Not using headlights should be...

[Spudz27]

Illegal. If you are driving on country roads clear or raining etc, it should be law you use your headlights and if you don't it should be a $100 fine.

Put your headlights on people. I left Albany at 6:45am on friday in the midst of a rather large storm (damn lighting strike at 3:45am fried my modem), it felt more like 6am because of light, yet on 3 occasions I came accross cars with no headlights on. Then today same deal. IT was raining and sometimes rather heavily, to the point you had to slow right down to see the road, yet idiots have no headlights on. What happens if another silly or impatient person overtakes thinking the coast is clear, then bang! a huge head on because the innocent party had no headlights on, meaning the silly person who overtook thought it was clear. You shouldn't be overtaking in those conditions anyway but you also should always be using your headlights, clear or raining on the country road.

I am very surprised that so far there have been no deaths on W.A roads. (As far as I am concerned the lady being hit by a car on Thursday arvo is not part of the road toll. I see road toll meaning cars having accidents over the long weekend not before.) Anyway here is why I think there will be a death. Including what I stated above about the headlights here is another incident, more dangerous than not using headlights.

Driving to Perth on friday I came over a hill to be greeted by not one, but two cars overtaking a fuel truck going up the hill. I was able to brake and react quickly which helped. Some people are complete morons. I mean do they honestly believe they are god or something? People just need to calm down and remember 5mins is not worth your life, but that message is a broken record now. Society on a whole are just a bunch of impatient inconsiderent **** who think nothing matters but them. Please no one on here take offence I am generalising.

I do appologise for my post being so all over the place.

[Jim Goose]

I quite agree..

However its hard enough getting to do the right thing now!
I see quite often people driving at night with no lights on.
Hopeless...

Not to mention some people seem to drive more dangerously in the wet then in the dry. It's like a full moon when it rains!

[GS608]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

I quite agree..

However its hard enough getting to do the right thing now!
I see quite often people driving at night with no lights on.
Hopeless...

Not to mention some people seem to drive more dangerously in the wet then in the dry. It's like a full moon when it rains!

Nah they're just making use of the liquid hp while they have it.

See it all the time here, quick flash of the lights and they soon catch on.

[SVTVNM]

Had a similar experience last thursday, going to Melbourne in the the morning not to early but there was quiet alot of fog on the Western Highway, at some points there was very little visibility. The amount of cars driving with no light was absolutely ridiculous, We the hell are the police patroling the highways, It is against the law is it not? These are people who could cause an accidient, not someone doing a chook scratch at the lights!

[TUF_302]

I swear some people just find a car they like pay for it, then just drive it, never learn how everything on it works!, or they are just plain and simply to stupid to consider things like the weather etc

[DJM83]

Mine are on everytime i get in the car (Auto)

[xr8-200]

The problem is a lot of people out there think their headlights are only so they can see in the dark and don't consider the fact that having lights on helps others to see them.

[prydey]

having just completed another return trip to bris from adelaide, i must say i had my lights on the whole time. so much easier to see other vehicles when they have lights on. i'll do what i can to make it easier for others to see me.

[pertuan]

Agree. I've been in a few situations where its dark (9pm or so) and have a black car with no lights on in my blind spot. Quick head check... nope, nothing there (cause its a black car in the dark!!!) start to merge... HOLY CRIP!! THERE'S A CAR THERE!!

[tick6vct]

true about the lights been on for visability iv noticed most people in central N.S.W have them on pretty much any time of the day on country roads which i like - what i dont like are people who choose to use fog lamps and only have parkers or no headlights on around dawn and dusk shits me to tears!!

[chrisfpv]

Originally Posted by tick6vct

true about the lights been on for visability iv noticed most people in central N.S.W have them on pretty much any time of the day on country roads which i like - what i dont like are people who choose to use fog lamps and only have parkers or no headlights on around dawn and dusk shits me to tears!!

Can I ask why this shits you?

If it's early in the morning I have my parkers on and my foglights for the reason that I don't think having my headlights fully on is really warranted, but parkers and foglights are enough for a car to see you.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by XR

Can I ask why this shits you?

If it's early in the morning I have my parkers on and my foglights for the reason that I don't think having my headlights fully on is really warranted, but parkers and foglights are enough for a car to see you.

even though technically its illegal.


driving on the highway thismorning out in the country at 4am, cars that came at me with headlights and fog lights on were way more dazzling than cars with headlights only and even more dazzling than trucks.

[Tonyb62]

Agreed, fog lights / driving lights have a broader flatter beam that is more dazzling then just headlights.

[g220ba]

Personally i've never has any problems with fog lights (no i don't have them on my car), i tend to find thise HID lights far more dazzling and dangerous than anything else.

Now back on topic i can see merit to what your proposing but find it hard to believe this to be such a major issue. If the weather conditions are less than perfect (fog, rain etc.) lights should be on anyway but in clear perfect conditions i'm sorry i just can't agree with you. I've done plenty of country km's and never had a problem.

[mik]

bad weather my lights are on , friday arbo traffic ......lights are on , shopping centres .....LIGHTS ARE DEFINATLY ON.

[DJR David]

Personally I have my headlights on at all times. Makes it easier for others to see me!!

In Ontario in Canada this is law. The headlights are hardwired on at all times the engine is running in the province.

[drivingon]

for your info (you may not be aware ) one of our racv patrolmen was pulled up in country vic (rainy weather )and issued with a written warning for not having his lights on!
this is now law in victoria!!!!!!!
and you can be fined for it

[drivingon]

and also it is now illegal to drive with your fog lights on unless you are in those conditions !

[flappist]

If the car traveling towards you has something bright behind it such as the rising or setting sun have headlights on makes it much much harder to see them. So it is not always a good thing.

Every afternoon from about a month ago and will be up to about September the sun lines up with the main road here at drive home time. It is dangerous enough without making it worse.

Mandatory means "must do at all times" and sometimes it is not the best idea. How about a bit of driver education just for a change.

[BuckTooth]

If this is now law in victoria. Please explain as to why an officer of the law was doing it last night. I left warrnambool last night after fishing and headed to portland road. It was about 7.00pm, and i flashed a dark grey vehicle coming towards me. It was only when i flashed him that the police sticker across his bonnet lit up.

[fordOwner]

I always put my headlights on when driving in the country during the day.
It makes me ponder when people, mostly 'P' platers tell me my lights are on when pulling up to a country town. I appreciate them telling me but they dont seem to appreciate me asking if they dont put theirs on when country driving.

[KR1STO]

Originally Posted by drivingon

and also it is now illegal to drive with your fog lights on unless you are in those conditions !

i was quite sure that the law for driving lights was...
you may have your driving lights on whilst using your parkers, but not while using your headlights..

[prydey]

Originally Posted by KR1STO

i was quite sure that the law for driving lights was...
you may have your driving lights on whilst using your parkers, but not while using your headlights..

not wanting to drag up this old chestnut again, but driving lights and fog lights aren't the same. i think what is fitted to most cars are fog lights.

i think its also to do with how they switch on. whether they have a separate switch or come on with low beam or high beam. do a search or send a pm off to 'keep left'.

its a contentious issue that went for about 40 pages last time it came up.

its a little off topic in here. i think people should be encouraged to use lights regardless of conditions, esp out on the open road but i don't think there should be any sort of law introduced.

[KR1STO]

cool.. thanks mate.. will do..

i think that headlights should be on and i tend to drive most of the time with lights on...
i'd rather be seen at all times..

[Airmon]

They have signs on a few roads I drive along encouraging the use of Headlights at all times along it.
Its a good idea as there are many times they make it much more helpful to see.

I can recall times where you'll be driving along the road at 90 or 80 in poor visibility and come up behind someone you dont see until you're almost on top of them because they are driving without lights on.
Its also funny, the road gets fog often, yet you dont see many people using their fog lights.

[Riksta]

I think the whole situation is all about "use your brain" and "common sense". Unfortunately those two things don't seem to apply anymore

On a beautiful hot summer's day here, say 1pm, just cruising round the beaches or town, why would I put my headlights on? There really is no need to.

Now lets change a couple of paramaters:
Location - Instead of cruising round town/beaches, I'm on a country highway. Headlights would now go on, not for my benefit but for the benefit of others - they can now see me easier.

Weather - Dark clouds, rain, not much natural sunlight. Headlights ON. That guy at the give way sign on the side road might think twice about pulling out if he sees a set of headlights coming at him, instead of a shadow that COULD be a car.

Time - 1am instead of 1pm - well, I think MOST people can comprehend this one!

The thing that really bugs me is people on dark cloudy/rainy days who don't put their lights on. It really does help you to see them. I feel that "common sense" and "using your brain" just doesn't happen enough in society anymore.

[potsyfromparkes]

I will have my two bobs worth on a couple of issues brought up in this thread;

1; I have my fog lights only when driving in daylight on country roads in fog,rain or overcast weather and always have my headlights on before the darkness sets in. I cannot see the point in driving around at dawn or dusk with no lighting when you consider the standard of driving and non observation displayed by some;

2; in regards to pedestrians why hasn't the RTA in NSW started educating people via ads asking them to walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic; there are so many young people in my town walking home ****ed or just plain ignorant to the risks in dark clothing with their back to the traffic that it is only a matter of time before somebody gets knocked over and of course the papers always make the car driver involved look bad after these incidents. I have yet to see the blame laid at the feet of a pedestrian.

[Silver Ghia]

Yep, its quite funny how drivers think when they switch off their headlights as soon as it just starts to get light at daybreak. Do they think they are reducing the greenhouse effects, or even saving petrol or the battery by switching them off before the sun actually rises in the horizon? :

Here's whats in the Vicroads "DrivinginVicRR.pdf" guide on page 54:

"Headlights help you see at night. Headlights and taillights help others to see you in poor light conditions. Your headlights and tail lights must be on between sunset and sunrise. They must also be on in hazardous weather conditions where there is reduced visibility.
If the street lights are on, your headlights should also be on."

And I must add that parking lights are only meant for parking.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by EDfutura25

Illegal..

bah, my car is bright orange. if you can't see me coming, you shouldn't be driving. sure it makes sense to have headlights on if your car is dark (blue, green or black). :

And I must add that parking lights are only meant for parking.

actually they aren't much good for that either. they are only 'good' for turning on your rear lights, ie divided hwy, going slow due to poor conditions.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Riksta

I think the whole situation is all about "use your brain" and "common sense". Unfortunately those two things don't seem to apply anymore.

if only there was a way to make common sense mandatory :ticking: