Why won't people turn on their headlights?

[VRG_135]

I've noticed the last six weeks, it seems every time I'm out at night I always see at least one car without their headlights on. Has anyone else noticed this?
Now the guy last night and one of the more creative excuses. As I yelled and screamed at him at a red light to turn on his light, girlfriend popped up from his lap and then they noticed me......

[Law]

In my experience, I've noticed that this is common in cars which exhibit both of the following features (i.e., Toyotas):
1) instrument clusters are permanently back-lit even with the headlights off during night
2) no automatic headlamps

Drivers of these cars, then, drive subconsciously (unknowingly) with their headlamps off because the instrument cluster is at full brightness, which doesn't trigger any kind of red flag (subconciously).

Of course, I'm not excusing the driver of his/her responsibility and they are still being stupid for not noticing that the road in front of them is somehow not as lit as it should be.
But I am suggesting that instrument clusters should not be back-lit with the headlamps off unless there is an automatic feature.
That way, either the driver hops in the car at night and the headlamps turn on automatically, or the driver hops in the car at night and the instruments are so dark that he can't see sh*t and will be inclined to switch on the lights/headlamps.

[to_riffic]

Or how bout....why can't people learn to not leave their high-beams on at night when they're driving?

[Z K]

Originally Posted by to_riffic

Or how bout....why can't people learn to not leave their high-beams on at night when they're driving?

I hate this. It is illegal to do so but I rarely see cops pull these people over. Also, I think these people are just clueless rather than doing it maliciously.

I've told someone his headlights was off. It took me a whole minute of honking and waving at them while driving besides them to get them to notice me...

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by Z K

I hate this. It is illegal to do so but I rarely see cops pull these people over. Also, I think these people are just clueless rather than doing it maliciously.

I've told someone his headlights was off. It took me a whole minute of honking and waving at them while driving besides them to get them to notice me...

Fog lights are bad too - even worse sometimes. Was behind some ass clown stuck in traffic w his rear fog on for an hour the other day.

[anrec330]

Some of these people have day time run lights which they can confuse for the actual headlights being on at night.

High beam issues is another thing. I always get people flashing their high beams at me even when i don't have mine on. I lowered the beam and it fixed the issue but then I couldn't see at night so back up they went lol

[speedracer2169]

I've been noticing this too. A manufacturer can make a warning to remind you about a seat belt and most cars have automatic headlights, is it that hard to make the sensor actually remind you to turn on your stupid lights.

[Katin]

The most dumbest are those that have auto headlights and don't use them!

[VRG_135]

Originally Posted by Katin

The most dumbest are those that have auto headlights and don't use them!

They aren't all dumb, some are just misguided.....my wife being one. But at least she always turns the lights on and off manually

[to_riffic]

Originally Posted by Z K

I hate this. It is illegal to do so but I rarely see cops pull these people over. Also, I think these people are just clueless rather than doing it maliciously.

I've told someone his headlights was off. It took me a whole minute of honking and waving at them while driving besides them to get them to notice me...

I've done the exact thing several times. I've even pulled up next to them at a light to grab their attention and they think I'm trying to creep on them or something. Um lady, I got better shit to do than warn you of your ignorance.

[jgoens]

Originally Posted by VRG_135

Now the guy last night and one of the more creative excuses. As I yelled and screamed at him at a red light to turn on his light, girlfriend popped up from his lap and then they noticed me......

Well..you know..good excuses--keep it dark, yo.

[Yessir]

I blame daytime running lights. People are oblivious and just don't know. They have daytime running lights and I think they believe that their car is intelligent and will automatically turn on the headlighs when necessary.... Which we know, it doesn't. My biggest gripe with daytime running lights and car manufacturers is that they leave these damn lights on during the day time and condition their customers to never touch the headligh switch when it gets dark. To make matters worse, when these people leave the daytime running lights on and never flick their headlight switch their freaking taillights are still off too. I think it's completely retarded that these car manufacturers can legally do this. Their customers are driving with very dim headlights and no freaking tail light on whatsoever. This is a dangerous scenario for the driver and surrounding vehicles as well. /Rant

[ShakyDog]

I just do not understand the whole automatic lights, mentality. I see so many cars that have auto lights and the driver is too stupid to think for themselves to override the automatic lights. I think I have come up with a great PSA for the USA:

If you can look up and see the sun (big yellow dot in the sky), you do not need your lights, unable to see the sun, turn on your lights.
If you can put your hand up on the horizon, holding your arm parallel to the ground and cover the sun with four fingers, you need your lights on.
If it is foggy, not matter if the sun is out or not, lights are on.
If it is raining, sun or no sun, lights are on.
If you drive a white vehicle in the snow, lights on.

The ones at night with no lights on, I just do not understand, even with the dash lit...Hmm, why can I not see?

Steve

[saeyedoc]

What I don't get is when I start flashing my lights at them and they don't even notice.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by ShakyDog

I just do not understand the whole automatic lights, mentality. I see so many cars that have auto lights and the driver is too stupid to think for themselves to override the automatic lights. I think I have come up with a great PSA for the USA:

If you can look up and see the sun (big yellow dot in the sky), you do not need your lights, unable to see the sun, turn on your lights.
If you can put your hand up on the horizon, holding your arm parallel to the ground and cover the sun with four fingers, you need your lights on.
If it is foggy, not matter if the sun is out or not, lights are on.
If it is raining, sun or no sun, lights are on.
If you drive a white vehicle in the snow, lights on.

The ones at night with no lights on, I just do not understand, even with the dash lit...Hmm, why can I not see?

Steve

I just always drive with my lights on. Problem solved.

But god damn Hyundai driver's never turn their lights on, and Civic drivers drive with just the DRL's on at night. Pisses me off.

[Mingwan]

Originally Posted by to_riffic

Or how bout....why can't people learn to not leave their high-beams on at night when they're driving?

Modify your highbeams. that's what I did. I converted my high beam lights to run HID bulbs at 3k temp. I originally did it because it looked jdm tyte, but realized how bright they were.

[Never_Enough]

Originally Posted by Law

In my experience, I've noticed that this is common in cars which exhibit both of the following features (i.e., Toyotas):
1) instrument clusters are permanently back-lit even with the headlights off during night
2) no automatic headlamps

Drivers of these cars, then, drive subconsciously (unknowingly) with their headlamps off because the instrument cluster is at full brightness, which doesn't trigger any kind of red flag (subconciously).

Of course, I'm not excusing the driver of his/her responsibility and they are still being stupid for not noticing that the road in front of them is somehow not as lit as it should be.
But I am suggesting that instrument clusters should not be back-lit with the headlamps off unless there is an automatic feature.
That way, either the driver hops in the car at night and the headlamps turn on automatically, or the driver hops in the car at night and the instruments are so dark that he can't see sh*t and will be inclined to switch on the lights/headlamps.

You might be right, but I don't understand how not seeing where you are going triggers "my lights are on. all is well lalalala" in anyone's head. You gotta be the dumbest of the dumb

[Wolf 335]

All comments here are valid.

I see this shit all the time, and it drive me nuts.

Usually as I pass them I take a look at the driver and everything instantly comes self-explanatory.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by Katin

The most dumbest are those that have auto headlights and don't use them!

I have auto headlights, and I don't use mine. Why? Because they're too damned sensitive, and I can't set the sensitivity of the sensor in my car.

I'm not a fan of my xenons popping on/self-leveling/etc., my dash lights dimming/changing color, and my Nav screen dimming/going from white to black background every time I drive under a frakking underpass.

I could adjust the sensitivity on a Lexus I owned; I couldn't on my current 2 Series and a 370z (can't remember about the others; don't think they had auto headlights). IMHO, all cars with this feature should allow for that adjustment within the OS of the car.

(Some may disagree, but I'm pretty sure I'm not 'most dumbest' -- which, by the way, is a double absolute and really bad grammar.)

Most comments here are valid, as a previous poster said. But I do believe the majority of the phenomenon is due to a combo of bright DRLs, daytime gauge backlighting, and decent urban street lighting.

[Katin]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

I have auto headlights, and I don't use mine. Why? Because they're too damned sensitive, and I can't set the sensitivity of the sensor in my car.

I'm not a fan of my xenons popping on/self-leveling/etc., my dash lights dimming/changing color, and my Nav screen dimming/going from white to black background every time I drive under a frakking underpass.

I could adjust the sensitivity on a Lexus I owned; I couldn't on my current 2 Series and a 370z (can't remember about the others; don't think they had auto headlights). IMHO, all cars with this feature should allow for that adjustment within the OS of the car.

(Some may disagree, but I'm pretty sure I'm not 'most dumbest' -- which, by the way, is a double absolute and really bad grammar.)



Most comments here are valid, as a previous poster said. But I do believe the majority of the phenomenon is due to a combo of bright DRLs, daytime gauge backlighting, and decent urban street lighting.

The grammar mistake was intentionally ironical and silly. I was mostly pointing at folks that buy fully loaded automobiles with lots of features that they never learn to use or even know they have.

You fall into a different category, you have a feature set that you don't like and bypass it. I don't think you are the type to drive around in the dark with lights out.

I agree that some BMW features need more user control.

[Germanauto]

Maybe I'm ignorant but I generally only notice this happening in Japanese cars. They have shitty defrosting systems too.

They sell cause they're reliable and cheap to operate, not cause of common sense features and powertrains the competition had years ago.

[Never_Enough]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

I have auto headlights, and I don't use mine. Why? Because they're too damned sensitive, and I can't set the sensitivity of the sensor in my car.

I'm not a fan of my xenons popping on/self-leveling/etc., my dash lights dimming/changing color, and my Nav screen dimming/going from white to black background every time I drive under a frakking underpass.

I could adjust the sensitivity on a Lexus I owned; I couldn't on my current 2 Series and a 370z (can't remember about the others; don't think they had auto headlights). IMHO, all cars with this feature should allow for that adjustment within the OS of the car.

(Some may disagree, but I'm pretty sure I'm not 'most dumbest' -- which, by the way, is a double absolute and really bad grammar.)

Most comments here are valid, as a previous poster said. But I do believe the majority of the phenomenon is due to a combo of bright DRLs, daytime gauge backlighting, and decent urban street lighting.

I'm with you. Every car I have had that had auto headlights = I turned that shit off.