Citroen XM Forum

Behind a Range Rover in the dark. No rear lights. Bright front running lights. Driver blissfully unaware. Wft???

(S)He probably normally drives with automatic lights and doesn't even know where the switch is.

I've seen this a lot. I don't get the thinking behind it. How on earth was it ever considered a "good" idea? And how was it's introduction ever past?

LG.

Daytime running lights should be fitted in conjunction with automatic activation of headlights in darkness.

Plus, if you’re not aware they you’re driving a motor vehicle without headlights during the hours of darkness then I’m sorry but you shouldn’t be in control of such a vehicle.

Ray.

Dead right, Ray.

In my grumpy old git mode, not switching on a full set of lights when in gloom or darkness makes me wonder what's going on between the ears of some folk behind the wheel.

A process of dumbing down, maybe, with the recent UK driving test no longer requiring the ability to reverse the vehicle within confines, or turn it around by 3-point manoeuvre. Footage of the new practical test on tv showed an examinee being checked on their ability to drive forwards out of a parking space! What!?! . . . and to show ability to follow SatNav verbal instructions.

Sorry; did I miss something here?

raynoon wrote: Plus, if you’re not aware they you’re driving a motor vehicle without headlights during the hours of darkness then I’m sorry but you shouldn’t be in control of such a vehicle.

Ray.

I once did it in one of my XM's years ago, due to the dashboard being permenantly illuminated.

White Exec wrote:
In my grumpy old git mode, not switching on a full set of lights when in gloom or darkness makes me wonder what's going on between the ears of some folk behind the wheel.

Conversely, I think people switch their lights on far too early. Slightly dull...headlights, slight rain...fog lights.

Following a car tonight that would't go over 20mph in a 40mph limit, due to there being the remnants of snow on the verges.

Oh, don't get me started on people who drive with one headlight or with their rear foglights on....... Aargh.

Mind you the cost of replacing a bulb in a "modern" car is not trivial!

One of my biggest gripes, lazy idiots that sit at traffic lights with their foot on the foot brake. It seems as if hardly anyone these days dares to put the hand brake on and select neutral.

I was behind a police van once, sat at lights, staring into his 3 high intensity brake lights. I could see his elbow on the window sill so I wound my window down and shouted up, "excuse me, do you think you could put your hanbrake on and take your foot off the pedal please?" And he did do!

People are so bleeding lazy, (and , I suspect, afraid of being a second or two slow in getting away because, not paying attention, they miss the lights changing and then are likely to have a mini panic, getting it in gear and releasing the handbrake.)

Dieselman wrote:

raynoon wrote: Plus, if you’re not aware they you’re driving a motor vehicle without headlights during the hours of darkness then I’m sorry but you shouldn’t be in control of such a vehicle.

Ray.

I once did it in one of my XM's years ago, due to the dashboard being permenantly illuminated.

You can be forgiven that in an XM....

False dash illumination is another problem with modern cars. The easiest thing to do is incorporate automatic activation of headlights and no bypass switch. Another ‘chore’ being removed from modern cars to help ‘modern’ drivers.

Or gobsh*tes as I like to call them.

Ray.