Sidelights

[Coline]

Why can we not call "Sidelights" PARKING lights as they do in the States.
Numerous people drive on their sidelights in bad light AND fog. I don't think they realise that in bad light sidelights do not show up enough. Or maybe they think they have their headlights on....dipped....Do the Police ever stop them to point out their error. Surely these lights could be renamed in the Highway Code book so future drivers would not use this practice.
Thanks!
Coline

[GJD]

Why can we not call "Sidelights" PARKING lights as they do in the States. [...]
Surely these lights could be renamed in the Highway Code book so future drivers would not use this practice.

Or perhaps just dispensed with completely?

Other than providing amusement for lens designers who, given a standard 5W sidelight bulb, seem to enjoy the challenge of competing with each other to see who can allow the least amount of light to escape into the outside world, do they serve any practical purpose?

Gavin

[Smiling Assassin]

I've also heard sidelights being referred to as marker lights.

Parking lights (in the UK) seem to be a thing of the past. Ideally parking lights should only show on the offside of the vehicle (if the vehicle is parked facing the right way on the right side of the road). I have come across a system that sets the offside sidelights to act as parking lights if the indicator switch is set to the nearside, and vice-versa for use on the continent - but the only example of this system I can remember was fitted to a Scania truck I think. Anyone remember those accessories you used to get that clipped onto the driver's window and plugged into the cigar lighter?

I would normally use sidelights when visibility is only slightly reduced to make me more visible and I don't need headlights to see where I'm going, such as dawn/dusk or in light mist or rain. It can also be advantageous to use them when driving through heavily wooded country lanes.

It's not often you see sidelights being used in lit 30 mph urban areas either. The majority of drivers seem to put headlights on dip beam at night regardless of what the HC says (if they bother to put lights on at all that is).

[GJD]

I would normally use sidelights when visibility is only slightly reduced to make me more visible and I don't need headlights to see where I'm going, such as dawn/dusk or in light mist or rain.

There are certainly situations where I want to be more visible but don't need my headlights to light the way, but I don't tend to bother with sidelights - I just go straight to dipped headlights. My impression of other vehicles' sidelights is that they are generally so feak and weeble that they don't make the vehicle any more visible at all - particularly in the sort of situations you're describing where the ambient light is less than ideal but still far from zero.

Gavin

[Gareth]

I'm sure I remember using sidelights alone when the system of street lighting was suitable, as still may be found in many town centres, but these days I would tend not to do so. The times when I do have sidelights on their own is when the day is overcast enough to make the instrument panel harder to see but at the same time the outside world doesn't seem dark enough to warrant headlights. Since the main reason for making a vehicle visible is to those following, there must be other times where headlights are not required and having them on only serves to make bicycles disappear.

As for parking lights, some cars have a separate way to enable either all sidelights or only those on the selected side of the car when the ignition key has been removed.

[ROG]

Sidelights...
Are we referring to those little tiny lights or dimdips - much difference between the two....... ????????

[Gareth]

Are we referring to those little tiny lights or dimdips - much difference between the two....... ????????

Dim-dip headlights were typically twice as bright as front sidelights.

[TripleS]

I'm sure I remember using sidelights alone when the system of street lighting was suitable, as still may be found in many town centres, but these days I would tend not to do so. The times when I do have sidelights on their own is when the day is overcast enough to make the instrument panel harder to see but at the same time the outside world doesn't seem dark enough to warrant headlights. Since the main reason for making a vehicle visible is to those following, there must be other times where headlights are not required and having them on only serves to make bicycles disappear.

In some circumstances I still drive on sidelights only, if I think it is helpful, and I disagree with those who insist you should always go straight from no lights at all, to dipped headlights.

Incidentally, the change took place many years ago, and I can't remember when it happened or why it was done, but sidelight and tail light bulbs used to be 6w rather than 5w. Did it concide with us (sort of) going metric?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Renny]

In some circumstances I still drive on sidelights only, if I think it is helpful, and I disagree with those who insist you should always go straight from no lights at all, to dipped headlights.

Incidentally, the change took place many years ago, and I can't remember when it happened or why it was done, but sidelight and tail light bulbs used to be 6w rather than 5w. Did it concide with us (sort of) going metric?

Dave, like you I sometimes do use sidelights, especially with a pale coloured car (the Discovery is a very light blue) when visibility may be reduced, but running dipped headlights would be likely to be seen as unnecessary.

[jont]

Dave, like you I sometimes do use sidelights, especially with a pale coloured car (the Discovery is a very light blue) when visibility may be reduced, but running dipped headlights would be likely to be seen as unnecessary.

On the other hand, I regard running dipped headlights all the time as very necessary given the experiences I had before I started doing so. Small, low car with minimal cross-sectional area seems to be ignored by a lot of motorists (or at least they don't realise how close it is when they pull out in front of you)

[Smiling Assassin]

Dave, like you I sometimes do use sidelights, especially with a pale coloured car (the Discovery is a very light blue) when visibility may be reduced, but running dipped headlights would be likely to be seen as unnecessary.

On the other hand, I regard running dipped headlights all the time as very necessary given the experiences I had before I started doing so. Small, low car with minimal cross-sectional area seems to be ignored by a lot of motorists (or at least they don't realise how close it is when they pull out in front of you)

A similar excuse was given by motorcyclists for riding with dipped beam in daylight and the result has been the removal of the switch from most, if not all, new bikes in the last few years. Volvo, I think, started the trend with their cars which completely negated the value of bikers riding with a dipped beam. An old chestnut I know but it still annoys me that I cannot turn the lights off on my ST1300 which I can do on all the other vehicles I drive.

[GJD]

Volvo, I think, started the trend with their cars.

Completely off isn't an option but my Volvo will allow me to use just sidelights. They clearly don't want me to though - the "you've still got your lights on" warning beep that sounds when you open the door to get out isn't used with the switch in the sidelights position.

Gavin

[TripleS]

....I regard running dipped headlights all the time as very necessary given the experiences I had before I started doing so. Small, low car with minimal cross-sectional area seems to be ignored by a lot of motorists (or at least they don't realise how close it is when they pull out in front of you)

A similar excuse was given by motorcyclists for riding with dipped beam in daylight and the result has been the removal of the switch from most, if not all, new bikes in the last few years. Volvo, I think, started the trend with their cars which completely negated the value of bikers riding with a dipped beam. An old chestnut I know but it still annoys me that I cannot turn the lights off on my ST1300 which I can do on all the other vehicles I drive.

When motorcyclists first started running around with headlights on all the time I found it irritating, but then I came to appreciate the added protection it afforded them so it became OK in my mind. It is also possible that - as Jon reports - the drivers of certain cars may find they also are not being seen readily enough, in which case they too will rightly seek added protection.

What I'm still opposed to is the proposition that all vehicles should be running around with headlights on all the time. In my view this is not necessary, and I suspect it will turn out to be yet another imposition that will do at least as much harm as good.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[TripleS]

Volvo, I think, started the trend with their cars.

Completely off isn't an option but my Volvo will allow me to use just sidelights. They clearly don't want me to though - the "you've still got your lights on" warning beep that sounds when you open the door to get out isn't used with the switch in the sidelights position.

Gavin

Our 406 doesn't do a lot of bleeping (I try to avoid use of the sort of language that might prompt it to ) but it does bleep if I open the driver's door with sidelights left on, or with the ignition key in the switch but in the OFF position; and yet it'll not issue a peep if I leave the key in the 'accessories' position. That seems odd, but then the 406 does have one or two illogical (and in some cases irritating) arrangements by my reckoning.

Thinks: Why do we have an ignition switch on a diesel car?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[ROG]

I came to appreciate the added protection it afforded them so it became OK in my mind. It is also possible that - as Jon reports - the drivers of certain cars may find they also are not being seen readily enough, in which case they too will rightly seek added protection.

The added protection due the headlight visibility for bikes will be wiped out if other vehicles do the same.
Put a bike with a headlight on amongst loads without and the bike will stand out.
Put a bike with a headlight on amongst loads with and the bike will be lost amongst them.