Parking lights are for being PARKED

Meh, it's Ireland. Nobody believes in that stuff Bass, kind of like the easter bunny. Anyways their father never used any of them fancy lights cause the dynamo can't keep the battery charged on a cold night.

Something I only said to another man yesterday. It’s unreal how stupid some people are when it comes to this. The amount of cars driving around at night with no back lights due to the driver using the daylight running lights is crazy!

Given how dark it was, you did very well to see it was a Very elderly woman.

I travel N11 most weekends and I routinely see cars driving with full beams on and rear fog lights with no fog . And I've also seen the front daylights and no rear lights but mostly with new vans.

I was just curious as to what age constitutes, very elderly?

I think it's more the fault of the car manufacturers to be honest.

I mean, who honestly sat in the design meetings for some manufacturers and decided that the "AUTO" setting on the headlight stalk should automatically control the front headlights but NOT the rear? Or that some are set so that it has to be practically pitch black before the dipped headlights come on? Or why some cars switch the headlights off with the ignition regardless of its position whereas some stay on and allow the battery to drain flat?

Typical consequence, my other half hops into my car the very odd time where the AUTO position does NOT control the rear lights but is so used to driving her own car where AUTO does control the rear lights. Cue her driving around completely dark on the rear but yet the dipped headlights are clearly on so there's absolutely no real visual indicator anything is wrong.

Whereas my gut instinct when I hop into any car is to manually put the dipped headlights on, even on the brightest sunniest day.

I actually don't know why dipped headlights weren't made mandatory instead of mandating an extra set of lights that are exclusively for daytime use and that were only fitted to the front.

And when you gently suggest that it would be a good idea for the driver to know how to operate the vehicle before getting behind the wheel, they look at you like you have two heads.

With 0 enforcement/encouragement/advice/guidance...stupid drivers will always be stupid unless hit in the pocket, only then may they change their ways.

OP - 100%

Em, excuse my ignorance .. but what are parking lights? Are they the lamps we call side lights? Or half lights? Or maybe they're some new fangled thing on modern cars - our youngest is getting on for 10. There are 'parking lights' on it - when you park and turn off ignition, you can flip the indicator one way or the other to put on the side lights and tail lamp on that side. But you couldn't drive with these 'parking lights' on, otherwise the indicator would be winking away. I do drive sometimes yes with side lights on, in appropriate conditions.

When our legislative framework for legally obtaining a driving license doesn't require you to have done a single moment of training for driving on our fastest, busiest roads before being let loose on them, I think mandatory dealer training is the least of our worries!

Another bugbear of mine is foglights - most people haven't the foggiest (ahem) how they should actually be used.

Treat them as full beams on the rear - turn them on when no-one is behind you and then turn them off as soon as someone becomes visible behind you. Most people just leave them on blinding and dazzling those behind.

I would comment not parking lights as you suggested as some cars parking lights are controlled by indicator when no key in ignition and can have left or right on vehicle lit

You meant to say the first click is SIDE LIGHTS and some cars have headlamps lit.

Plenty of drivers dont know how what where and when things should be used.

How many have checked all their lights to see if all working and BRIGHT as bulbs go silver and very dim.

Foglights on front are good to see the kerb and as said are needed to be seen in bad weather.

Rear foglight only to be used in bad weather with poor visibility and know when lit by the warning icon on screen.

Most will forget an important thing very good screenwash additive that wont freeze on window and haze your vision -60 does not freeze and used neat + new wipers to clear the screen. + remember wipers stick to screen and not designed to clear frozen or layers of snow. Check wipers can be lifted off screen before getting inside.

Canada has addressed this issue. I'd like to see this here.

• Starting in September 2021, all new vehicles sold in Canada need to have headlights, taillights, and side lights that automatically turn on in the dark. Also, the dashboard won't light up until the headlights are turned on.

Zero enforcement is certainly a big problem, but we can all help to address the problem, just by drawing the attention of the other driver, one way or other. Don't just let it slide, if you can avoid it.

Not sure why you keep mentioning PC.

I was only trying to establish what made you refer to her as a very elderly woman as opposed to an elderly woman.

My bug bear of tabloids and the likes of the Indo is the extra dramatic effect they spin on stories with headlines like "elderly grandmother mugged" and then you read it's a 60yr woman. A headline of "woman mugged" would suffice.

Ah I see, I'd have always heard those called side lights. But would you not use side lights/ rear lights on their own in that time of day between very clear visibility and when full headlights are needed? I always have and see lots of drivers do this. A sort of half way step.

What's this about a legal requirement to use dipped headlights from 5 pm in the evening. Is this in Irish legislation? And hardly applies throughout the full year? Puzzled.

Anyway in the greater scheme of things, it's better to have side lights on than no lights at all. And testing drivers vision - my own is noticeably less able as I get older. Once could see sharply and drive without tiredness for hours, now aware that more breaks needed and longer journeys better done in good daylight. Maybe that's Bass's problem with cars seeming further away! And if we really want to be productive, an immediate ban on drivers who insist on reversing into the traffic flow because they're too lazy and/or incompetent to reverse park!

Talk to your dealer, or better still, the manufacturer.

I'd be happy if something was done about the "one eyed jacks" who drive with one working headlight, usually on the passenger side, so the car is in total darkness on one side. I know a bulb can blow at any time, and some might be limping the car home, but I see so many , they can't all have lost a bulb 5 mins before!

My understand of one of the reasons why there is little enforcement of lighting regulations, is because the law simply states that you must turn your lights on in certain conditions (dusk/dawn) , but it doesn't state exactly which lights, so parking/side lights are technically acceptable.

If someone wants to find the relevant SI for lighting regulations,.. be my guest

I just leave my lights on pretty much all of the time. Better to be visible at all times. And what is the negative for me? My bulbs might wear out a little sooner than if I turned lights on/off?

Just flagellate yourself as punishment for not being perfect, a crime worse than death for enlightened boardies

I agree with you about cyclists needing lights, but the oul 'be safe be seen' is more about transferring blame than anything. There's no lights that will get this driver to see you.

Try checking out the number of drivers with one or two brake lights blown, or the entire light cluster on one side not working. I see multiple of these on every journey.

Watch when that car is being sold ie ' one careful lady owner'.