If you don't drive with your lights on, why not?

People in Australia don't seem to use their headlights during the day. In fact some people don't use them when it is rainy, misty, dusk, dawn or other times of low visibility. If you drive a white car in the mist without your fog lights on you are almost invisible. If you drive a grey or black car in low light you are almost invisible. If the person driving in the opposite direction has the sun in their eyes you are far more visible with your lights on.

Lights on increases your visibility and hence your safety no matter what the conditions so why don't people put them on?

This ****s me! I get so angry at people who don't use lights when it's overcast or really sunny (sunrise/sunset)...

It WILL NOT KILL YOUR BATTERY!

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This ****s me! I get so angry at people who don't use lights when it's overcast or really sunny (sunrise/sunset)...

It WILL NOT KILL YOUR BATTERY!

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It's not about whether or not you can see. It's about whether or not people can see YOU.


OH! And don't forget in underground/undercover carparks!!!!! Bloody hell, you're driving in the dark, how in the heck am I supposed to see you???

Honestly never thought about it like that


Cat xox

yes! This annoys me too. I don't put my lights on in the middle of the day if it is clear and sunny because I will probably forget to switch them off again, but the number of times I see white cars driving in low light and mist with no lights on just amazes me!

I would say this comes down to driver education. When you go for your license, it's all about road rules and yes driver safety. Nothing comes up about driving conditions and when to use your lights and not, or has this changed? Correct me if I am wrong. Unless you have been driving a long time or have been explained the reasons for using your lights in certain conditions, then most people would not have any idea other than to use them at night.

I had no idea about using lights on a particularly sunny day. Other times I do, just from experience, now I know about sunny days.

I was once told you turn your lights on when the street lights come on, that was the rule of thumb apparently.

Maybe this a new TAC advertisement in the making.

ETA: I know about the so many hours for L platers to drive in certain conditions and record them before they are eligible to go for their P's. So, I suppose it comes down to who is driving with them and explaining the conditions they are driving in and what to use.

Lights come on at 4-5pm for me all year round. On overcast, raining, misty etc days lights are always on. I drive a dark car.

Heather72 I remember being educated about this when on learner's.

I have an old car. My lights only turn on and off if I turn them on and off. If I turn them on in the middle of a bright day, I don't remember they are on, and then i park and go about my day and get back to my car and BAM, lights on all day...and yes..no battery =(

Newer cars these days with alarms, and lights that actually turn off by themselves, even some you can set a timer on so at a certain time they will come on, or they come on themselves when they detect the light changes are great...but a luxury I will never have.

My mum made a point of letting me know headlights weren't only for night time before I was on the road myself. I still occasionally would forget, but I've never used them every time I'm in the car until now either. I used them depending on the conditions. Or if I was travelling long distances.

In WA though, there are signs every where that basically tell you to use your lights when ever you're driving. I have auto headlights, so I just leave them on all the time. They turn themselves off. I used to use the auto setting... They'd turn on themselves when it was dark enough, but it had to be darker than I was comfortable with for them to switch on, so now I just keep them on.

The car I have now has auto headlights, so whenever it's running the lights are on. The car I had before was older so I had to turn them on. Then I'd only turn them on if it was foggy or dusk/dark, because otherwise id just forget they were on and probably always have a flat battery! It was a white car though, do more easily visible than some other colours.

I don't drive with my lights on during the day. I do put them on during winter when the weather is bad/overcast/fog etc, when i'm driving on country road and of course at night time. To be honest if its a normal sunny day and someone has their lights on it distracts me. Especially the moron driving behind me this morning with their high beams on, it hurt my eyes looking in the rear view mirror they were so bright! My dad was a policeman for 23 years and even he doesn't drive with them on during the day unless weather permits.

This is something that bugs both myself and my DH. We have a dark green car and a black car. The amount of times people have gone to pull out in front of our green car - which is a van! - simply because they didn't see it is unbelievable and this is on a bright, sunny day! As soon as it hit a certain time in the afternoon - which is about 4:15-4:30pm now - our headlights come on. I really wish other drivers would realise how invisible they are at times.

I do depending on the conditions. When our drive lights were still working they would be on all the time (they joy of auto-lights)

I did get flashed the other day when I had them on one morning due to it being a bit misty, it surprised me as I thought many drivers were getting used to the idea of using lights during the day. I do remember growing up how we would make fun of volvo drivers for having their lights on and it was seen as a common courtesy to flash other drivers who had their lights on during the day.

i tend to but often forget in good conditions. it worries me when people don't use them when it's ****ing down with rain, though. can't see a bloody thing!

Mine never go off but then I don't have to remember to turn them off either so Im not sure I would use them in daytime all the time if I couldn't just be lazy and leave them on all the time!

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Honestly never thought about it like that


Cat xox

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Me neither! I do in fog, dusk and dark..... One of our cars has an automatic feature that turns the lights on when it is overcast etc...

Mine are auto but sometimes they don't come on when I think they need to... So I put them on. The amount of times someone has pulled out in front of my light gold 4wd is crazy.

And car parks drive me insane as well - put your lights on!!!

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Mine are auto but sometimes they don't come on when I think they need to... So I put them on. The amount of times someone has pulled out in front of my light gold 4wd is crazy.

And car parks drive me insane as well - put your lights on!!!

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This, minus the light gold 4wd :p

I never knew about putting then on during the bright days - learnt that today (although I do put them on for long drives and if I can't see the dash clearly and near sunset/sunrise with the glare thing)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so may be slightly confusing :)

I use mine on rainy days, misty/foggy weather, early morning, sunset/rise/dusk. I don't use them in the middle of the day on a bright sunny day because I don't see the point when it doesn't make me any easier to see.

We have auto lights on our car. They turn on when our car deems it to be appropriate.
I suppose you could say we have an intelligent car :)

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I don't use them in the middle of the day on a bright sunny day because I don't see the point when it doesn't make me any easier to see.

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It does make you easier to see on a bright sunny day especially if your car is dark grey or black (ie the same colour as the road). You can see headlights before you can see a car.

I love my car because it turns the lights on when I start it and turns them off when I turn the engine off but in the days that I drove cars that didn't take care of lights for me I switched them on and off every time I drove and I never got a flat battery. It was just habit - like using the seat-belt.

But the thing is the auto lights don't come on in some situations where you wouldn't think you'd need it. I've nearly been a part of pileups when a car turns in an intersection, the sun is in their view a car is coming and the don't see it. They do last minute and break nearly causing an accident. I've seen it happen a lot. If the sun is bright and behind you put your lights on. Most motorcycles have their lights on permanently for this very reason.

Yes that's true but when the sun is shining in someone's eyes they should be slowing down anyway as its become a hazard. A lot of people don't slow down which is silly.

I drive with the anticipation that not everyone has the common sense or caution that I do. It's like slowing down at intersections with lights at night because people run lights when the streets are empty. I never assume.

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Most motorcycles have their lights on permanently for this very reason.

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Last year in the EU it became mandatory for new cars to do the same thing. When you turn the ignition the daytime running lights have to come on.

It makes it easier for pedestrians to see you too ;)

I pulled over yesterday to let a car go past me as it had lights on in the middle of the day and was driving me mad distracting me in my mirrors. I don't know if it makes a difference but it was a new looking Audi and the headlights were a row of LED type things superbright white/bue light with 6 or 7 'spots' on each side. Was driving me batty.

My car also has auto headlights. They never turn themselves on before I turn them on IYKWIM. If it becomes cloudy, I'll want them on & have to do it myself. They don't register early enough for me :)

I've seen new cars with the LED lights too. I do wonder weather they're parkers, or just for extra when needed? Like fog lights?

We were pulled over for having our fog lights on last year. It was my brothers car & we didn't know how to turn them off, & TBH didn't think it was a problem. It was night time. My bro had them on for the roo's.
Anyway, we got $100 fine for using them & were told that not only is it illegal to use them if there's no fog, but that if you have your fog lights on, your headlights have to be OFF. In my car when I tried it, the fog lights turned off with the headlights :dunno:

My father taught me to always turn the lights on when I got into the car and then lock the door (an older car with non-auto lights). When you go to get out you can't cause the door is locked and then you remember all the time. Has always worked for me

We have wall to wall Audis around here and I've never found it hard to drive in front of them. I love their lights TBH excpet the rear indicators could do to stand out a bit more.

Fog lights can be pretty blinding. It's best if they're not wired to your headlights because your headlights can actually reduce visibility in fog by reflecting back at you - fog lights are best wired to your parking lights so that you can switch off your headlights and use the fog lights instead but if the manufacturer's hooked them up to your headlights and you can't turn them on without your headlights it's not like you have options.

Sorka, your Dad's a smart man.

Be seen - be safe

I sometimes get distracted if someone has their lights on when no one else does though. And then can't see or pay attention to the other drivers as easily as if everyone has the lights off. (assuming its not raining or foggy or low light)

But I don't recall reading or geing taught to use them when it's very sunny. And I think my parents use to flash people with lifts on during the day as well.

Another thing.... Car parks have lights.... Ive never needed to worry about visibility in a carpark. I just assume there will be someone driving around every corner and drive accordingly. So unless I can't see I don't use my lights in a carpark.

Some newer cars have their lights on all the time the engine is running for safety (Volkswagons I believe) so you are just going to annoy them if you flash them for lights on in the day :rofl:

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Another thing.... Car parks have lights.... Ive never needed to worry about visibility in a carpark. I just assume there will be someone driving around every corner and drive accordingly. So unless I can't see I don't use my lights in a carpark.

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There are plenty of carparks around where I live with no lighting or very dim lighting.

People do drive me nuts when they flash me when my lights are on. I always expect there to be an accident, or police or something ahead. I use flashing my lights either to warn people to use caution, or to warn people their high beams are on.

I only ever get distracted by lights on through the day if they are on high beam... some people musn't see their hb dash light on during the day.