ADUK Archive

So, as winter draws in, the dark nights are arriving even earlier. This, (hopefully) does mean your lights get much more use, and your night driving skills will be more often utilised.

I have 2 questions here:

1: Driving through the country, and it's (predictably) very dark. Therefore, you'll be driving along with your main beam on. You encounter a village with streetlights and stuff, do you dip your headlights, or does the main beam remain on?

2: When you're driving along in the dark, and you're on a large A road (think of the A420 in Oxfordshire/Wiltshire area), which will have cat-eyes along the road, does your main-beam get utilised, or do the headlights remain dipped?

1: Dipped lights. Steet lights are sufficient to see hazzards at speeds typical of a village, the full beam is not required and there is a greater chance of other road users such as pedestrians who I don't want to dazzle. Shining full beam lights at their windows is discourteous to the residents also.

2: Full beam unless it is going to dazzle other road users. Cat eyes and dips will not show up unlit hazards in the road.

For me, main beam at most times.

In villages, street lights are often insufficient, spaced too far apart, and cast deep shadows from people people and animals may emerge. I want to see the places, (the discontinuities), in which they may be hiding early enough that I can do something about it. Of course I dip whenever I see a road or path user and, as a precaution, before a crest or a left bend.

1. Already been answered

2. I drive the A420 (M4 to A34) almost weekly. You definitely want full beam on a road like that unless there's approaching traffic!

Usually dipped beam in villages with street lights, but main beam if they are very dim or there are none at all. I always dip for other road users. Any road without street lights I would be on main beam.

Main beam whenever possible.

In both cases, I will use my lights as best to my advantage without inconveniencing anyone else.

This specifically means I will be on main beam in urban / village environments where it helps me (it doesn't always) and doesn't dazzle anyone else.

On rural roads, I will be mostly on main beam, but apart from dipping for courtesy/safety, I will also dip and/or flash approaching unsighted areas where other vehicles could emerge (bends, junctions, bridges...) , both to help me see their possible lights, and so that the flash is more readily seen by them.

I will also dip sometimes where the reflection from large directional signs or other reflective objects causes unwanted light coming back into my car.

Finally, both my cars nowadays have lights where the dipped headlights remain on while main beam is on. In the past, I've had cars with dual filament bulbs where that was not true, and it was sometimes useful to dip just so that the dipped beam would point where I wanted the light to go (e.g. on cresting a hill or bridge where main beam was just uselessly pointing into space).

My opinions are:

1: I will leave main beam on whilst driving through villages and towns. My parents have had a few near-misses with pedestrians who were hidden by dark spots then suddenly stepped into the road and the headlights didn't light them up until it was a bit close for my liking.
I couldn't be bothered by people living in houses along the road. If they have a problem with car headlights shining into their room, they can do what I would do, and hang 2 pieces of material over the window. I like to call them 'the curtains'.

2: Main beam pretty much whenever possible except for when it'll dazzle other road users etc.

The main reason why I ask is because I've joined a signing choir with my parents, and they're based in Witney, so every wednesday evening we have a 45-55 minute trip there, and another 45-55 minute trip back.
In both directions, it's very dark, but I find my father's night-time driving to be even more unnerving than his day-time driving.

He seems to hold the opinion that the main beam is only to be used on roads where there are no lights, and has a 60 mph speed limit.

When we drive into a village, he dips his headlights when we reach the 30 signs, even though there might be another 1/2 mile before we actually reach any houses or pedestrianised areas with lighting.
He also thinks that main beam is unnecessary on roads like the A420, and even on dual carriageways, even when nobody's about!

Oh and don't get me started on his total inability to use the wipers effectively!

So you'll blind pedestrians (and make it hard for them to judge distance) to avoid hitting those that might walk out? I don't get it.

I don't really have any use for main beam in streetlit areas. Maybe it's my car but it doesn't add much value, is another thing to have to react to, and is much more likely to annoy others than it is to assist.

Unlit roads, on whenever possible.

The A420 is a horrible road and has heavy traffic a lot of the time. Nonetheless it is twisty, with odd bits of double white lines, random 50's, fragments of dual carriageway, odd side turnings, and occasional agricultural traffic.

Yes, full beam unless you are going to dazzle people oncoming or in front of you.

I work on the basis outlined by Ancient.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Custom24 wrote:In both cases, I will use my lights as best to my advantage without inconveniencing anyone else.

This specifically means I will be on main beam in urban / village environments where it helps me (it doesn't always) and doesn't dazzle anyone else.

On rural roads, I will be mostly on main beam, but apart from dipping for courtesy/safety, I will also dip and/or flash approaching unsighted areas where other vehicles could emerge (bends, junctions, bridges...) , both to help me see their possible lights, and so that the flash is more readily seen by them.

I will also dip sometimes where the reflection from large directional signs or other reflective objects causes unwanted light coming back into my car.

Finally, both my cars nowadays have lights where the dipped headlights remain on while main beam is on. In the past, I've had cars with dual filament bulbs where that was not true, and it was sometimes useful to dip just so that the dipped beam would point where I wanted the light to go (e.g. on cresting a hill or bridge where main beam was just uselessly pointing into space).

+1

If the lighting is sufficient then I will use dipped beam if not full beam all the way, providing I'm not dazzling anyone for both questions.

Main beam whenever not dazzling another road user.

However much you can see, your father can't see as much. We oldies suffer reduced night vision.

waremark wrote:Main beam whenever not dazzling another road user.

However much you can see, your father can't see as much. We oldies suffer reduced night vision.

And that's my problem, he barely uses the main beam. 70% of the time, he just drives along as close to the limit as he can, despite the fact the headlights are only lighting up maybe 4 metres of tarmac in front of him.

trashbat wrote:So you'll blind pedestrians (and make it hard for them to judge distance) to avoid hitting those that might walk out? I don't get it.

Pedestrians can stop walking and look away if my headlights are causing them a problem.

Pedestrians who are not paying attention (somehow), or even pet cats, may just walk out of a dark spot to cross the road. In my view, I'd rather light the pedestrian/animal up earlier, and react appropriately in plenty of time.

I don't really have any use for main beam in streetlit areas. Maybe it's my car but it doesn't add much value, is another thing to have to react to, and is much more likely to annoy others than it is to assist.

I do notice there is a huge variation in the quality of headlights on different cars.
On my mum's old Clio, the headlights were terrible on dipped, and not much better on main beam, so in streetlit areas, you didn't see the difference, but on the Yeti, the headlights are alright on dipped, but fantastic on the main beam, and you really can notice the difference with them in streetlit areas.
For instance, there were a few cases in the Clio where despite the main beam being on, and being in a streetlit area, we missed the occasional turning because the turning was in a dark spot in between lights, and the headlights wouldn't light them up from far enough away, but in the same scenario in the Yeti, you really do spot a lot more in those pesky dark spots.