Time to enforce or encourage drivers to put their lights on

[mjr]

No doubt someone will correct me on that but i'd say there are many out there using the roads while having a vision defect.

I agree with that, but how much should society pander to lawbreakers instead of catching them? Shouldn't we put the money into enforcement, rather than a measure like DRLs that mainly benefits the least vulnerable road users?

Are you saying that poorly sighted pedestrians should keep away from roads.

Poorly sighted pedestrians are usually very aware of their shortcomings and act accordingly.

 

[summerdays]

If i'm right you take an eye test when you take your test by reading the car number plate 20 yards away. Unless you're involved in an accident your eye sight wont be tested again till you reach 75 years of age. No doubt someone will correct me on that but i'd say there are many out there using the roads while having a vision defect.

I go to the opticians every two years or more often if I need to, and actually asked last time and I'm still ok to drive legally without glasses, (I wear them for astigmatism and couldn't imagine wanting to drive without them as the world becomes clearer), though I usually cycle without them (easier to stop to read a road sign if I'm somewhere strange, and the problem of rain on the glasses when cycling.)

So some of us do check our eyesight.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I go to the opticians every two years or more often if I need to, and actually asked last time and I'm still ok to drive legally without glasses, (I wear them for astigmatism and couldn't imagine wanting to drive without them as the world becomes clearer), though I usually cycle without them (easier to stop to read a road sign if I'm somewhere strange, and the problem of rain on the glasses when cycling.)

So some of us do check our eyesight.

But not everyone does,and it isn't compulsory to have a regular eye test for driving.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgehbV_AcAU

 

[Milkfloat]

on my reading of that paper, they found that daytime running lights INCREASED daytime collisions of vehicles on pedestrians and cyclists by 5.6%?

I have not read all 110 pages, but that does seem to confirm the impression of many of us that DRLs are part of an arms race of illumination that leaves more vulnerable road users at a net disbenefit....

That figure was proceeded with the phrase 'not statistically significant' which puts those numbers in some doubt. The 21% figure I quoted was from Finland - but this was pre arms race, so maybe you are right in that an arms race is having a big impact.

Personally I don't see how an arms race would cause such a big issue unless you are being blinded. As a road user I would want to avoid hitting/being hit anything full stop, lights help me.

 

[Profpointy]

That figure was proceeded with the phrase 'not statistically significant' which puts those numbers in some doubt. The 21% figure I quoted was from Finland - but this was pre arms race, so maybe you are right in that an arms race is having a big impact.

Personally I don't see how an arms race would cause such a big issue unless you are being blinded. As a road user I would want to avoid hitting/being hit anything full stop, lights help me.

Not sure you've quite understood.the sceptic point. If cars are lit in daylight, to make them stand out more compared to non-lit things, it is surely self evident non lit pedestrians will be even less visible than they are now.

 

[mjr]

As a road user I would want to avoid hitting/being hit anything full stop, lights help me.

What evidence is there for the "want to avoid ... being hit [...] lights help me" bit? It's oft stated and rarely tested.

 

[Profpointy]

isn't this remenicent of the rock band story where each musician in turn asks the sound man to turn up their instrument. Cue sarcastic comment "can we just have everything louder than everything else?"

Attrib.Ian Gillan maybe?

 

[snorri]

As a road user I would want to avoid hitting/being hit anything full stop, lights help me.

I'm afraid I see this as a rather selfish attitude, yes, lights help protect the vehicle which is itself illuminated, but by creating a distraction for other drivers increase the risk of them colliding with unlit features, pedestrians ,cyclists, animals, obstructions on the road etc.

 

[Milkfloat]

I'm afraid I see this as a rather selfish attitude, yes, lights help protect the vehicle which is itself illuminated, but by creating a distraction for other drivers increase the risk of them colliding with unlit features, pedestrians ,cyclists, animals, obstructions on the road etc.

As a cyclist I tend to ride with a rear flasher at all times, I don't use the front one in day light. i talk the point about pedestrians - i would be interested to see stats that show the numbers of pedestrians KSI by stepping out in front of car they did not see compared to being hit by a vehicle that did not see them. One would hope that DRLs have had an overall impact in KSI when considering all victims.

 

[Justinslow]

During our club ride today i roughly counted the number of vehicles mostly cars that didn't have side lights turned on. Not just cars but cars coloured the same as the road, Graphite,black and grey cars are hard to see on a grey drizzly day so why don't the drivers put their lights on? If they're too dumb or too lazy or too stupid isn't it time they were pulled over for not being visible to other road users?
And before i get the "if they're hard to see how did you see them to count them?" Yes i saw them but most when they were a few yards away which is dangerous to cyclists.

Sorry haven't read all the posts, but yesterday morning on my way to work in the pouring rain two separate cyclists riding along - dark clothes and no lights, how about mandatory lights for cyclists!!

 

[mjr]

Sorry haven't read all the posts, but yesterday morning on my way to work in the pouring rain two separate cyclists riding along - dark clothes and no lights, how about mandatory lights for cyclists!!

Seeing as you haven't read it, here's my reply: let's have mandatory "driving within what they can see to be clear" for motorists, first!

 

[swansonj]

The issue of lighting on cars is a bit like the issue of prescribing antibiotics by GPs. Each individual may feel that they want better lights or more antibiotics because they are viewing it from their own perspective and with a strong dose of "just in case". From the societal point of view, use outside the narrow parameters where they actually do good results in immunity and net harm.

 

[mjr]

From the societal point of view, use outside the narrow parameters where they actually do good results in immunity and net harm.

That would be so much more persuasive if the avatar wasn't bright yellow...

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Sorry haven't read all the posts, but yesterday morning on my way to work in the pouring rain two separate cyclists riding along - dark clothes and no lights, how about mandatory lights for cyclists!!

Yep!, equally dumb

Whilst flouro yellow/orange aren't my favourite colours, what is it with clothing manufacturers turning out so many jackets/jersey, in black?

 

[Dan B]

Yep!, equally dumb

Whilst flouro yellow/orange aren't my favourite colours, what is it with clothing manufacturers turning out so many jackets/jersey, in black?

It goes with everything. And it's slimming