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lotofwind said..I think a lot of modern cars now have permanent driving lights on?

going by what I see around here - you would think the ADR's made it mandatory to have your fog lights wired direct to your ignition

Probly a WA thing. Fog lights are coooool over there, too hot and dry for fog so a must have on your car.

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lotofwind said..
I guesss, if your not paying attention to what you are doing you may need car lights to help you...
....
I know mine and the people around me in modern cars do.

Ahh, I get it now. 'Modern people' need lights to make them pay attention

What's next? The next generation will require flashing DRLs to notice them?

The generation after? Flashing DRLs with sirens?

For me, seeing DRLs makes me filter them as so many cars have them, and it loses its aim, which is to be noticed, whether for safety or wank factor.

I don't even like hire cars or vans that have them fitted. No doubt they do it to make their fleet 'safer' but I just think it has lost its effect.

If people are not smart enough to know to turn on their parkers or low beams when light conditions are poor, do we need to dumb them down further?

'Officer, I overtook the other car and there was a car coming the other way without DRLs on, and I hit it'?

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lotofwind said..
Yeah buying a cheap and nasty bucket like that will cost more than you earn in maintenance just to keep it on the water let alone seaworthy to cross ocean.
Boats are the largest loss you can buy, continually have to throw money at them and if you dont there is no way you'd be game to actually go to OS locations.

Great if thats your passion and what you want to put every cent you earn into, but massively expensive over a 10 year period, then sell at a huge loss.

And, OMG, the old boat in the pic has a black hull?????? Must be a fashion statement

You're very knowledgeable.

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FormulaNova said..

lotofwind said..
I guesss, if your not paying attention to what you are doing you may need car lights to help you...
....
I know mine and the people around me in modern cars do.

Ahh, I get it now. 'Modern people' need lights to make them pay attention

What's next? The next generation will require flashing DRLs to notice them?

The generation after? Flashing DRLs with sirens?

For me, seeing DRLs makes me filter them as so many cars have them, and it loses its aim, which is to be noticed, whether for safety or wank factor.

I don't even like hire cars or vans that have them fitted. No doubt they do it to make their fleet 'safer' but I just think it has lost its effect.

If people are not smart enough to know to turn on their parkers or low beams when light conditions are poor, do we need to dumb them down further?

'Officer, I overtook the other car and there was a car coming the other way without DRLs on, and I hit it'?

I agree it's a bit of a worry that there are folks out there on our country roads who might crash headlong into us in broad daylight if we don't have lights on! Don't worry about me I'll seem you way ahead even if you're in a silver/grey micro car. So should anybody else paying appropriate attention who has passed the eyesight test.

Cars are smart enough these days to sound the horn and activate hazard lights if you've been driving for 2 hours without a break. Some already display a little coffee cup icon on the dash to let the driver know. What's the use of that? They just ignore it. If they knew all the other drivers also knew the little coffee cup on the dash was lit up they'd do something about it. Peer group pressure could halve the road toll, the technology is already there and in the cars and on the dash. But it'd be such an unpopular regulation that it will never happen.

Then again truck hazard lights and beepers come on when it's put in reverse. I bet a few truckies whinged about that when it became a regulation.

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Ian K said..

FormulaNova said..

lotofwind said..
I guesss, if your not paying attention to what you are doing you may need car lights to help you...
....
I know mine and the people around me in modern cars do.

Ahh, I get it now. 'Modern people' need lights to make them pay attention

What's next? The next generation will require flashing DRLs to notice them?

The generation after? Flashing DRLs with sirens?

For me, seeing DRLs makes me filter them as so many cars have them, and it loses its aim, which is to be noticed, whether for safety or wank factor.

I don't even like hire cars or vans that have them fitted. No doubt they do it to make their fleet 'safer' but I just think it has lost its effect.

If people are not smart enough to know to turn on their parkers or low beams when light conditions are poor, do we need to dumb them down further?

'Officer, I overtook the other car and there was a car coming the other way without DRLs on, and I hit it'?

I agree it's a bit of a worry that there are folks out there on our country roads who might crash headlong into us in broad daylight if we don't have lights on! Don't worry about me I'll seem you way ahead even if you're in a silver/grey micro car. So should anybody else paying appropriate attention who has passed the eyesight test.

.

I dunno Ian. I drive a section of road to rejoin the Albany highway and it has enough turny bits on it and open straights that you end up with traffic passing within feet of each other at at-least 100kph each. On roads with poor surfaces, and almost no space at the edge of the road to give a little more room. When I see a truck coming I tend to look in the left mirror, trying to get closer to the edge.

A lot of other people seem to run their lights on this road, and there are some posted signs about using your lights in the country as an actual campaign and it has merit.

When I drive these roads I am typically coming back from working for the day, so its not as if I have just freshly gotten into the car for a nice country drive. I expect every other driver is the same.

When I notice these lights being used, it tends to be towards dusk anyway, so it does actually enhance visibility. To make it worse, I am driving towards the sun, so it makes you aware of how well humans can tolerate large changes in light levels... i..e not very well. You are effectively blind at some points and I am not sure someone can change that.

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Ian K said..
Cars are smart enough these days to sound the horn and activate hazard lights if you've been driving for 2 hours without a break. Some already display a little coffee cup icon on the dash to let the driver know. What's the use of that? They just ignore it. If they knew all the other drivers also knew the little coffee cup on the dash was lit up they'd do something about it. Peer group pressure could halve the road toll, the technology is already there and in the cars and on the dash. But it'd be such an unpopular regulation that it will never happen.

.

I hope I didn't mislead with my mention of driving for 8 hours. There is no way I can drive uninterrupted for that amount of time, but I have driven plenty of times for these sorts of periods with breaks in-between. It helps your awareness, but I would also argue that over time your reflexes are not as good, even with rest breaks.

My alltime essential piece of offroad camper / caravan equipment is the lava lamp door handle
My neighbours showed me with complete pride this important piece of outback survival equipment on their new black and grey caravan ,which matches their 4wd , I can't wait for the boarders to open so they can travel the country to spread their beliefs
And rid our neighbourhood of their ****tardery

Seems a few armchair experts here.
The earlier you see an oncoming car when overtaking, the better.
On very long straights in a mirage it is almost impossible to tell if they are few hundred metres ahead, or over a kilometer. Proper headlights on can assist in that judgement. Fog lights not much help as they are mounted low and aimed downwards. FOR FOG duh.
Overtaking any vehicle with a light dust or wet road fine spray from tyres reduces visibility considerably. Well you might say "don't over take then..." - which is fine but what about the dick who does overtake anyway and YOU are coming the other way. Turn your lights on so he sees you.

The road safety mob puts signs up telling people that headlights on saves lives - but seems a few here know better. I'm sick or carnage so does it really hurt to turn them on even if you think you're the greatest driver ever?

Especially in the context of what I was referring to - grey cars against grey road background. If you drive a grey car on a grey road on an overcast day in the country, with no lights on, you're an idiot. Even taking away the overcast bit, you are often on an incline and its all grey ..... and you are bloody invisible at 1km.

I resemble your remark

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hilly said..

I resemble your remark

I also love the ultimate offroad rig exploring and testing its ability at the deepeth depth of a local caravan park

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cauncy said..

hilly said..

I resemble your remark

I also love the ultimate offroad rig exploring and testing its ability at the deepeth depth of a local caravan park

Did a bit of this too

Hooked up on a rock in WA! What are the chances?
When 4wds pull up next to me at the lights in Freo the embossed monikers on the massive bead-locked tyres are right at eye level when viewed from a low riding hatch back. "Mud Crawler", " Rock Slider X/T " How come no Sand Snooper tyres? How much petrol and hours at the wheel do you need to put in to find a rock from here I think? Why are tyres always black anyway?

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hilly said..

cauncy said..

hilly said..

I resemble your remark

I also love the ultimate offroad rig exploring and testing its ability at the deepeth depth of a local caravan park

Did a bit of this too

Is that the Lewis mobile in the background

Who'e Lewis mobile? WA's version of this bloke? Has he got a youtube channel?

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cauncy said..Is that the Lewis mobile in the background

Yep

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Mark _australia said..
^^ don't get me started on that one! Turn bloody lights on in the country. And the amount I see with park lights on, duh can't see them. especially now they're a dinky little circle of LED's around the real light

Time for a new ADR - lights come on at anything over 90. All cars

and a man with a red flag walking in front
the "safer" we make things the lazier people get

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seahealing said..

and a man with a red flag walking in front

Well that rule should definitely be re-introduced for vehicles on beaches.

The best beaches in WA are the ones close to Perth. You can take a pleasant walk without being on guard for 4wds.

(did I tell you about the time I nearly got run over, as a naive, visiting east-coaster, on the beach at Lancelin?

This could'a been me. Beach, road? Road , beach, highway ? all the same in WA)