I’m blaming this on the fact that auto manufacturers have decided to produce vehicles that do way too much for the driver. People are too comfortable letting their car do all the work so they space out even more than they used to.

I’ve noticed over the past few years that the number of drivers I see driving around with their lights off at night is steadily increasing. Tonight I had to run out after dark and in the +/- 10 miles I drove I ran into two vehicles with their lights completely off. One of which I came very close to merging into since it was raining pretty heavily so I only saw the all black, tiny SUV cruising just off my left rear quarter panel after I turned my head. It was not at all visible in my rain soaked mirror.

I wish all cars had automatic headlights and taillights. Stopped a kid (21 years old) for driving with only his DRLs on. Back end completely dark.

Probably just had an oil change or some service work done. They like to turn them off but not back on to auto without telling the owner.

Many new cars have the dashboard backlit at all times. Pair that with bright LED running lights and people cant figure out the lights are off.

I get a kick out of the people who will turn on the parking lights at dusk and dawn. What is another 1/2 in turn of a knob to turn the headlights on. Its like saying I only what to see a little bit.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Probably just had an oil change or some service work done. They like to turn them off but not back on to auto without telling the owner.

Oh yea. Forgot about this one. After having my truck in for service I was pulling into a parking spot and my wife said you were very close to that car. I said the sensor didnt even go off. I look down and it was turned off.

I see it all the time too. My theory is these new cars have so many lights and screens and they’re so bright, these drivers don’t realize that they’re running dark.

I watched someone drive by in full darkness, no headlights on but their interior was lit up like Clark Griswold’s house at Christmas.

There was a time that was a good sign of a possible DUI. Now, most of the time it is “I forgot to turn them on”. Didn't seem the roadway/street was a little darker than usual???? Oh, I’m sorry, you didn’t see the road because of the glare of the cellphone in your face……

^^^what he said.

I think a good portion of people are just idiots. Couple that with the invention of DRLs and now you have people thinking that the DRLs are all they need. So whatever safety feature they thought they were adding with DRLs is actual void because people think they don't need to turn their lights on at night.

The current configuration of DRLs should just change to be ALL the lights as if you turned them on at night time. If you need to turn them off manually for whatever reason it should be multiple steps to do so and then they should reset back to ON/AUTO when you turn the vehicle off.

New vehicles are getting so complicated that the average person is unwilling to page through a 576 page owners manual, a 10 page navigation manual and a 250 page multimedia manual (all in english) to drive their new rig. Or paging through 50 menus to find out how to _______________________ (fill in the blank)

That's what came with my 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum. Luckily I have a computer/electronic background or setting this car up would be impossible. Granny transitioning from her Buick will be absolutely lost. Maybe we need new vehicle consultants - not only to help buy them but to set them up after the sale. Big money.

quote:

Maybe we need new vehicle consultants - not only to help buy them but to set them up after the sale. Big money.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I just make the sales guy have them set up after the sale. I am not paying for consultation.

As bad or worse: get on the highway in rain and 75% of them don’t turn on their lights. All the cars in front of you just vanish into the cloud of road spray. Since there are no taillights lit you white-knuckle it wondering when you are going to plow into the rear of someone at highway speed…

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

Maybe we need new vehicle consultants - not only to help buy them but to set them up after the sale. Big money.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I just make the sales guy have them set up after the sale. I am not paying for consultation.

If they know how to set them up.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
Granny transitioning from her Buick will be absolutely lost.

My current vehicle is a 1999 Isuzu Trooper that I brought a few years ago from a little old widow. It was her husbands car and he had recently passed and it was too tall for her to get into. When I went to pick it up she asked my if I would help her setup her new car. She had bought a new Ford and it was too much tech for her. I spent about an hour teaching her how to pair her phone and use the Bluetooth and radio and adjust climate control and stuff. That car might had well been the space shuttle to her. It seems like something a nice salesman would have helped with.

No reason that lights cannot be designed to turn on automatically after engine start.

Manual "OFF/ON" for maintenance and after turning off and exiting the vehicle (safety lights on at night as you leave your car), settings with a variable timer for those functions, if you need the lights on with engine off, or off with engine on, but auto reset to ON once placed in gear, or when engine is turned off.

This way, no drain during start, lights cannot be left on long enough to drain battery, but lights will be on during vehicle operation.

Many vehicles already operate with some of these features.

Give people an option to manually turn them off and drive if they want, but then mandatory tickets for people driving with no lights outside the law.

Pretty silly to have a law to run lights 1/2 hour before sunset, and after sunrise, in fog or rain and at night, but then let people slide, "because I forgot".

Take away excuses.

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
As bad or worse: get on the highway in rain and 75% of them don’t turn on their lights.

This is one thing all, or most, German cars get right. With lights in auto once the wipers come on so do the lights. It's an easy connection to make in any car, if other manufacturers were just inclined. Instead they'll wait until that common sense is mandated and then bitch about the add'l $2.67 it costs as an explanation for the $4,000 higher model cost next year.

Little off topic but...I grew up as a country boy in a small town in VA, and later moved to Los Angeles in 1998 in my early 20's. I remember telling a guy at my new job that I have to always flash HI/LOW for people to turn their headlights on in LA. They never seemed to use them or would just have the "cool" park lights on.

I'll never forget him telling me NEVER do that in LA. Gang members turn them off and the 1st car that flashes them they shoot up the car as a gang initiation.

I knew then I had made a huge mistake in leaving beautiful VA for CA. I also knew that I wouldn't flash anyone for no lights on again.

My Charger turns on the lights when you turn on the wipers. And switches from RWD to AWD, too.

People drive at night without their headlights on because they're STUPID. That's all.

IIRC back in the 60's -- into the 70"s there was a actual law in the state of Louisiana and possibly nationwide that mandated some type of white light showing from the front/grill while the motor of said vehicle was running and driving down the roadway even during daylight hours no mater of the weather conditions even if the factory headlights were not turned on. And currently in Louisiana if wipers are activated the headlights are required to be on also. ............................... drill sgt.