Lights on for safety

[Mark Hummel]

It is amazing to me that the government does nothing about mandatory LIGHTS ON FOR SAFETY while driving. Too worried about helmet checks. Why is it Thai people insist on driving with car running lights off during the day. No lights on during rain, and lucky if they turn them on at night. Every night I drive I see at least 20 motorbikes without lights at all driving from Nathon to Lamai. In the U.S. (no I am not very proud of the U.S. at the moment) every car when started running lights must come on automatically.  It is no wonder to me why so many people are killed on the road.

[transam]

The last I heard it was illegal to use dipped headlights during the day, that is reserved for Gov rides....????

But you are right, folk do not think about using lights at dawn or dusk or even after dark...Probably think their battery will last longer...????

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

Answer to lights on in rain, it takes common sense. Not replacing blown rear light on motorbike, while carrying wife and baby, say no more.

[pgrahmm]

Agree 100%.....

 

I have heard of drivers here being cited for driving in daylight with their headlights on....Makes no sense to me....

 

On long trips I've kept some auxiliary driving lights on at times to be seen, but I flip them off before the checkpoints....I've been asked by family why I turn lights on early during dusk/dawn as they can see - replied that I could see, but wanted others to see me.....Graphite Gray car, roads, sky, etc......

In the states the lights on sections/corridors have helped prevent many tragedies.....

Edited January 18, 2019 by pgrahmm

[Kwasaki]

23 minutes ago, Mark Hummel said:

at the moment) every car when started running lights must come on automatically. 

In Thailand my motorbike headlight comes on automatically.

My truck front lights come on automatically.

Thailand will get there like western countries did before people tend to forget The US & UK europe etc never had daylights and helmets either.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Kwasaki

[HAKAPALITA]

Only on old rides , daylight running Lights come on anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[neeray]

I've heard it said that Thais think that by not operating lights, they are saving the battery.

Duhh

[bluesofa]

13 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

{snipped} I've been asked by family why I turn lights on early during dusk/dawn as they can see - replied that I could see, but wanted others to see me.....Graphite Gray car, roads, sky, etc......

In the states the lights on sections/corridors have helped prevent many tragedies.....

Absolutely. I do the same near dawn and dusk.

I seem to remember years ago in the UK there was a government sponsored advert about this, using the phrase "see and be seen"

Edited January 18, 2019 by bluesofa
grammar

[KhunBENQ]

29 minutes ago, transam said:

The last I heard it was illegal to use dipped headlights during the day,

Indeed.

Some silly paragraph saying something like (forgot the exact wording and too lazy to search for):

you must NOT turn on the lights before vehicles 150m in front of you become invisible.

 

And simple minded drivers really think that lights are only for illuminating the road.

No idea that it is for being visible to others. Unbelievable but true.

 

I ignore the silly rule and turn on when I think it's useful.

 

New motorbikes all have lights forced on.

Does not mean that some ignorants won't care about broken light bulb.

They might notice that the front-light is off but they rarely check the back-light.

So it happens you drive through the dark and first light of a motorbike that you see is the break light (if that still works).

It's a lawless country.

[transam]

Mrs.Trans got pulled for having her spot (fog) lights on at dusk...????

 

So it seems no lights in difficult visual circumstances are better in the eyes of the BiB...????

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Mrs.Trans got pulled for having her spot (fog) lights on at dusk...????

 

So it seems no lights in difficult visual circumstances are better in the eyes of the BiB...????

Rightfully so she got pulled over. No use for foglights without fog.

 

In general IMO car headlights should be switched off until visibility gets less. If car lights are switched on, relative visibility of motorbikes will decline, which is no good IMO.

[transam]

7 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Rightfully so she got pulled over. No use for foglights without fog.

 

In general IMO car headlights should be switched off until visibility gets less. If car lights are switched on, relative visibility of motorbikes will decline, which is no good IMO.

The spots are to be seen by others, not to see by us.....They shine on the road a couple of feet in front of the ride, and nothing to do with "dazzling" others as you may think...

 

You obviously don't know what Dusk means...????

Edited January 18, 2019 by transam

[sirineou]

On 1/18/2019 at 1:45 AM, transam said:

The spots are to be seen by others, not to see by us.....They shine on the road a couple of feet in front of the ride, and nothing to do with "dazzling" others as you may think...

 

You obviously don't know what Dusk means...????

Or you what "Fog" means. 

[transam]

10 hours ago, sirineou said:

Or you what "Fog" means. 

I do know what fog means as I grew up in a country where fog was an annual adventure, but as LOS doesn't have fog, or I have never heard of it, why do they fit spot (fog) lights on LOS rides..?

[colinneil]

29 minutes ago, transam said:

I do know what fog means as I grew up in a country where fog was an annual adventure, but as LOS doesn't have fog, or I have never heard of it, why do they fit spot (fog) lights on LOS rides..?

You have never heard of fog here?

Well Trans clearly you have never driven in the mountains.

I was driving  early morning from Mae Hong Son to Pai a few years ago, i had to drive very slowly, because of dense fog.

[HAKAPALITA]

Ive found Fog Lamps as useless as a Chocolate Teapot. Only extra Driving Lamps pointed at the kerb nearside and center line has helped me, and then not much.Those silly things they fit these days ,i go with TA they are best used for daylight running set lowish. The Fog in the Mountains here can be that bad its best to just stop, its like seeing through Poseurs Window Film on a rainy night..as on S in Laws stupid Toyota TURD car whatever it is,!!. IMO they should set all Pick Up headlights fully loadies  there murder at night other wise. Yes then drive slow when empty,they not car anyway depite what a few ferangs dream. Nescaf Cold now,!

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, transam said:

I do know what fog means as I grew up in a country where fog was an annual adventure, but as LOS doesn't have fog, or I have never heard of it, why do they fit spot (fog) lights on LOS rides..?

 I don't know, why they fit fog lights , but I do know that they don't need to use them just because they have them, if there is no fog. It blinds me. Also I hate when they change their factory headlamps with high output lights. Again they blind me and it creates a dangerous situation. 

[canthai55]

Well known for donkeys years that DRL reduce accidents.

While daytime headlight usage reduced the number of two vehicle crashes by 5.7%, it also resulted in the reduction of pedestrian accidents by 12% and a 23% reduction in motorcycle accidents involving vehicles coming from the other direction

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/permanent-headlight-usage-shown-to-reduce-car-accidents

[Andrew Dwyer]

I remember as a teenager in the Uk ( late 70’s ) if you ever saw a Volvo with its lights on you would always shout “ you’ve left your bloody lights on “ !!

Even after we discovered it was done on purpose we still shouted at them.

Oh how we laughed [emoji23][emoji23]

Life was simpler then and we were young [emoji854]

[HAKAPALITA]

31 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 I don't know, why they fit fog lights , but I do know that they don't need to use them just because they have them, if there is no fog. It blinds me. Also I hate when they change their factory headlamps with high output lights. Again they blind me and it creates a dangerous situation. 

Hes related to Prince Philip.

[pgrahmm]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

You have never heard of fog here?

Well Trans clearly you have never driven in the mountains.

I was driving  early morning from Mae Hong Son to Pai a few years ago, i had to drive very slowly, because of dense fog.

Our street yesterday morning....In the flat lands near CM.....

It can get thick in pockets at elevation here....

[colinneil]

10 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Our street yesterday morning....In the flat lands near CM.....

It can get thick in pockets at elevation here....

Better send that photo to ole Trans, hes never seen fog here.

[HAKAPALITA]

Old Chap, never up before mid day.

[transam]

51 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Our street yesterday morning....In the flat lands near CM.....

It can get thick in pockets at elevation here....

That was me having a ciggy....????

[stevenl]

7 hours ago, transam said:

I do know what fog means as I grew up in a country where fog was an annual adventure, but as LOS doesn't have fog, or I have never heard of it, why do they fit spot (fog) lights on LOS rides..?

If there is no use for them, don't switch them on so you don't get fined.

 

And no, foglights don't typically shine 3 meters ahead. They typically blind others if there is no fog.

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, canthai55 said:

Well known for donkeys years that DRL reduce accidents.

While daytime headlight usage reduced the number of two vehicle crashes by 5.7%, it also resulted in the reduction of pedestrian accidents by 12% and a 23% reduction in motorcycle accidents involving vehicles coming from the other direction

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/permanent-headlight-usage-shown-to-reduce-car-accidents

It is dangerous to just presume the Thai situation would be similar to that where these studies were conducted.

[transam]

16 minutes ago, stevenl said:

If there is no use for them, don't switch them on so you don't get fined.

 

And no, foglights don't typically shine 3 meters ahead. They typically blind others if there is no fog.

Again you obviously don't know...Doesn't matter what lights are used it is how they are adjusted.......????

I mean, you have head lights and dipped head lights...One blinds, one does not..

[pgrahmm]

45 minutes ago, stevenl said:

If there is no use for them, don't switch them on so you don't get fined.

 

And no, foglights don't typically shine 3 meters ahead. They typically blind others if there is no fog.

Fog lights ONLY work effectively if aimed down....

If aimed up they look like an illuminated white movie screen reflecting back into your eyes...The only thing worse, (in my experience), is driving in snow "white out" conditions.....

Either way it's like somebody dropped a white sheet across your windshield.....

The lens/prism of "fog lights" is to diffuse/spread the effect of the fog....

Running lights are like pinholes through the darkness....

I have 3 sets on my SUV's.....

Fog lights - which are aimed purposefully down.....Driving lights which are aimed 2' (degrees) down & 2' degrees away from as to minimize any light directed into oncoming traffic.....And one strong center driving light which basically bores a hole in darkness for up to 3000 feet.....

I keep covers on them unless defined by the driving/terrain I'm going into.....

I've only used them defensively once....Some Thai cowboy with brilliant off-road lights was on coming &  blinding my FIL who was losing it & swerving/foundering in both directions with a truck full of family.....I stayed back as car #2 in deference to family hierarchy (although his slow driving drives me crazy)....

I swung out into the oncoming lane and lit this guy up with all 3 sets + my 130w high beams.....Instantly this guys lights went off & we continued on.....With where they live there's no telling how many he/she had helplessly driven off the road = gave him a taste of his own medicine.....

I have KC Daylighters (voltage burners) & LED off road lights in reserve for my US 4x4 too......

Good to have the reserve available when/if needed.....

IMO.....

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by pgrahmm

[elgenon]

OP- You are wrong, running lights are not mandatory during the day in the US. Maybe on newer cars they come on automatically but that's about all.

Running lights are not legal during rain or starting at dusk (1 hour before sunset). At least in California. At these times you must use headlights. Every state is different.

[melvinmelvin]

On 1/18/2019 at 6:15 AM, transam said:

Mrs.Trans got pulled for having her spot (fog) lights on at dusk...????

 

So it seems no lights in difficult visual circumstances are better in the eyes of the BiB...????

its quite strange really, I usually have my lights on during bright sunshine

have been stopped many many times, but never fined

 

weird, the bibs invest effort in making the roads more dangerous than necessary

 

thailaland