To think this driver was BU to not have lights on in bad weather?

[SharkiraSharkira]

Riding home from work today (motorbike) and going down a narrow country lane that is quite 'enclosed' - as in there are high grassy banks on either side and trees growing over the road to make it quite shadowy and dark if you see what I mean.

Weather is terrible today, very cloudy, grey and raining heavily so visibility was reduced anyway.

Dark coloured car comes up the road with no lights on and due to the above reasons it was hard to see until I got close, fortunately I was going slowly so managed to avoid it but with the road conditions being so slippery if I had been going any faster I may have skidded straight into it due to not seeing it in time.

Aibu to think this driver was BU to not have their lights on in these conditions even though it was daylight?

I have daytime running lights and some people STILL don't see me!

Locally, it was very foggy the other morning. Still idiots driving at 6:30am with no lights or just side lides bombing down the motorway up each others backsides.

The law is half an hour before sunset till half an hour after sunrise and if visibility drops below 100 metres.

Rain would not unless monsoon like: drop visibility that much, I'm not saying lights might not help just that legally lights are unlikely to be mandatory in rain, just fog.

I think there's a mistaken belief out there amongst certain motorists that headlights are used to see better i.e. Like a torch rather than them actually being there for your own cars visibility.

The law is half an hour before sunset till half an hour after sunrise

Evidence, please.

I always have my car headlights on the "auto" setting, so that they come on automatically when the light levels drop. Yes they always come on when it's raining.

"Soon there will be no need for human brains"

Sometimes it is difficult to ascertain when light should be on and when they shouldn't. The auto light setting is far more light sensitive than most people's eyes.

I keep my car on auto as it is very useful. Also, dashboards light up even when the lights are off, unlike older cars, so a driver may think they have the lights on when they haven't. I discovered this after my car had been serviced and they had switched the lights off.

"You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves"

^^ from the Highway Code

I also bet that every driver has at least once got into their car at night in a busy city with lots of street lights, house lights and other types of light and driven off without headlights. I certainly have.

Of course you can override the auto setting but it is very handy!

I always have lights on in the rain. It doesn't just make the car more visible, but in the rain lots of people have misted-up windows and your headlights might make the difference between being seen or not. The worst time for seeing people is in mist or light fog, especially silver cars. Many people think side-lights are enough, but on many occasions you can see the car itself before the lights appear.

Always-on headlights have been the norm on motorcycles since about 2004. One of the arguments against daytime running lights is that they rob two-wheelers of the one thing that distinguished them from a car in traffic.

"Evidence please."

"In the United Kingdom, there is a legally enforced lighting-up time, defined as from one half-hour after sunset to one half-hour before sunrise, during which all motor vehicles on unlit public roads (except if parked) must use their headlights."

From Wikipedia.

Yes Poppy I've done that when leaving the supermarket which is why I leave mine on Auto or On all the time now. My car switches off the lights when the keys are removed so no danger of leaving them on regardless of wht they are set to. I don't have day-time running lights though. I think side lights only shouldn't be an option as they are useless. You either need proper lights or you dont.

unlit public roads

I think that needs changed. I don't think that driving about with no lights in the dark even on a lit road is safe. Added to that we have new enegy saving street light bulbs and they are very poor, they basically leave a small puddle of light under each post and very little more.

Far too many drivers who either don't think, or can't be bothered to put their lights on, making them so much harder to see

I disagree. People are like sheep and put their lights on while it's still broad daylight but there's a spot of rain. If everyone has their lights on it actually creates lots of glare and makes it more difficult to see. I do worry about peoples' eyesight at times if they really don't think they can see other cars in certain conditions.

If it's absolutely chucking it down, that's different.

I also disagree that side lights are a waste of space, they are very often all you need in dull conditions.

All that said, I'd always thought the permanent daylight running lights were a bit silly. Until I was on a very straight flat road in Germany last year (cycling), weather was fine, and because a car had its lights on I could see it from miles away. But we have very few roads like that in the UK - most country lanes will be quite windy so you won't be able to see lights anyway.

More modern cars now generally have a sidelights always on as standard. I just think this is common sense, its added insurance against people not noticing you - why wouldn't you do it.

I think some people drive round like they walk round town - completely and utterly oblivious to others. It doesn't show them in a good light - is my polite way of saying they are utter twonks.

Country Lane driving is one of my stand on the crate and shout type scenarios.

DO NOT drive at 50 round windy roads - just because the speed LIMIT is 50 or even 60 in some counties DOES NOT mean that it is safe to drive at that speed.

Stick to your own bloody side of the road

Don't pull out on blind corners to go round horses, pedestrians or bikes

Give horses a very wide berth at less than 5 miles an hr and do not rev your engines immediately you are passed, accelerate slowly and quietly away.

If you meet someone there is a good chance you should be reversing into the passing place on a single carriageway - not eating up the verges

oh and SLOW DOWN did I say that ;-)

Daylight running lights are ususally different from side lights - they tend to be brighter and lower ime. I have never spotted someones side lights before I've spotted the car. I don't really have a view on daylight running lights to be honest but I still think that if you feel you need your lights on, you should have full lights on as side lights aren't bright or visible enough.