Drivers not dimming their lights

[Cyclopathic]

Sorry mate, I wasn't pointing at you in particular. More of a generalisation.

Ireland's biggest issue is people using front fogs all the time. Followed by not dimming their lights, followed by... The list is endless.

But isn't Ireland always foggy?

 

[Cyclopathic]

Afraid I'm with those who appreciate the extra light. In that circumstance there is little need of a shoulder check. The sound of the car and positioning of the light on the road tells you quite effectively where the car is and what it's doing.
Oncomming cars who don't dip can be a problem but not ones behind me.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

If you lived in rural Lincolnshire you would often do the same, unlit roads, deep dykes either side, big pot holes etc. You nee all the help you can get, just use it properly and dip when needed.

I am not sure what the point is of driving on dipped when there is absolutely no need to.

... and that sounds perfectly reasonable. The motorists I was referring to use their high beam in built-up urban areas where there's no justification for it. I can understand needing to use high beams in badly-lit, poorly maintained country roads, though.

 

[MontyVeda]

I don't do shoulder checks in daylight on rural roads and am even less likely to do them at night when I can see from my shadow in front of me just how much clearance I'm going to get from the overtaking vehicle. If the road is single track I would press on to the next passing place on becoming aware of a vehicle behind me, there is little to be gained from shoulder checking.

one of the worst pieces of 'advice' I've read.

 

[snorri]

one of the worst pieces of 'advice' I've read.

Ok, maybe I should have added "in pitch darkness on rural roads".

 

[Profpointy]

[I am not sure what the point is of driving on dipped when there is absolutely no need to.]

.... Ah, but this also makes you drive slower AND make it exceedinly difficult for those behind to overtake - a double bonus for hat wearing motorists. It helps even more if you speed up as soon as there's a straight bit of road as well, then drive excessively slowly round the bends afterwards.

 

[Lanzecki]

But isn't Ireland always foggy?

Not for the last few weeks. There's been this giant red fire in the sky. Portents of the end of the world abound. Everyone's getting the last round in quick.

That said, it's driving rain and wind at the mo. Time to go for a ride I guess.

 

[buggi]

now i don't 'have' to do a shoulder check, but it's handy to know if the vehicle about to pass is the size of a hairdressers car or a 7.5ton lorry... especially on unlit, possibly narrow country lanes.

What difference does it make just because the road is unlit and narrow? i don't change my road position whatever vehicle is behind me, and whether they are a 7.5 ton lorry, or a hairdressers car, they can still see me. I don't move just coz its a lorry instead of a car. i have every right to be there. The only reason i would move for a lorry on a long windy narrow road is if i feel like i had held him up long enough but that wouldn't depend if it was night or not, and i certainly wouldn't move out of the way as soon as i saw it just because it was a lorry; and besides, your implying that because its a lorry, its more dangerous when in fact, i find dippy hairdressers more dangerous (no offence to the non-dippy ones)

 

[bianchi1]

Just as an example, it may be advisable for drivers to have their lights on high beam when approaching cyclists from behind so that they are better able to deal with cyclists riding like this:

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/riding-a-bike-best-not-to.136630/

Personally, I like to have a good view of which direction the cyclist in front is going to serve.

 

[MontyVeda]

... i don't change my road position whatever vehicle is behind me, .... I don't move just coz its a lorry instead of a car. i have every right to be there. The only reason i would move for a lorry on a long windy narrow road is if i feel like i had held him up long enough....

coming through loud and clear

 

[buggi]

coming through loud and clear

lol what i mean is if say the road is 5 miles long and he's been trailling me for 3 and maybe there was a spot where i could let him pass i MIGHT consider it. But then i would consider it for a car too. What I'm trying to say is i treat all traffic the same regardless of type and i don't just move out the way as soon as i see them, gives them the impression they have more right to the road than me. In fact if the road is narrow I'm more likely to take a more assertive position and make them wait until its safe to overtake.
in fact the other day i was riding with a novice two abreast. A car came up behind and i didn't move. My friend started looking nervous until i explained that if the driver thought she had enough time to overtake without something coming round the blind bend ahead, she would move into the next lane. But she clearly didn't think this, so i wasn't going to encourage a dangerous close overtake by moving in. And that was a car. I certainly wouldn't do it for a lorry

 

[MontyVeda]

I know what you're trying to say... You will not move for a vehicle unless you want to... why you keep saying it over and over, i don't know... do you understand what i've been trying to say? That is, I like to look over my shoulder every now and then.

 

[gaz]

The lowest dipped beam setting should be high enough that you can travel at about 40mph on a completely unlit road, User269 pointed this out earlier. With centre aimed headlights you should be seeing further up the road.

I'm VERY particular about headlight adjustment, it MUST be 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the upper limit when dipped pattern is tested. This means even on on Fiat, which has the worst headlights of my cars, I have good enough illumination for 50-60mph depending how dark it is. The darker is it the better the apparent range of headlights.

From my experience it depends on the road. Today I was on a motorway with no lights and without full beams I could have quite easily gone well over 70mph with out issue.

On country roads that are tight and winding I think it is a bit more difficult to reach the speed limits suggested, especially if the cateyes are not functioning / existent.