Lighting up the night.

[akirk]

...but anything over half a second or so is bad (usually only ever when caught out whilst changing gear)

always used to have that fun with the '69 mgb - dip switch as a foot switch to the left of the clutch - you approach a corner and choose - dip your headlights or change gear brings a new meaning to heel and toe

Alasdair

[TripleS]

...but anything over half a second or so is bad (usually only ever when caught out whilst changing gear)

always used to have that fun with the '69 mgb - dip switch as a foot switch to the left of the clutch - you approach a corner and choose - dip your headlights or change gear brings a new meaning to heel and toe

Alasdair

For many years I drove various cars that had a floor mounted dipswitch, and I don't recall feeling that I had insufficient left feet to cope with it. Must be my peculiar driving style, I guess.

[akirk]

For many years I drove various cars that had a floor mounted dipswitch, and I don't recall feeling that I had insufficient left feet to cope with it. Must be my peculiar driving style, I guess.

Ahhh - one of those dancers with two-left feet?!
to be honest it was generally easiest leaving the lights dipped as full beam didn't add much light
Alasdair

[revian]

I've just written a little document about this. 114"

Excellent Mr CW.is this going to other RoSPA groups?

[jont]

For many years I drove various cars that had a floor mounted dipswitch, and I don't recall feeling that I had insufficient left feet to cope with it. Must be my peculiar driving style, I guess.

Ahhh - one of those dancers with two-left feet?!
to be honest it was generally easiest leaving the lights dipped as full beam didn't add much light
Alasdair

Looks good. One comment I'd add in "lighting up" - modern DRLs throw out quite a lot of light. At the front. Only. A lot of people seem to use these, particularly in urban areas (maybe used to "auto" lights?), and don't realise they have nothing on at the back
/sure it won't be any ROSPA members doing that though.

/edit to add - my bad. Missed the comment about DRLs being inadequate. I blame insufficient lighting

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

I've just written a little document about this."

Excellent Mr CW.is this going to other RoSPA groups?

Not unsolicited, although everyone is welcome - obviously the copyright notice needs to stay in...

Here's a thought though, perhaps I should send it to Care On The Road!

[Tim Hunt]

Fully agree with Alasdair. Father bought what is now my TR4A in 1970 and even then I thought the foot mounted dip switch a rotten, antiquated idea particularly on a manual car. I binned it straightaway and fitted an on-on toggle switch just below the dash to the right of the steering wheel. An extension on the switch allows it to be operated with a fingertip whilst the hand still has control of the wheel and the left foot remains available for the clutch. It still works perfectly 44 years later!

Tim

[Horse]

...but anything over half a second or so is bad (usually only ever when caught out whilst changing gear)

always used to have that fun with the '69 mgb - dip switch as a foot switch to the left of the clutch - you approach a corner and choose - dip your headlights or change gear brings a new meaning to heel and toe

Alasdair

I think it's in 'Better driving the police way' that there's a tale of the police trainee on a night drive who is very good at double declutching - using the foot dip switch. Apparently, his changes were very smooth!

[Tim Hunt]

"I think it's in 'Better driving the police way' that there's a tale of the police trainee on a night drive who is very good at double declutching - using the foot dip switch. Apparently, his changes were very smooth!"

Yes I recall reading that too in the dim and distant. John Miles's book I think. If the story is not apocryphal the student must have had an instinctive feel for the gearbox operation and exactly the right engine speed for the gear!

Tim

[jcochrane]

"I think it's in 'Better driving the police way' that there's a tale of the police trainee on a night drive who is very good at double declutching - using the foot dip switch. Apparently, his changes were very smooth!"

Yes I recall reading that too in the dim and distant. John Miles's book I think. If the story is not apocryphal the student must have had an instinctive feel for the gearbox operation and exactly the right engine speed for the gear!

Tim

You are correct. The student was doing clutches changes, it was claimed. I've never been quite sure if this was one of those "slightly?" exaggerated police stories. I met John on a number of occasions but never got round to asking him about this.

[Horse]

"I think it's in 'Better driving the police way' . . .

Yes I recall reading that too in the dim and distant. John Miles's book I think. If the story is not apocryphal . . . .

Another story in there is the 'pink faces' of the crowd watching the car racing. I've seen the same tale elsewhere (later) with a different driver named!

[TheInsanity1234]

"But indeed, the indicating situation, my under-17 instructor informed me that every time you indicate unnecessarily, it's deemed a minor fault on the test, which did lead me to wondering how that is fair."

I am very surprised by that. I did not think that indicating when not necessary would be marked as a fault on the DSA driving test, unless it was potentially misleading or confusing. Can a current ADI clarify this?

An unnecessary signal will not be marked as a driver error or any other fault unless it is potentially misleading and would confuse another road user. On the other hand, not signaling when another road user would benifit would be marked as a fault, driver error, serious, or dangerous, depending upon the potential outcome of the error.

Hm, that's interesting.

Let us imagine a test-scenario, I'm driving along, examiner tells me to pull up on the left, so I do my checks, and then indicate to pull up, even though nobody is around.

My driving instructor said that would be marked as a fault.
What would be your take on this?

Back on topic:
Can I just say that I'm not sure I've communicated this particularly well.

When I said I wouldn't dip my lights approaching junctions with waiting cars, I meant where you're literally a second or so away from passing the junction when a car pulls up.
Same with pedestrians, they appeared out of a side way literally just before you pass them.
Therefore, by the time you actually have dipped the lights, you're pretty much past the waiting car in junction / pedestrian?

I didn't mean as in if I was half a mile away from a junction, I would leave my main beam on even if there was a waiting car.

I hope that clears up confusion?

Regarding the Highway Code, I was aware of that rule.

Sadly, 90% of drivers on the roads don't seem to be aware of the rule.

Especially those in an automatic who are too lazy to pull up an handbrake and shift into neutral if it's a DSG-type 'box.

Anyway, back to the (current) topic.

I never knew cars actually had floor-mounted dippers?!

How did they work?

[akirk]

Back on topic:
Can I just say that I'm not sure I've communicated this particularly well.

When I said I wouldn't dip my lights approaching junctions with waiting cars, I meant where you're literally a second or so away from passing the junction when a car pulls up.
Same with pedestrians, they appeared out of a side way literally just before you pass them.
Therefore, by the time you actually have dipped the lights, you're pretty much past the waiting car in junction / pedestrian?

I didn't mean as in if I was half a mile away from a junction, I would leave my main beam on even if there was a waiting car.

I hope that clears up confusion?

Pedestrians can be a challenge and if one appears from nowhere / is in dark clothing and not easily visible I wouldn't worry enormously about their being dazzled briefly - a temporary lack of night vision for a pedestrian should have lesser consequences than for another driver...

However - you shouldn't really be in a situation where on arriving at a junction a car arrives at the junction in that moment and you haven't seen them further back - they will have headlights on - you will / should spot those as they approach from further back, even if you can't see the car - you will notice their lights in ample time to dip yours before your lights affect them - so should never be an issue...

Night time is great for the extra clue you are given by lights shining ahead of a car around a bend / from a turning - it can allow you knowledge earlier than you would receive it in day time... I am just back from a drive with Andy Morrison today and one of the points of discussion was how you can pick up clues across a field in the distance so that you are able to predict what you will find two bends ahead - we managed to predict a dustcart / some horses / a hump-backed bridge and a passat driven erratically by an elderly driver! Ideally you never want to drive into an unknown situation - and at night time - use the lights to give you that clue...

I never knew cars actually had floor-mounted dippers?!
How did they work?

big metal switch on the floor to the left of the clutch you stamp on - once for on once for off:

image from www.mg-cars.net

you can see it here quite clearly...

Alasdair

[revian]

How did it work?....Press on/press off...

I rather liked them

[TheInsanity1234]

However - you shouldn't really be in a situation where on arriving at a junction a car arrives at the junction in that moment and you haven't seen them further back - they will have headlights on - you will / should spot those as they approach from further back, even if you can't see the car - you will notice their lights in ample time to dip yours before your lights affect them - so should never be an issue...

Fair enough! But then this is the real world, and nothing can ever be perfect

Night time is great for the extra clue you are given by lights shining ahead of a car around a bend / from a turning - it can allow you knowledge earlier than you would receive it in day time... I am just back from a drive with Andy Morrison today and one of the points of discussion was how you can pick up clues across a field in the distance so that you are able to predict what you will find two bends ahead - we managed to predict a dustcart / some horses / a hump-backed bridge and a passat driven erratically by an elderly driver! Ideally you never want to drive into an unknown situation - and at night time - use the lights to give you that clue...

Preaching to the converted here, vicar.
I, being deaf, have a natural tendency to look much further ahead than my parents, and so I often spot the little clues up ahead that tell me what the road is going to do.
I recall a drive back from Wales, and we were driving along dark roads that wiggled their way around the hills/mountains, and we were overtaken by someone in a Renault Senic, and I was still seeing their rear lights even from about half a mile away, on the other side of a 'u-turn' that was coming up, and I was expecting it when we came upon it, but my father wasn't, and was predictably surprised by the u-turn.

I never knew cars actually had floor-mounted dippers?!
How did they work?

big metal switch on the floor to the left of the clutch you stamp on - once for on once for off:

image from http://www.mg-cars.net

you can see it here quite clearly...

Alasdair

Not asking about how you operated them

I meant did they work in the same fashion as the modern cars, or was it a mechanical job involving the whole headlight unit moving about a bit?