Fed up of seeing vehicles with no lights on at 5:30pm

It was actually that MN favourite, a red flag.

The Locomotives Act 1865.

They should bring back the men that used to walk in front of cars waving a big flag to warn everyone that a car was coming.

People do complain about pedestrians in the road in the dark with a death wish yes

My phone frequently autocorrects 'proper' words to another word! The favourite one is changing 'in' to 'on' and vice versa.

Why? How old does a car have to be before they started making them without headlights?!

They need a newer car

If you are complaining about them you can see them, what is the problem? Do you complain about pedestrians without reflectives and wearing dark clothing who have the audacity to be using or crossing the road? Fallen trees and debris in the road don't have reflectives either, the solution is to pay attention.

I think it's down to dashboards being permanently lit up now. It's easier for people to not realise that they've forgotten to put their lights on.

I agree. I posted this upthread, but I think a lot of MN drivers are too young to remember this.

I see quite often people with just the daytime running lights on, so they have low lights at the front (so presumably think their headlights are on) but nothing on the back. Nightmare. I've flashed my lights when I see it, but none of them have ever turned their lights on.

Oh my goodness I had a lucky escape then. Got pulled over by the police as my rear lights weren't on - they are automatic. Car had just been serviced and MOT'd and the garage had not reset the lights. Nevertheless I should have checked - totally my fault

Mines only 8 and doesn't have automatic lights either.

I think it's down to dashboards being permanently lit up now. It's easier for people to not realise that they've forgotten to put their lights on.

In the Olden Days, dashboards weren't backlit unless the lights were on. One of my two cars is 39 years old and you'd notice straight away if you were driving without lights on as the dashboard would be pitch black.

That said, fog lights and indicators have visible symbols on dashboards and people manage to ignore those for miles. I do wonder how often some people glance down at their dashboard displays...

It feels the other way round here as people seem to have lights on all the time.

I didn't see what make or model it was, but I saw a car out this morning with orange lights on the back corner - like indicators but fully on and not flashing. That seems a particularly stupidly confusing design. Unless it had a fault, I suppose.

I've also seen a few cars (or might just be the same one every time) with an irritating bright light in the middle, below the number plate, made up of 8 or 10 red LEDs - that just seems to randomly flash now and then. No idea what that's supposed to be for.

They’re daytime running lights not side lights. Side lights illuminate the tail lights as well.

It depends how dark it is of course, doh!

At dusk (just after sunset so around the time you are talking about) many cars sensibly only have the dim low front lights on (some people call them side or parking lights) . This is correct behaviour, especially given how glaringly bright a lot of modern LED lights are. Blinding people with full headlights when they are not necessary is dangerous.

Some people drive around with full headlights on all day and are muppets - if they think I should have full headlights on when it is not dark then they are not fit to be driving as it seems they can’t see my shiny silver car when there is plenty of light.

Of course if it truly is dark, (after about 6.30pm at the moment where I am) then people should go from dim dusk lights to full headlights.

Most cars have their lights on all the time it seems to me, because their sensors think a slightly overcast day is the same as night time.

We can't afford expensive cars so maybe some brands include automatic lights as standard? I have been driving Hondas for the last 11 years.

My 10 year old Fiesta doesn't have automatic lights but a more upmarket bigger car probably would.

Only if they were speeding as well.

Mine is nearly 17 years old and does.

Surely speed cameras could also catch drivers driving with no lights on?

My car is 10 years old and doesn’t have automatic lights 🤷‍♀️

On the other thread, people were saying about not thinking to check and turn the automatic lights back on after collecting the car from the garage, where they'd turned them off.

I'm also thinking that, whilst very clever, automatic lights aren't completely infallible. Aeroplanes largely control themselves now, but nobody would dream of sending one up without two highly-trained human pilots as well.

As per street lights, somebody on the other thread claimed thaf you didn't legally need to ever use headlights on a road with streetlights!! Streetlights are ideal for pedestrians walking from one to the next, but they're no replacement for headlights for motorists. They sometimes instal them on busy sections of motorway as an extra help; but you need your own headlights at all times in any kind of poor visibility.

What do you class as 'very old'? My car is 8 years old (I don't consider that very old) and doesn't have automatic lights.