People who don't put their car lights on?

[girlfriend44]

Second time this week I've seen a care without lights on, in the dark.

So bloody dangerous and stupid how does a fully qualified driver not think to put their lights on? The car dashboard wouldn't be lit up for a start?
🙄

If it’s a digital dashboard then it would be lit up.

The dash on my car lights up independently of the headlights.

It’s easily done if you drive from a brightly lit car park into regular traffic. I have done it myself quite recently, leaving a shopping centre late afternoon.

My dashboard lights up without the headlights on tbf.
I can see how it happens if you are distracted and are on a well lit street, just flash them they usually realise pretty quickly

Did you flash them to make them aware? It may have been a genuine oversight if they had just pulled off.

my lights come on automatically at this time of year (as in I leave them on not automatic headlights as I hate that settling!) but a few weeks ago my car had been in the garage and they must had turned them off and I did drive a very short distance before having an “oh shit” moment - I am now paranoid every time I get in to double check!

I did it the other evening as we’ve got a new car and was the first time I’d driven it in the dark. I had assumed they were on the automatic setting but shouldn’t have assumed. Luckily someone flashed me and I promptly put them on.

I notice this all the time now, I must be flashing people once or twice a week.
I wondered if it was to do with newer cars having those permanent front lights on now and so they assume their back/headlights are on too?

Daytime running lights they are called apparently 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did and they didn't respond.

Well done you for always remembering.

This week I’ve alerted three drivers that their lights weren’t on. I don’t think they’re stupid, I just think ‘oo they haven’t turned their lights on’.

And then I did it- a man got out of his car at lights to tell me. I really appreciated it

Or don't notice one of their handlamps doesn't work.....

You can't forget as I said the dashboard is dark if your lights aren't on.
It's dangerous. Yes I think a driver should always remember to concentrate and put their lights on.

I've done it by mistake too - my lights are always set to go on automatically, but the garage switched them to Off When they did the MOT.

In newer cars, the dashboard is still lit lit up, even if your lights are off.

You can't forget as I said the dashboard is dark if your lights aren't on.

In your car.

Others have said that their car's dash lights up independently of whether the headlights are on. My car has an "auto" setting so the lights do come on automatically, but in my last car I forgot a few times. It's very easily done when you are parked in a brightly-lit city centre.

Coming on here to say exactly the same. Got caught out after a service/MOT

The dash in my car is always lit, irrelevant of whether my lights are on or not.

I haven't had a car without an electronic dash in years.

Equally, I don't remember when I last forgot to turn my lights on but the dash wouldn't be a clue. The little lamp light probably would.

Nope! Such judgement, based only on YOUR car! We have two cars - one, the bloody dashboard lights up, but that doesn't mean the headlights are on. The second car, the lights are on automatically. Switching between 2 cars is a pain. But of course, we should all be perfect and never distracted by kids, work, etc. It's a minor bloody infraction and you're so very sanctimonious for a Saturday night.

I've seen several people with no lights on in the last few weeks. What is going on?

Idiots. Not going to look good if there's a crash is there.

OP, you're just asking for some 'driving' JuJu - it's just one of the many things that can happen, purely by mistake. Thankfully most of these mistakes don't result in accidents because most drivers drive well and safely.

Sometimes these mistakes result in accidents and sometimes accidents happen even when no driver has made a mistake.

Don't think you don't make driving mistakes sometimes.

Usually because they aren't concentrating sufficiently, same as when they have bulbs out with a warning message that they ignore, or don't notice they have a flat.

I had a taxi with no lights pull out in front of me. I managed to react him pulling out ok but when I flashed because of his lack of lights, he assumed it was because I cut him up and pulled into the next side road. DS managed to wave his hands to convey the message and he finally put them on.

I think DLRs make it much worse. It's far more common than it used to be, plus the white lighting replacing the orange sodium lights. I wish DLRs lit up the rear too. It would be useful in the daytime for driving into glare anyway. I work on the assumption that if I can't see the rear of the cars ahead brilliantly, the vehicle behind can't see me brilliantly either.

Not minor if you have a crash.