Modern Vespa

I love to go out for a ride after dinner but as darkness falls, I am surrounded by many car drivers who don't turn their headlights on even as it gets completely dark. It makes changing lanes more than a little scary. Is this just a New York Metropolitan area phenomenon (where street lighting is very bright making headlights unnecessary to see, just to be seen) or is it broader in scope? It seems to be worse now than in the past.

I am convinced that many new cars are the cause. I notice that many new cars, particularly more expensive cars and most Japanese cars, have dash board lighting that is on all the time. As a result, as it gets dark, traffic and overhead street lights make it easy to see and I'm guessing they don't realize they have failed to turn on their lights, especially since their dashboards are lit up like Christmas trees. Since many cars have an "auto-on" feature, why are drivers unwilling to use it?

Is this the cause or are people just stupid? It's not like it costs more to run with the lights on; I think the last headlight bulb I had to replace was on my '87 Taurus.

On a slightly related topic, many drivers here put their fog lights on, even when it's not foggy. Do the drivers of European cars (in the US) realize that by doing that, they are also lighting up a single very bright left taillight which tends to annoy drivers behind them and confuse them by thinking the driver is applying his brakes?

Actually Europeans are very well trained to turn off any additional lighting when it isn't mandated, as it is an offence - so I don't know where you got that bit from.

Jim, you misunderstood. It't the drivers of European cars here in the US that drive with the rear fog lights on. The versions we get here are wired differently (read inferior) to Euopean spec cars. I see plenty of Volvos and Audis who put their front fogs on to look cool and don't realize they are also activating the rear fog light. Everyone in Europe drives better and with more attention than in the States.

This is a phenomenon that happens over here in Singapore too .. i put it down to people being ignorant about the proper usage of rear fog lights !

It is not just a metro area thing. In the fall, winter, oh yeah & spring a pacific northwest day often looks like twilight all day. People still drive without headlights as long or longer than any intelligent person should. When i drive a car I keep the headlights on all the time. As far as fog/road lights go, many people have them aimed incorrectly.

Here in California as well. It's nearly always an Audi with one super-bright and one normal tail light on. I'm convinced the owners have no idea that it's on.

I only know Audi and VWs. If they have rear fog lights, the switch allows for separate control of front and back. You cannot only turn on the rear fog lights, but you can only turn the front fog lights on, without the rear. Unfortunately, I have to agree that a lot of car owners are unaware of this. Every single Audi and VW I have sold in the past came with a detailed tour of pretty much every button and control, and I made a specific point about this rear fog light issue (as it is a pet peeve for me too).

Yep, I can definitely vouch for that as well. In fact, my wife and I just had a discussion about this in the car a couple months ago when stuck behind such a (German) vehicle up in SF.

She said, "What's up with their brake lights?"

It ended up with me on a rant about Audi and MBZ drivers (the only 2 cars I seem to notice this phenomenon on) not knowing how to properly work their lighting controls. I even went so far as to bet her that the next time she saw the same sort of lighting "phenomenon" on a car at night, it would be a Mercedes.

Sure enough, it wasn't 2 days later that she came home and said, "You were right!"

Drives me absolutely BANANAS.

Yeh that fog light thing is really annoying. I notice it everyday on german cars.

My car headlights automatically go on as soon as it gets dark. Is it that kind of a hard technology to implement on all cars? Mind you I drive a 2005 Chevy pickup truck.

Its not that technology is difficult to implement but its is driver attitude. I am one of those who manually turn on my lights when needed, rather than leaving it in auto mode .. call me old school

I won't get into the rear fog thing--so silly to be upset by that.

I will say that Americans believe that driving is some sort of birthright and, like ducks who can swim without being taught, they don't have to know anything to drive.

I'm sure the Rhode Island written test must go like this (correct answers provided):

Q. At night, dusk, dawn, fog and rain is it ok to be invisible?
A. Yes.

Q. If you're on a 4-lane, in the slow lane and the car in front of you is going a bit slower than you would like, what do you do?
A. Tailgate the SOB for 20 miles or so, then as he nears even slower traffic, pull into the passing lane, pull alongside and match the other vehicle's speed.

Q. How does a 4-way stop sign work? Who has the right-of-way?
A. ?????????????

Q. What does a triangular sign that says "YIELD" mean?
A. ??????????????

Q. It is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone or text while driving. Does this mean you?
A. No, it only applies to somebody who is not me.

Etc.

P.

Riding without headlights is a pet peeve for me too. In Florida, if its raining hard enough to use your windshield wipers, the law says to turn on your lights. I think only about half the drivers do this. I will flash my high beams at a car without lights on so they get the hint, but it doesn't work. I think all cars should have the auto-on feature. Something needs to be done to protect the incompetent drivers on the roads.