make to you?

daymobrew

colm_mcm wrote:

i leave mine on and adjust the beam down during the day

Me too. It cities I believe the the car lights are mostly for being seen, not to see. Adjusting it down one click allows people to see me clearly without being dazzled in any way.

There are plenty of people with one headlight that points unnaturally up and it appears like a high beam.

In my 2001 VW Golf, the rear light bulbs go surprisingly frequently, often after long journeys. I think that it must be a vibration issue. Very annoying.

C_Breeze

Stephen wrote:

Why? What difference does it make to you?

I'd like to have the choice of switching them off if i so wish to do so.
And i find driving with your lights on in broad daylight to be pretty stupid and pointless.

Plus the fact that youll have to purchase and replace bulbs more frequently.

Idleater

bazz26 wrote:

Maybe it should be manditory for car manufacturers to fit automatic headlights to all new cars. I have them in my car and it is 3 years old

Never mind automatic headlights, my '92 626 has a nice little warning light that tells me if any of the bulbs are broken.

L.

colm_mcm

C_Breeze wrote:

I find driving with your lights on in broad daylight to be pretty stupid and pointless.

Light on during daytime help other people to see you. Every decision you make while driving is based on your perception of your surroundings, If you fail to recognise an oncoming car early enough, it affects your decision making and actions, Given that we have a large number of very narrow roads and varied weather conditions it would make sense to improve visibility.
In Finland, researchers found that, during a six-year period, the use of daytime running lights in winter reduced daytime crashes by 21 percent.

pointless and stupid?

bazz26

Found this article:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/62909/laws_bring_24h_lighting_up_time.html

C_Breeze

colm_mcm wrote:

Light on during daytime help other people to see you. Every decision you make while driving is based on your perception of your surroundings, If you fail to recognise an oncoming car early enough, it affects your decision making and actions, Given that we have a large number of very narrow roads and varied weather conditions it would make sense to improve visibility.
In Finland, researchers found that, during a six-year period, the use of daytime running lights in winter reduced daytime crashes by 21 percent.

pointless and stupid?

Research , hmmm .

fair enough in countries like finland where there are periods where even mid-day is darkish.

But seriosuly, how many times where you on the road during broad daylight and seen a car with lights on and thought ... "phew , thank god their lights were on - becuase if not I wouldnt have seen them"?
How many times has it actually made a difference??
During broad daylight you notice the whole car or cars Body as opposed to night time when the lights are the first thing you notice and is the main indicator that there is a car ahead -get my point?
at night time or , if they dont have lights you can see them , or in bad wetaher condition .

Seriously think about it realisticaly and logically , never mind all that reasearch bul$hit their feedin you.

Im sure though eruopean light manufacturers would like that, like BOSCH and PHILIPS - double more income for them,

colm_mcm

I've sometimes been on roads, and cars have been obscured by dips in the road, or simply their dark colour was hard to see, went to overtake, pulled out, then seen an unlit car. The fact is that you will be more likely to see the lights. added to that,

Irish people can't be relied on to switch their lights on in dusky or wet conditions, this puts motorists, pedestrians and cyclists at risk. as long as daytime running lights aren't incorrectly adjusted they won't be a menace to other road users.

There is no big conspiracy involving bulb manufacturers,


( i read a very interesting article from the US of A suggesting that DRL's would be responsible for the burning of more gasoline due to the added strain on the alternators of their gas guzzlers) a figure of 680 million dollers was banded about. the cost per car was miniscule, but "add all america's cars together".......
The funny part was America being concerned about greenhouse gases and using up the oil reserves. perhaps their 7.3 litre V8 family runabouts might be to blame???)

Idleater

C_Breeze wrote:

Research , hmmm .

fair enough in countries like finland where there are periods where even mid-day is darkish.

But seriosuly, how many times where you on the road during broad daylight and seen a car with lights on and thought ... "phew , thank god their lights were on - becuase if not I wouldnt have seen them"?
How many times has it actually made a difference??
During broad daylight you notice the whole car or cars Body as opposed to night time when the lights are the first thing you notice and is the main indicator that there is a car ahead -get my point?
at night time or , if they dont have lights you can see them , or in bad wetaher condition .

Seriously think about it realisticaly and logically , never mind all that reasearch bul$hit their feedin you.

erm, no, I have to disagree with you on this one. If _you_ think about it realistically and logically then you will realise that during the day depending on which direction you are travelling it can make a difference. If for example you are driving into the sun and it is quite bright, a car coming at you with lights on will be much more visable than one with the lights off. However, to them as they have the sun in their back and you coming at them are fully lit by the sun then you are perfectly visable with or without your lights on.

Look at it next time you are out driving. When you are driving into direct sunlight, see if you can see the cars coming at you better with their lights on or those without.

Also, as a road user, you should consider other road users and pedestrian's safety too, because especially in these wintery days, you should make yourself as visible as possible to pedestrians who may be "blinded" by direct sunlight.

Still think it is B$???

L.

C_Breeze

fair enough ,
but I atleast want to have an "Off" switch on my car if i was to buy one new.
...bleedin' commies.

What next??...unadustable seats because some "Research" from a chiropractor found out what seating position is healthiest and keeps you most aware!?!?!

Nonsense

C_Breeze

And could somebody Cut&pste the article from Bazz26's link please.

Its asking me to join before I can view.

thanks

colm_mcm

what do you reckon to people (old) who remove head restraints in the front of their cars. whenever I see this, all I can imagine is in a crash, the seatbelt tensioners going off and the passengers getting thrown back, necks flying back and horrible injuries ensuing.

C_Breeze

colm_mcm wrote:

what do you reckon to people (old) who remove head restraints in the front of their cars. whenever I see this, all I can imagine is in a crash, the seatbelt tensioners going off and the passengers getting thrown back, necks flying back and horrible injuries ensuing.

yeah thats terrible alright. But am i missing your point??

bazz26

C_Breeze wrote:

And could somebody Cut&pste the article from Bazz26's link please.

Its asking me to join before I can view.

thanks

"Motorists will be driving with their headlamps on day and night within 10 years after a new Europe-wide agreement that will allow only cars with permanent "lights on" to be sold.

The move, from the Cars 21 Group of Euro motor industry chiefs
and civil servants, is the final part of a deal to bring the big switch-on to the Continent by 2015. The plan is intended to cut European road accidents by making cars more visible[I."[/I]

colm_mcm

nah i don't really have a point - i'm just bemused by people who haver so little regard for their safety. i've seen Jesus crosses stuck on airbag covers (potential missiles) I'd be for public information ads on TV educating people about airbags, rear fog lights, how to use indicators, roundabouts all the stuff people should, but obviously don't know