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It's happened a number of times, someone passing me on the freeway, on the my way to work, at 9:45pm, no head lights, or no tall lights.
Up the street from me, at a busy avenue, I've seen it there as well, at times, late night, no headlights!
Tonite, sitting outside, at 11pm, I saw three cars come to a stop light, across the street, one without headlights!
Now I understand there's people that have, what's called, eagle eyes. With the lights turned off in the house, at night, they might be able to even see a cockroach crawling about. And I've known a couple people like that.
I don't think these people realize how dangerous it is to them and others.
Again, who are these people?
They're the types of people who you ask yourself, "how does he or she put their pants on without hurting themselves?"
For people that drive cars with automatic headlights, you might be one of those that end up on the road driving without headlights when you borrow/drive other cars without that automatic feature assuming it's on all cars.
I had heard that driving without lights was one way to make cops think the car was stolen. I don't know if it's true or not. I had to help someone figure out how to turn the lights on in a rental car once. They got the car during the day, but at night they couldn't find the light switch. Made me wonder is the stolen car thing above is true, considering that sometimes the thief doesn't know the car they stole well. If that was ever true, it probably isn't now considering how many I see driving without lights nowadays.
Driving at night without headlights is also a tip-off of someone driving under the influence.
+1,000,000 I know I may be just off, but the general rule is 1/6 of people driving between 6-10pm has been drinking, 1/4 between 10pm-2am , and 2-4am 1/2 of all drivers on the road have been drinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmking
Some newer cars have automatic headlights in which sensors detect when to turn the headlights on automatically. My car does just that and I'm not really fond of it. One night driving with the dash lights on, no message that lights where off, I noticed something wasn't right. When stopping at a stoplight I could not see my headlights shining on the car in front of me except for the parking lights. I pulled over and sure enough the lamps where off but the dashboard lights where on. A module burned out and replaced it the next morning. Within 2 months it happened again. I looked into the module and found that it was a chinese made part. I replaced it with a genuine GM module and have not had an issue since. However, I just received in the mail a recall on that particular part. My point is for some cars those automatic features go bonkers leaving unsuspecting drivers in the dark.
My 2002 truck has em. I HATE the automatic headlights. I have a switch to turn em off, but I have to do it every time I start my truck. My biggest problem with running only the autos is that the taillights don't come on. No lights at all if I forget to turn the headlights on. Great, If I see a cop flip a U-turn cause I was doing 30 over, (which Ive never had to do ) but I drive a manual transmission. If I'm stopped on flat ground (at a light or something) I don't hold the brakes. I do think If I ever get into an accident it will probably be me forgetting to turn them on, and then somebody behind too busy on there phone to see me stopped early enough..
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewYorkiforniainHouston
Back in the 90's, driving around without headlights at night was, in certain circles, part of a gang initiation process. You drive around with no headlights. Whoever flashes you, rolls alongside you trying to get your attention "gets got".
Don't know if this is still going on but please be careful out there!
Some newer cars have automatic headlights in which sensors detect when to turn the headlights on automatically. .
I actually think this is part of the problem. People learn to trust the sensor. What I think happens is they are in an area with enough street lamp brightness to fool the sensor into thinking it's daylight. When my wife got her car with automatic lights, the switch was just confusing enough that both of us accidently turned the light OFF when they were automatically ON, thinking they were still OFF and we were turning them ON.
My 2002 truck has em. I HATE the automatic headlights. I have a switch to turn em off, but I have to do it every time I start my truck. My biggest problem with running only the autos is that the taillights don't come on. No lights at all if I forget to turn the headlights on. Great, If I see a cop flip a U-turn cause I was doing 30 over, (which Ive never had to do ) but I drive a manual transmission. If I'm stopped on flat ground (at a light or something) I don't hold the brakes. I do think If I ever get into an accident it will probably be me forgetting to turn them on, and then somebody behind too busy on there phone to see me stopped early enough..
I think you're confusing DRL with auto headlights. With DRLs, the tail lights do not come on. With auto headlights, it's just like turning them on manually...everything comes on, including tail lights. Auto headlights only come on at dusk or nighttime, depending on the sensitivity of the sensor. DRLs come on whenever you start the car and put it in gear and stay on until you turn the headlights on manually or the headlights turn automatically if you have auto headlights. Newer LED DRLs may stay on even when the headlights are on, as is the case with my new truck.
I actually think this is part of the problem. People learn to trust the sensor. What I think happens is they are in an area with enough street lamp brightness to fool the sensor into thinking it's daylight. When my wife got her car with automatic lights, the switch was just confusing enough that both of us accidently turned the light OFF when they were automatically ON, thinking they were still OFF and we were turning them ON.
I've had auto headlights for 16 years now, on various vehicles. I have never had a sensor get fooled by streetlights.
- Streetlights bright enough that they don't realize their lights are off.
- Simply forgot since they just left a well-lit place like a gas station.
- Instrument cluster in many cars stays lit regardless of the lights being on/off.
- The lights aren't in AUTO and they're too stupid to turn on them manually.
- Stupid people just floating through life somehow aloof of their surroundings.
Do you flash them to let them know their lights aren't on? If not, you're part of the problem. Get over yourself and help them out.
Flash them ? Hell, I have pulled up next to them and TOLD THEM !! Strangely enough, a lot of times they take offense and either mumble something or they drive off with them still off.
When I am approaching a car with no lights on I flip my headlights on and off a few times to try to alert them , and sometimes they wake up. But most times, not.
I've had auto headlights for 16 years now, on various vehicles. I have never had a sensor get fooled by streetlights.
Point is you have been trained to depend on the auto light sensor. Now get into another car without auto feature and you still expect the lights to turn on automatically. This is part of the problem also.
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(which Ive never had to do 
) but I drive a manual transmission. If I'm stopped on flat ground (at a light or something) I don't hold the brakes. I do think If I ever get into an accident it will probably be me forgetting to turn them on, and then somebody behind too busy on there phone to see me stopped early enough..
