Lights out of focus/dimmed beams missing lights on a lot of cars?

micks_address

Has anyone else noticed a dramatic increase in the number of cars that either have one of their dimmed beams missing or have dimmed beams that are totally out of focus and are focused more like headlights?

I travel the m50 every day and nearly every morning and evening I come across it.. This morning a volvo had its lights dipped but right beam was higher than a headlight and blinding, last night a citreon drove behind me with what i thought was full beams so i put on my rear fogs for a second but made no difference.. his lights were dipped just way out of focus.. had passengers with me and they all commented on it.

Whats almost worse though is when you meet a car missing one light - from the distance it looks like a motorbike approaching.

Do drivers just not notice lights missing or unfocused? Would/Do the guards stop you for having poorly focused lights?

I know they get checked at NCT so its a bit surprising it seems so common

Sorry if it sounds like a bit of a whinge!

Cheers,
Mick

MuppetCheck

Yep, other people are idiots. End of.

biko

Yes, this happens at this time every year when people start using their lights.
People don't check their lights or "will fix it tomorrow"..

Special Circumstances

MuppetCheck wrote: »

Yep, other people are idiots. End of.

Almost 50% of people are below average...

Bpmull

To make it worse a lot of the cars have blown bulb warning systems. So people don't even need to check the bulbs as the car tells them there blown. It's one my pet hates people going around with blown bulbs.

kirving

The blown bulb warnings are great. My car actually has two bulbs in the rear, so if one goes I still have light on both sides. Brakes are separate again.

Auto-leveling headlights should be mandatory on all new cars. The number of cars with dipped beams pointed fully upwards is huge. I'd hazard a guess that over 50% of people have no idea what the headlight leveling adjustment wheel even does.

micks_address

It would be nice is there was away to inform people that their bulbs were blown or out of focus.. a lot of people probably don't realise it, especially driving in urban area's with street lighting its not often obvious.. i dont think waving or shouting from your own car is very effective... or even flashing lights

bazz26

micks_address wrote: »

It would be nice is there was away to inform people that their bulbs were blown or out of focus.. a lot of people probably don't realise it, especially driving in urban area's with street lighting its not often obvious.. i dont think waving or shouting from your own car is very effective... or even flashing lights

Drivers should be proactive rather than reactive - they should be checking their lights frequently just like the condition of their tyres but alas people are lazy or ignorant. They just switch the ignition on and off they go, not a care in the world.

You can guide a horse to water but you can't make them drink it.

Alanstrainor

Every evening cycling out of Dublin city center I see cars with no lights, if they're stopped at lights I'll let them know. Seems to be mostly people in a rush or something, just not thinking.

YbFocus

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Almost 50% of people are below average...

Don't worry, I'm on par with your humour

Alun

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the misalignment problems were down to bulbs simply not being put in correctly. No auto self levelling will compensate for that.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Every evening cycling out of Dublin city center I see cars with no lights, if they're stopped at lights I'll let them know. Seems to be mostly people in a rush or something, just not thinking.

Or not enough attention being paid to the dashboard.

I did it once in a brand new motor, the street lights were so bright it was difficult to tell the difference. I got from the carpark of a hotel to the road and realised, feels a little dark in the cab :P

I don't think it's fair to judge somebodies intelligence based on a bulb alignment, or blown bulb etc. It's is however, carelessness.

It can and does happen as people make mistakes.