Full Beam Car Headlights

Most cars, vans and trucks have headlamp levelling systems, depending on load.
People toggle the adjuster without realising what they are switching, end up with headlamps set in the wrong position.

I work for the DVSA one of the Govt road safety organisation.
Road safety in all of its aspects, driving standard, vehicle standards all require co-operation.
if we don't co-operate on the road with each other we end up with collisions and unfortunately KSI.

Believe me a fatal accident changes everybody who deals with it, from the Fire service who have to cut people out, the Para-medics/Doctors/Nurses, who sometime work miracles to keep people alive.
To the Traffic Officers who have to deliver the death message. Then people like myself who have to sift through the wreckage and try and work out what has gone wrong, 9 out of 10 it is misjudgement, of speed, road conditions, or plain driving ability. 

Most people who drive grossly overestimate their ability to drive, and at speed and in poor conditions 
this  inability is sometimes the difference between life and death.

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

I think that bright car head lights definitely affect people more as they get older. When I was younger I would never have believed that I would say that I don't like driving at night, but I do now. 

On the point about driving standards in Kent, I thoroughly agree that things have got worse. Overdevelopment in Kent without improvements in road infrastructure has created the mess that is the roads in Kent.  Hardly a day goes by without one of the motorways having at least one bad accident. 

Getting around Maidstone and Medway has never been easy, but the the huge increase in population, caused by so many housing developments has made the situation far worse. 

I do think that congestion could be reduced if people moved off a bit quicker at traffic lights. People do not seem to anticipate a change in lights and take ages to get going. If I'm at the head of a queue I get myself ready to move off as soon as they change. I don't jump the lights or exceed the speed limit, but often I find myself about 200 metres up a road before the next person has started moving.

I also find it annoying when drivers leave huge gaps between their vehicle and the one on front, when there are long queues stretching back past several junctions.  

The issue with traffic lights is the opposite of your last point. People queue at traffic lights too close to the car in front - you should be able to see the bottom of the car in front's tyres. Too close and the car in front has to pull away before the car behind can move - staying a little bit back allows the car behind to move at the same time as the car in front avoiding the concertina effect.

That’s a great tip about how to measure the correct gap. Have you perhaps been on an advanced driving course? ( I havent, but they sound like they should be more popular. Insurance discounts as an incentive?)

Is it me or have cat's eyes disappeared/diminished on some roads? Could it be down to cut backs? Definitely less visibility on a lot of country roads.

PragueAddick said:

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

I think that bright car head lights definitely affect people more as they get older. When I was younger I would never have believed that I would say that I don't like driving at night, but I do now. 

On the point about driving standards in Kent, I thoroughly agree that things have got worse. Overdevelopment in Kent without improvements in road infrastructure has created the mess that is the roads in Kent.  Hardly a day goes by without one of the motorways having at least one bad accident. 

Getting around Maidstone and Medway has never been easy, but the the huge increase in population, caused by so many housing developments has made the situation far worse. 

I do think that congestion could be reduced if people moved off a bit quicker at traffic lights. People do not seem to anticipate a change in lights and take ages to get going. If I'm at the head of a queue I get myself ready to move off as soon as they change. I don't jump the lights or exceed the speed limit, but often I find myself about 200 metres up a road before the next person has started moving.

I also find it annoying when drivers leave huge gaps between their vehicle and the one on front, when there are long queues stretching back past several junctions.  

The issue with traffic lights is the opposite of your last point. People queue at traffic lights too close to the car in front - you should be able to see the bottom of the car in front's tyres. Too close and the car in front has to pull away before the car behind can move - staying a little bit back allows the car behind to move at the same time as the car in front avoiding the concertina effect.

That’s a great tip about how to measure the correct gap. Have you perhaps been on an advanced driving course? ( I havent, but they sound like they should be more popular. Insurance discounts as an incentive?)

This is also an important element of "defensive driving" techniques. The same technique should be used for traffic queues everywhere. If someone tries to block you in or otherwise threatens you, you can drive away at full pelt on full lock knowing you won't hit the car in front.  (For years, for health and safety reasons I tried to get my employer to pay for defensive driving training for those of us that did regular trips on business. They just wouldn't pay up, which I thought was very short-sighted.)  Another benefit is that it diminishes the chances of being rear-ended. If someone behind you looks like they are going too fast to stop in time, you can fill in the space in front to give them just a little bit more room to stop.

addick1956 said:

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

I think that bright car head lights definitely affect people more as they get older. When I was younger I would never have believed that I would say that I don't like driving at night, but I do now. 

On the point about driving standards in Kent, I thoroughly agree that things have got worse. Overdevelopment in Kent without improvements in road infrastructure has created the mess that is the roads in Kent.  Hardly a day goes by without one of the motorways having at least one bad accident. 

Getting around Maidstone and Medway has never been easy, but the the huge increase in population, caused by so many housing developments has made the situation far worse. 

I do think that congestion could be reduced if people moved off a bit quicker at traffic lights. People do not seem to anticipate a change in lights and take ages to get going. If I'm at the head of a queue I get myself ready to move off as soon as they change. I don't jump the lights or exceed the speed limit, but often I find myself about 200 metres up a road before the next person has started moving.

I also find it annoying when drivers leave huge gaps between their vehicle and the one on front, when there are long queues stretching back past several junctions.  

The issue with traffic lights is the opposite of your last point. People queue at traffic lights too close to the car in front - you should be able to see the bottom of the car in front's tyres. Too close and the car in front has to pull away before the car behind can move - staying a little bit back allows the car behind to move at the same time as the car in front avoiding the concertina effect.

Exactly.  Also why do people race around dangerously and then have to brake heavily as they ' suddenly ' approach the next queue. 

I often find that I move off from traffic lights as soon as the lights change and don't need to break the speed limit, but the vehicle behind doesn't move off for a considerable length of time, holding up all the traffic behind it and allowing only a few vehicles get through the light. There is no need to break the speed limit or jump the lights but reacting more quickly would allow more people to get through the lights and reduce congestion, there may not be another queue ahead.

ME14addick said:

addick1956 said:

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

I think that bright car head lights definitely affect people more as they get older. When I was younger I would never have believed that I would say that I don't like driving at night, but I do now. 

On the point about driving standards in Kent, I thoroughly agree that things have got worse. Overdevelopment in Kent without improvements in road infrastructure has created the mess that is the roads in Kent.  Hardly a day goes by without one of the motorways having at least one bad accident. 

Getting around Maidstone and Medway has never been easy, but the the huge increase in population, caused by so many housing developments has made the situation far worse. 

I do think that congestion could be reduced if people moved off a bit quicker at traffic lights. People do not seem to anticipate a change in lights and take ages to get going. If I'm at the head of a queue I get myself ready to move off as soon as they change. I don't jump the lights or exceed the speed limit, but often I find myself about 200 metres up a road before the next person has started moving.

I also find it annoying when drivers leave huge gaps between their vehicle and the one on front, when there are long queues stretching back past several junctions.  

The issue with traffic lights is the opposite of your last point. People queue at traffic lights too close to the car in front - you should be able to see the bottom of the car in front's tyres. Too close and the car in front has to pull away before the car behind can move - staying a little bit back allows the car behind to move at the same time as the car in front avoiding the concertina effect.

Exactly.  Also why do people race around dangerously and then have to brake heavily as they ' suddenly ' approach the next queue. 

I often find that I move off from traffic lights as soon as the lights change and don't need to break the speed limit, but the vehicle behind doesn't move off for a considerable length of time, holding up all the traffic behind it and allowing only a few vehicles get through the light. There is no need to break the speed limit or jump the lights but reacting more quickly would allow more people to get through the lights and reduce congestion, there may not be another queue ahead.

Traffic lights are not an F1 grid!

ME14addick said:

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

addick1956 said:

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

I think that bright car head lights definitely affect people more as they get older. When I was younger I would never have believed that I would say that I don't like driving at night, but I do now. 

On the point about driving standards in Kent, I thoroughly agree that things have got worse. Overdevelopment in Kent without improvements in road infrastructure has created the mess that is the roads in Kent.  Hardly a day goes by without one of the motorways having at least one bad accident. 

Getting around Maidstone and Medway has never been easy, but the the huge increase in population, caused by so many housing developments has made the situation far worse. 

I do think that congestion could be reduced if people moved off a bit quicker at traffic lights. People do not seem to anticipate a change in lights and take ages to get going. If I'm at the head of a queue I get myself ready to move off as soon as they change. I don't jump the lights or exceed the speed limit, but often I find myself about 200 metres up a road before the next person has started moving.

I also find it annoying when drivers leave huge gaps between their vehicle and the one on front, when there are long queues stretching back past several junctions.  

The issue with traffic lights is the opposite of your last point. People queue at traffic lights too close to the car in front - you should be able to see the bottom of the car in front's tyres. Too close and the car in front has to pull away before the car behind can move - staying a little bit back allows the car behind to move at the same time as the car in front avoiding the concertina effect.

Exactly.  Also why do people race around dangerously and then have to brake heavily as they ' suddenly ' approach the next queue. 

I often find that I move off from traffic lights as soon as the lights change and don't need to break the speed limit, but the vehicle behind doesn't move off for a considerable length of time, holding up all the traffic behind it and allowing only a few vehicles get through the light. There is no need to break the speed limit or jump the lights but reacting more quickly would allow more people to get through the lights and reduce congestion, there may not be another queue ahead.

Do you not glance over to the crossing traffic to assure yourself that none of them is jumping the lights?

Traffic lights are not an F1 grid!

Of course I check that's there is no crossing traffic, I remain alert at all times whilst waiting at lights.

It doesn't have to be a Formula 1 grid, I don't drive a high performance car and move off within the speed limit. Some people's reactions are incredibly slow and they take far too long to move off, causing frustration behind them.

As I said previously, queueing too close is the main issue.

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

addick1956 said:

bobmunro said:

ME14addick said:

I think that bright car head lights definitely affect people more as they get older. When I was younger I would never have believed that I would say that I don't like driving at night, but I do now. 

On the point about driving standards in Kent, I thoroughly agree that things have got worse. Overdevelopment in Kent without improvements in road infrastructure has created the mess that is the roads in Kent.  Hardly a day goes by without one of the motorways having at least one bad accident. 

Getting around Maidstone and Medway has never been easy, but the the huge increase in population, caused by so many housing developments has made the situation far worse. 

I do think that congestion could be reduced if people moved off a bit quicker at traffic lights. People do not seem to anticipate a change in lights and take ages to get going. If I'm at the head of a queue I get myself ready to move off as soon as they change. I don't jump the lights or exceed the speed limit, but often I find myself about 200 metres up a road before the next person has started moving.

I also find it annoying when drivers leave huge gaps between their vehicle and the one on front, when there are long queues stretching back past several junctions.  

The issue with traffic lights is the opposite of your last point. People queue at traffic lights too close to the car in front - you should be able to see the bottom of the car in front's tyres. Too close and the car in front has to pull away before the car behind can move - staying a little bit back allows the car behind to move at the same time as the car in front avoiding the concertina effect.

Exactly.  Also why do people race around dangerously and then have to brake heavily as they ' suddenly ' approach the next queue. 

I often find that I move off from traffic lights as soon as the lights change and don't need to break the speed limit, but the vehicle behind doesn't move off for a considerable length of time, holding up all the traffic behind it and allowing only a few vehicles get through the light. There is no need to break the speed limit or jump the lights but reacting more quickly would allow more people to get through the lights and reduce congestion, there may not be another queue ahead.

Do you not glance over to the crossing traffic to assure yourself that none of them is jumping the lights?

Traffic lights are not an F1 grid!

Of course I check that's there is no crossing traffic, I remain alert at all times whilst waiting at lights.

It doesn't have to be a Formula 1 grid, I don't drive a high performance car and move off within the speed limit. Some people's reactions are incredibly slow and they take far too long to move off, causing frustration behind them.

As I said previously, queueing too close is the main issue.

As I said previously the gaps some people leave are ridiculously long and just extend the length of a queue.

The suggestion you made of leaving enough room so that you can see the tyres of the car in front is absolutely right, but if you are in a queue with many junctions, it is extremely frustrating when some drivers leave gaps of about 50 yards, thereby extending the length of the queue and preventing others from turning off.

seth plum said:

bobmunro said:

seth plum said:

When I was a motorcyclist a police officer said everybody should use full beam in the dark unless there was a reason not to.
I had no idea that modern cars will automatically dip their headlights when another vehicle approaches…is this really true?
How does that work, and work at the right moment?
Cars with one headlight pretending to be motorcycles should be confiscated and crushed.

Yes it is true, Seth - cars are full of sensors and appliances.

That is impressive if a car can react quicker and better than a person when another vehicle approaches round a bend.
I tend to dip as soon as I see lights, do the car appliance dippers have to wait until they sense something solid.

They sense light not solid objects, so they dip as soon as they sense oncoming light - even approaching around a bend. They are just as quick as a human manually dipping but they have the added benefit of not forgetting.

guinnessaddick said:

Oliver Street said:

Is it me or have cat's eyes disappeared/diminished on some roads?

@blackpool72 has a lot to answer for.

Brilliant 🤣🤣🤣
Love you lots xx 
Merry Christmas 

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

Some of the worst driving I've seen is on the A12 from the Redbridge roundabout to the Blackwall Tunnel - some of it is utterly crazy. 

That is a shitty roundabout. The worst one I’ve encountered is Gallows Corner in Romford. It’s like people have totally forgotten how to drive and just hope for the best. 

cblock said:

Usually some wanker in a 4x4

Don't forget BMW and Audi drivers in any broad driving issue generalisation...