Lights

WTF?

I've seen "Speed", "Seatbelts", "Drink Driving" ... but what does "Lights" mean? You're using them, you're not using them, they're not working, traffic lights????

Confused.

Mark, help me out.

Lately, I have noticed an awful lot of cars around Perth with dodgy headlights.

Either broken, badly aligned, blindingly over powering, coloured [ADR's state "white" light only], or just not turned on.

Then there are the ones that insist on driving around with fog lights and spot lights blazing as some kind of fashion statement - even in broad daylight.

Not forgetting the optional extras otherwise known as "direction indicators", that often are on a delay switch - since they don't flash until after the lane change is completed


stephen

I saw one in NZ once

" Police now targeting driving on the left "

It would have to be the fog light freaks they're targeting, all of a sudden they're everywhere. Just because you have them, doesn't mean you have to use them.

I always wonder how they target "Tiredness". I'm always careful not to yawn when I see that one...

^^^ I think targeting fatigue is by stopping people on long drives for an RBT. They they get all stroppy about it because it is not 2am in Northbridge so how dare the Police stop them. Guess the sign lends some validity to the action / prevents complaints....?


Anyway back to being silly.... oldie but a goodie......

These signs are fairly prominent around these parts...




I don't get it though, the sign clearly doesn't make sense - how do you 'enforce' speed? The word 'enforce' means "to give force to", or "impose"...does that mean that you 'have' to speed or you'll be hunted down by the cops? Doin' my head in!

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paddymac said..
LightsWTF?
I've seen "Speed", "Seatbelts", "Drink Driving" ... but what does "Lights" mean? You're using them, you're not using them, they're not working, traffic lights????
Confused.Mark, help me out.

While we're on the subject of lights,
According to the traffic rule book, when driving on a divided carriageway (such as the Forest highway south of perth, two lanes in each direction separated by 50 metres)
the approverd procedure is, thraffic in both directions STAY ON HIGH BEAM.
You are not required to dip lights for oncoming traffic.
So stop flashing lights at me when I stay on high beam.

The law does not allow for spotlights however.

I might say that truckies are the worst.
They flash their lights up and down and then let fly with a wall of spotilghts.
Really bad form and shows ignorance of the rules they should be familiar with, since they drive for a living.

The logic is that it's better for traffic in both directions to actually see what's on the road in front of them, even with a light in their eyes, considering that on a divided highway you do not have the oncoming lights close up in your eyes, but 50 metres to the side.

Drivers think that they can see for miles on that highway on low beam becasue of the cats eyes and road markings.
I can reliably tell you, kangaroos and pedestrians do not stand out as well as the cats eyes.
On low beam you see then when they are less than 50 metres away.
At 110 km/hr that means a certain collision.

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pweedas said..

paddymac said..
LightsWTF?
I've seen "Speed", "Seatbelts", "Drink Driving" ... but what does "Lights" mean? You're using them, you're not using them, they're not working, traffic lights????
Confused.Mark, help me out.

While we're on the subject of lights,
According to the traffic rule book, when driving on a divided carriageway (such as the Forest highway south of perth, two lanes in each direction separated by 50 metres)
the approverd procedure is, thraffic in both directions STAY ON HIGH BEAM.
You are not required to dip lights for oncoming traffic.
So stop flashing lights at me when I stay on high beam.

The law does not allow for spotlights however.

I might say that truckies are the worst.
They flash their lights up and down and then let fly with a wall of spotilghts.
Really bad form and shows ignorance of the rules they should be familiar with, since they drive for a living.

The logic is that it's better for traffic in both directions to actually see what's on the road in front of them, even with a light in their eyes, considering that on a divided highway you do not have the oncoming lights close up in your eyes, but 50 metres to the side.

Drivers think that they can see for miles on that highway on low beam becasue of the cats eyes and road markings.
I can reliably tell you, kangaroos and pedestrians do not stand out as well as the cats eyes.
On low beam you see then when they are less than 50 metres away.
At 110 km/hr that means a certain collision.

I guess you could say if they are flashing you, then your lights maybe too bright for them, therefor impeding their vision, so even though your with in the law, they should be dimmed..

Or maybe they are flashing to tell you your driving toward police Although it seems people have no idea of that anymore. I will often even flash when there is a obstacle ahead, like I've just driven past a Roo in the side of the road, i think it makes people a bit more alert..

They are just normal headlights, not HID or anything overly bright.
I have checked alignment etc and all is good.

I also notice they do it to other cars that I might be behind when I am on low beam but the front car is still on high beam.

I think it's a bit like roundabouts,.. most people don't know the rules.

Roundabouts. It's give way to any and all traffic ON the roundabout. Not give way to the right.

It's exactly the same as give way signs, so I don't know where they get the impression that roundabout signs mean just 'give way to the right'.

So,,.. note to all,
You can maintain high beam on a divided carriageway. ( but do the right thing,, if it's on a curve and your lights are blazing across into the oncoming traffic, dip for a short period.)

And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

they should be targetting those little pricks that smash windows at Woodmans Point.

I mean seriously it has been going on donkeys years.

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pweedas said..
And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

With someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you are in America, Europe or a little too drunk to be driving.

I wish police would target fog lights. It's illegal to use them when the weather is good and it's f@cking stupid to use them at the same time as headlights. Grrrrr!

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billykiter said..

pweedas said..
And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

With someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you are in America, Europe or a little too drunk to be driving.

You'll have to forgive Pweedas. I don't think he likes anything on the left, or even left-leaning.

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FormulaNova said..

You'll have to forgive Pweedas. I don't think he likes anything on the left, or even left-leaning.

I try and keep well away from the politics on the HW site, but well played there sir

The driving lights getting around - the long string of LEDs under the headlights - are the ones that sh!t me. I've been told by an auto-sparky that they are often wired to the ignition though and cant be turned off...

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FormulaNova said..

billykiter said..

pweedas said..
And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

With someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you are in America, Europe or a little too drunk to be driving.

You'll have to forgive Pweedas. I don't think he likes anything on the left, or even left-leaning.

Hey, thanks for clearing that up for us FNova.

I was starting to think insanity was the problem

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pweedas said..
They are just normal headlights, not HID or anything overly bright.
I have checked alignment etc and all is good.

I also notice they do it to other cars that I might be behind when I am on low beam but the front car is still on high beam.

I think it's a bit like roundabouts,.. most people don't know the rules.

Roundabouts. It's give way to any and all traffic ON the roundabout. Not give way to the right.

It's exactly the same as give way signs, so I don't know where they get the impression that roundabout signs mean just 'give way to the right'.

So,,.. note to all,
You can maintain high beam on a divided carriageway. ( but do the right thing,, if it's on a curve and your lights are blazing across into the oncoming traffic, dip for a short period.)

And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

so you know other drivers are put out and perhaps at times unable to see parts of the road and surrounds but you don't care as the law states you don't have to?
you my good fellow are what is known as an inconsiderate driver. just be polite and flick down and keep the peace and safety on the roads for all of us who spend waaaay too many hours on them please.

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pweedas said..

I think it's a bit like roundabouts,.. most people don't know the rules. (Like 99.9% of people.)

Roundabouts. It's give way to any and all traffic ON the roundabout. Not give way to the right.

It's exactly the same as give way signs, so I don't know where they get the impression that roundabout signs mean just 'give way to the right'.

And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

Once the front wheels of a vehicle have crossed the line on the edge of a roundabout it is deemed to be on the roundabout.

I hate these feckers in 4wds that charge a roundabout at 60 to 80 kmh and claim right of way by saying "If you do not give me right of way, you will die."

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saltiest1 said..

pweedas said..
They are just normal headlights, not HID or anything overly bright.
I have checked alignment etc and all is good.

I also notice they do it to other cars that I might be behind when I am on low beam but the front car is still on high beam.

I think it's a bit like roundabouts,.. most people don't know the rules.

Roundabouts. It's give way to any and all traffic ON the roundabout. Not give way to the right.

It's exactly the same as give way signs, so I don't know where they get the impression that roundabout signs mean just 'give way to the right'.

So,,.. note to all,
You can maintain high beam on a divided carriageway. ( but do the right thing,, if it's on a curve and your lights are blazing across into the oncoming traffic, dip for a short period.)

And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

so you know other drivers are put out and perhaps at times unable to see parts of the road and surrounds but you don't care as the law states you don't have to?
you my good fellow are what is known as an inconsiderate driver. just be polite and flick down and keep the peace and safety on the roads for all of us who spend waaaay too many hours on them please.

It's not a matter of being inconsiderate. It's a matter of safety, for myself and others, and as far as I can, I take the safest option.

If you're driving along the highway at 110km/hr, on a dark unlit road, you need to be able to see far enough along the road so that if there's something on it you can stop before you hit it.

If you are on a single lane highway, then when there is oncoming traffic, you know the road between you and the oncoming traffic is clear. If it wasn't, then the obstacle would show up as a dark shape in the lights between you and the oncoming car, thus the law requires BOTH cars to dip their lights. And I do.

If you are on a divided road with 50 metres between opposite lanes, when both cars or trucks dip their lights, both are driving blind, just for the sake of stoppinng a bit of glare in their eyes. It's not as if their eyes are blinded or anything, it's just a bit of glare in the side vision. You can still see quite clearly in front of you.
Driving at 110 km/hr on a road with less than 50 metres of visability ahead is just plain madness and relies on pure luck that there is not a kangaroo, cow or some drunken yob wandering on the road.
It is recognised by the traffic authorities as being unsafe and that is why they advise BOTH lanes remain on high beam.
They don't advise that just to be inconsiderate to each other. They advise it because it's the safest option and therefore is the most considerate option.

So for all those who spend waaay too many hors on the road, I suggest you read up on the road rules and drive accordingly, before you run someone over and then have to explain to the court why you were driving in an unsafe manner, contrary to the advised practice.

They don't write these advisories and make rules just to use up paper.
Most of them are the result of long experience and accident history.

Do the right thing. Read the rules and drive accordingly.
Dont make them up to suit yourself and then complain because others are not friving to you rule.

If you don't like the rules, then take it up with the authorities and see if you can change them, or perhaps they can make it clearer to you why they are the way they are. But in the meantime, obey the rules.


Your other option is to slow right down so that you can stop in the distance of your low beam, when oncoming traffic approaches.
That would be about 50 to 60 km.hr.
I don't saee anybody doing that, and certainly not truckies.
They have the advantage that if there is a cow or a kangaroo or a drunken yob on the road they just bump right on over it.
If a car does the same thing, it makes a big accident, and a big mess and sometimes a fatality.
It does happen and I see the messy results from time to time.

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VB MAN said..

FormulaNova said..

billykiter said..

pweedas said..
And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

With someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you are in America, Europe or a little too drunk to be driving.

You'll have to forgive Pweedas. I don't think he likes anything on the left, or even left-leaning.

Hey, thanks for clearing that up for us FNova.
I was starting to think insanity was the problem

Are you lot drunk?
Do I need to draw a diagram? Well I'm not going to.
Think about what I said. You quoted it there so read it carefully. And stop drinking.

If YOU are aproaching a roundabout, and someone (me) is already on the roundabout, but on your left (which means that you are on my right so you incorrectly expect ME to give way to YOU) then you DO NOT have right of way, even though you are on my right. And the resaon is, because I was already on the roundabout while you were approaching it. That is, I was on it long before you.


Geeeezzz,.. no wonder it causes so much trouble. People can't even get it right when it's explained to them.
I think they give drivers licenses away far to freely. This discussion proves it.

There are diagrams on the traffic code internet site you know. If you don't know the rules then look them up. It's not that hard.

Go on pweeds, draw us a diagram

Police now targeting...

Hijackers......




Thread hijackers .......




This thread started out funny but now I have lost interest

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pweedas said..

VB MAN said..

FormulaNova said..

billykiter said..

pweedas said..
And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

With someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you are in America, Europe or a little too drunk to be driving.

You'll have to forgive Pweedas. I don't think he likes anything on the left, or even left-leaning.

Hey, thanks for clearing that up for us FNova.
I was starting to think insanity was the problem

Are you lot drunk?
Do I need to draw a diagram? Well I'm not going to.
Think about what I said. You quoted it there so read it carefully. And stop drinking.

If YOU are aproaching a roundabout, and someone (me) is already on the roundabout, but on your left (which means that you are on my right so you incorrectly expect ME to give way to YOU) then you DO NOT have right of way, even though you are on my right. And the resaon is, because I was already on the roundabout while you were approaching it. That is, I was on it long before you.


Geeeezzz,.. no wonder it causes so much trouble. People can't even get it right when it's explained to them.
I think they give drivers licenses away far to freely. This discussion proves it.

There are diagrams on the traffic code internet site you know. If you don't know the rules then look them up. It's not that hard.

It was a bit hard to understand based on your original description, but now it makes sense, and funnily enough I agree.

I do do this, and will enter a roundabout when someone is approaching the roundabout on the right, but I am already there. It does need a certain amount of caution though, as a lot of people don't expect it, and assume they have right of way. Last time I did this a few weeks ago, the person that then entered the roundabout after I was already on it, didn't try and slow down, and blasted me with their horn. Obviously she thought I was in the wrong, but it's not really the time to educate someone on road rules

I wonder how this would go in an accident, but I guess the imprint of the car hitting you from behind would be enough to swing it your way. If they hit you from the side though it would be a bit harder to determine who was there first.

The thing that annoys me is with people parking opposite double or single unbroken lines. Even if they don't realise they need a minimum clearance, you would think from a logic point of view that you need to allow another car to get past without having to cross the lines.

^^ agreed

but pweedas I am a little confused. If I am wanting to get into a roundabout and you, on the circley bit, are to my LEFT you are heading AWAY from me (ie just passed me) so why would I give way to you.?

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Mark _australia said..
^^ agreed
but pweedas I am a little confused. If I am wanting to get into a roundabout and you, on the circley bit, are to my LEFT you are heading AWAY from me (ie just passed me) so why would I give way to you.?

Exactly right Mark. it dosn't make sense. you always give way to the right but you also give way to cars already in front of you (or to your left on a roundabout) so if the car is going away from you of course you will be giving way. You don't want to run up the back of someone. I would think this really goes without saying. If you drive like a formula 1 driver, slow down on the roundabout in case you hit granny or pweedas.

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cisco said...
I hate these feckers in 4wds that charge a roundabout at 60 to 80 kmh and claim right of way by saying "If you do not give me right of way, you will die."

Seriously. .?

That's the exact reason why I bought a 4wd

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billykiter said..

pweedas said..
And,.. give way to all traffic on the roundabout, and if you are approaching a roundabout with someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you DO NOT have right of way.

With someone already on the roundabout but on your left, you are in America, Europe or a little too drunk to be driving.

You must be drunk to be saying that.

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theDoctor said..

cisco said...
I hate these feckers in 4wds that charge a roundabout at 60 to 80 kmh and claim right of way by saying "If you do not give me right of way, you will die."

Seriously. .?

That's the exact reason why I bought a 4wd

What?, so you can be hated??

Was on the way to Lano a few years back. Stayed up for quite a while as well!

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Mark _australia said..
^^ agreed
but pweedas I am a little confused. If I am wanting to get into a roundabout and you, on the circley bit, are to my LEFT you are heading AWAY from me (ie just passed me) so why would I give way to you.?

Mr Nova has explained it in the post above yours.
You should give way because there is another car ON the roundabout, even if it is only just on and not turned yet, who was either ON the roundabout or ENTERING from your left before you were.

This does not mean that vehicles should race each other to the be first on the roundabout, but it does mean that if you are approaching a roundabout and there is another vehicle much closer to the roundabout than you, and approching ON YOUR LEFT (or right, it makes no difference) then you do not have right of way.
The vehicle with its wheels on the roundabout has right of way.
The roundabouts are not put there for the purpose of practicing chicanes for race car driving. (although that can be fun,..)

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FN said..
I do do this, and will enter a roundabout when someone is approaching the roundabout on the right, but I am already there.
It does need a certain amount of caution though, as a lot of people don't expect it, and assume they have right of way.
Last time I did this a few weeks ago, the person that then entered the roundabout after I was already on it, didn't try and slow down, and blasted me with their horn. Obviously she thought I was in the wrong

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pweedas said..



It's not a matter of being inconsiderate. It's a matter of safety, for myself and others, and as far as I can, I take the safest option.

And lots of other stuff.............

but,

I always thought the safest option is to drive to suit the conditions.

If that means slowing down - so be it.


stephen

[ex truckie wot used to cart D.G. and kaboomy stuff all over the country]