Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: funtimefrankie on January 11, 2009, 09:32:10 pm
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What's the attraction having blue lights on the front or your car or truck?
I thought it was against the law unless it's an emergency vehicle. :police:
Now if I see a blue light in the rear mirror I ignore it until I sure it's an ambulance etc.
rant over. {:-{
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I think it down to a lack of brain cells, one moron does it everyone else follows. I can also not understand having hub caps that keep spinning after you have stopped, and the point is?? >:-o >:-o >:-o >:-o >:-o
Brian
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What's the attraction having blue lights on the front or your car or truck?
I thought it was against the law unless it's an emergency vehicle. :police:
Now if I see a blue light in the rear mirror I ignore it until I sure it's an ambulance etc.
rant over. {:-{
Quite right it is illegal, but where are the coppers to nick them ?
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Is it illegal or is it just if they're flashing?
Tony
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Both
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speaking about blue ligts, a lot of new cars seem to have, not blue lights in the side lights but blue-tint headlights that even when on dipped seem to be able to dazzle the people in the next village because they are THAT brght
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Most of the time these "blue" lamps are twice the wattage of the standard headlamp bulb.
The people that install these are often after the brightest lamp possible. However, they
take no time to consider that the bulbs will not aim properly when stuffed into the stock lamp reflector...
{:-{
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thanks umi :) you come up with the goods again
also front FOG LIGHTS in broad daylight, thats another pet hate
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the blue head lamps are brighter because blue
light is the nearest in the spectrum to natural daylight
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the blue head lamps are brighter because blue
light is the nearest in the spectrum to natural daylight
Most cars currently use halogen bulbs in their headlights. The new blue-ish headlights are using a different technology called High Intensity Discharge (HID). We normally see HID lamps in the form of mercury vapor and sodium vapor lights used as street lamps and as outdoor lighting for stadiums. These lamps are popular because they are efficient. In the case of sodium vapor, they are twice as efficient as normal fluorescent bulbs.
Full article at http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question387.htm (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question387.htm)
Malc
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The lamps are HID
High Intensity Discharge as fitted to Fords VW and BMW and just about all the new top range motors better than halogen and 4 times the cost!
As for the legality if its a manufacturer's fitting then it would have passed the required laws if its been retro fitted then it is subject to the road traffic act and relevant law/rule bit of a grey area even for the old jam sandwich chaps and chapesses. but hey go figure this is the UK and at one time it was illegal to have a "brake light in the rear window of any vehicle" now what do we have ? eye level brake lights?
just piped at the post :}
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There are HID which are expensive. And I am not sure an HID unit can be plugged into a normal headlight socket.
And for those who cannot afford it there are the blue tinted bulbs, which are illegal.
The latter have been made popular by films like 2fast 2furious
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also front FOG LIGHTS in broad daylight, thats another pet hate
When I used to drive a Fiat Spyder 2000, I drove with the headlights on all the time.
I figured in such a small car, I wanted people to see me, and not pull out in front, or cut me off.
When I switched to an economy hard top I kept the "driving lights" on all the time for the same reason.
I just replaced that car after twenty years, and 200k miles, and the new car has an automatic
Daylight set up that drives the high beams at low power. Probably for my original reasons,... but
there is no way to turn them off short of pulling the fuse, or cutting a control wire. %)
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Hi Umi
Fog lights in Europe are different. They are an additional set of lights that are higher intensity and flood lights, so no beam to aim away from people.
This is a major bugbear for many motorists, especailly motorcyclists.
The front fogs dazzle, even in daylight. In newer EU cars the front fogs cannot operate unless the headlights are already on. On som cars they will not operate unless high beam was on.
Rear fogs are the same but red. However they are a real hazard for motorcyclists, as any smears or scratches on the Helmet visor and they 'light up', so to speak. Some drivers put on rear fogs in the rain. It is even more of a hazard, as every driver with smears on the windscreen is now dazzled. Also rain drops act like little magnifying glasses. Very dangerous for motorcyclists.
In the UK it is technically illegal to drive with fog lights on unless the visibility is low (I think less than 100m). I don't have a highway code so I cannot check.
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Is it me and my eyes.....but some headlights seem blue at a distance but as they approach they become white?
Roger in France.
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They are High Intensity Discharge (HID) they give a cleaner light and can be fitted to any car now in fact there is a firm who have a mobile service to do it , BUT they are expensive
Proteus
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Is it me and my eyes.....but some headlights seem blue at a distance but as they approach they become white?
Roger in France.
thank goodness those awful yellow lights have now gone.
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In some countries in Europe it is the law to drive with diipped headlights at all times. Scandinavia started this and all Volvos and I think Saabs do this even in the UK. The EU is trying to make this the law across the Union, but the UK is arguing against. I know France tried to introduce this, not sure of the current status.
Barrie
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What's the attraction having blue lights on the front or your car or truck?
Bling! ;D
My car is covered with them..... and I wear flares!
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and I wear flares!
You'll have the Coastguard on your back Martin!
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and I wear flares!
You'll have the Coastguard on your back Martin!
Male of Female
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Seems to be some confusion about fog lights - they are only useful in conditions of poor visibility where the upward scatter from normal headlights, main or dipped, destroys forward vision by providing a dazzling curtain of light. Having the main lighting on at the same time destroys their purpose. A spot light, on the other hand, provides a well defined long range beam. Since the development of modern (post 1980-ish) headlights they are both largely redundant.
Generally, the extra decorative lights are there to let the rest of us know the type of person in charge of that car, and act as a warning.
The rear fog lights were introduced to let anybody following know that there was a vehicle present in conditions of poor visibility. If the light caused dazzle, it was a sure sign that the follower was too close.
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What gets my goat about rear foglights is that they're there to warn other drivers of your presence at a reasonable distance in bad visibility.
Useful in fog, not so useful (read: damn annoying) on the M8 in rush hour when we're all nose-to-tail anyway, and we can all SEE there's traffic ahead. In five years of owning my Nissan, I've used mine - err - never.
Andy #1963#
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If the light caused dazzle, it was a sure sign that the follower was too close.
I have to disagree there.
Fog lights cause flare when a windscreen or visor is smeared. This is a known hazard. Even at prescribed safe distances there is flare. This dramtically reduces visibility. The driver behind may hit another road user they cannot see. Even if they avoid you.
It also make overtaking (a legal manoeuvre) hazardous.
Driving with rear fogs on in the rain is inconsiderate, potentially dangerous to other road users, and I believe illegal.
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While I have a lean to agree with you TT there is a few point I can mention,
If your windscreen is smeary then the wipers are NOT doing the job required (change them) of you have allowed the film on your screen to dry and that has left you with a refraction problem, use your screen wash with the proper detergent.
As for a motorcyclists visor regular replacement is a good thing (its your life)
Driving in rain with the rear Fog lamp on is I believe illegal, and if you are in poor visibility (fog/heavyrain/snow) ask yourself IS IT REALLY necessary to "overtake" even if it is a perfectly legal operation.
:-)
Just wondering like :-)
:-)
R,
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Just a thing with these white/blue head lights ,i had a pair for my old car and i thought them to be rubbish on rural roads until i drove on a clean road with clear lines ,then the lamps came into their own and lit everything white up like a xmas tree . i quicly changed them back to the halogen type as i didn't doo much driving on clean roads .
Where we lived 3 out of 4 vehicles were tractors and the like ,lots of mud :}
daz
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There is a massive difference between changing bulbs and having a HID system also about £1500 the bulbs are just for boy races the hid system you would never want to drive with standard lights again if you had them.
Proteus
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While I have a lean to agree with you TT there is a few point I can mention,
If your windscreen is smeary then the wipers are NOT doing the job required (change them)
As for a motorcyclists visor regular replacement is a good thing (its your life)
AGREE they should be changed, but fog lights are part of the problem, especially if it is only raining.
Driving in rain with the rear Fog lamp on is I believe illegal, and if you are in poor visibility (fog/heavyrain/snow) ask yourself IS IT REALLY necessary to "overtake" even if it is a perfectly legal operation.
AGREE, but I am taliking aboutwhen it is raining but visibility is still reasonably good. Just normal rain an be a problem, or there is spray from the vehicle you need to overtake (which has the fog light on). This is especially a problem on dual carriageways and M ways. Where over taking, even in the rain, is normal.
And a final note. Even if the person overtaking maybe shouldn't be, or even if others do need new wiper blades of visors; it is still thoughtless and dangerous to drive with fogs on in the rain. And by doing so peoples lives are being put at additional risk.
You cannot control others, but you can control how you behave on the road.
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To answer the question about France....
No, it is not required to keep your lights on at all times.
Many French drivers put their lights on immediately it rains. Incidentally, it is not well known to you "foreigners" that in France all speed limits drop by 10kmh in rain except 130kmh on the Autoroute (Motorway) drops by 20kmh.
No answer to my question above about blue lights appearing to change to white?
Roger in France
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Here in the US, fog light lenses spread the light wide, almost 90 degrees to the direction of travel.
Driving lights are more like high beams. Both are supposed to be aimed. At 25 feet, Fog lights should
hit a vertical wall 4 inches below their height measured from the ground to their center.
Driving lights are supposed to be aimed 1.5" below their height from ground to center.
I would guess that most of the annoying lights you see are people that slapped them on the guard, and
didn't bother to properly set the lights at all.... :((
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Hi Umi
Even the factory fitted ones can be annoying.
But then they may just be maladjusted, like me :o {-)
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No answer to my question above about blue lights appearing to change to white?
I think it is the way they are constructed Roger, from dead ahead they appear blue but as you get out of the centre of the beam they become white. The problem around here on the rural roads is that every other car seems to be a massive 4x4 with the lights mounted higher than on a normal car and when they come up behind you it's necessary to apply suntan lotion to the back of your neck. Also, far too many cars have badly adjusted headlights which must be apparent to the driver as they are illuminating the whole of the vehicle in front from the rear and provoking retaliatory flashing from approaching vehicles.
Colin
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My Renault Espace has had the main beam tested 3 times as I am constantly flashed by other drivers when I am definitely dipped. But the French are strange, they expect you to dip long before necessary, on approaching a rise with a vehicle coming towards you (but as yet invisible other than for its lights) if you do not dip until appropriate they get highly agitated.
Mind you they are generally poor drivers, it is largely due to low density traffic and significantly less travelling as the French do not "go for a drive". I think I have told the tale before, but a few years back there was a driving campaign, "Drive like the English"!!!!
Roger in France
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You cannot control others, but you can control how you behave on the road.
I agree TT ps: may have seemed in the wrong tone in my post and If I did please accept an apology. I was not inferring anything to anyone, just saying the way I drive. (yup I'm the old fart in front )
For several years now vehicles have been fitted with a little switch/knob that alters the aim of the headlights it normally has numbers 1 to 4 this will drop the beam when you have passengers or cargo in the rear. I tow trailor's and I have my lights set LOWER than the rule states so that when I go for the M.O.T the chap says your lights are low (too high is a fail too low is a fail but I get mine to the lowest so that when I turn my switch to laden and tow my lights do not dazzle.
Again just the way I am.
R,
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AND what about the one eyed cars with one head lamp out, or one rear light out :police: >>:-( >:-o
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AND what about the one eyed cars with one head lamp out, or one rear light out :police: >>:-( >:-o
Illegal and that just shows what type of driver they are (not looking after their own car or even abide by the laws)
say no more >>:-(
R,
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I nearly slammed a one eyed car thinking it was a motorcycle turning right! yeeek
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In Linconshire the local bobby's stop you if you have alight out, my father-in-law found that out ! was prosecuted using a vehicle that was unfit for the road. Thats how it should be! if you take your car to the Continent you have to carry spare lamps (but not in this country?) I do and have even managed to get my son and daughter to check their lights on a regular basis, and put it right if there is any out!
Carry a full set of spare lamps, they are not hard to change and on some vehicles you dont even need to have tools.
R,