My car is idiot proof. Lights come on when it gets dusk or if it senses rain on the windshield. It also has an indicator light on the dash board that confirms the lights are on. They also turn on in tunnels as well.

Tourists in rental cars here frequently mistake daytime running lights for headlights and cruise along with no tail lights. It just doesn’t occur to them that they may have overlooked something so they simply assume their rental has crappy headlights. They sometimes also assume that people trying to get their attention to explain the problem are serial killers.

Street Ninjas!

quote:

Originally posted by P210:

Tourists in rental cars here

It's everywhere.

I can't count the number of times that I have come up behind a vehicle with no tail lights, on the interstate near here. Gets your attention, real quick!

I leave my headlights in the Auto position . I recently discovered that on a foggy morning , if the sun is up , there could be enough ambient light to keep the headlights from coming on . Assume nothing .

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
People drive at night without their headlights on because they're STUPID. That's all.

According to a cop friend that's usually the first indication that someone is driving under the influence. So, your observation still covers it I think.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
People drive at night without their headlights on because they're STUPID. That's all.

According to a cop friend that's usually the first indication that someone is driving under the influence. So, your observation still covers it I think.

I got called to work one New Years Eve . I was sitting at the office waiting for my helper . I had the parking lights on . When he got there I pulled out and didn't realize that the headlights weren't on because it was very well lit around there . I made it three blocks before I saw the blue lights behind me . The Officer told me that was the quickest way to draw attention to myself .

Some dash/instrument illumination lights are on any time the ignition and/or DRLs (daytime running lights) are on, even if the headlights are off. I got confused by this while driving my then-new 2005 Toyota Tacoma home from the dealership at twilight. But it didn't take me long to realize how its headlights worked.

Teenage me, back about 1971, pulled out of a local hang out and ripped my hopped up chevy through 1st and 2nd full bore, so to well over twice the speed limit... forgetting my headlights in the process.

Immediately got lit up by a city cop. One of those where did he come from moments. He ask where I was going in such a hurry with no lights on.

I truthfully replied "Home"

He let me go, didn't even ask for my license, nothing other than... "Slow it down and get those lights on"

Unless he was headed in to go off shift??? I Still to this day wonder why I skated that time!

Back when I was a kid in the late 60s early 70s we would go out on a moonlit night and run the county roads without headlights.
Beer was involved and God took care of some dumbazz kids !
I still get the urge when it's a moonlit night, but have matured, a little.

I do think that the much greater level of ambient light. light pollution in towns, much less cities contributes to this. Sometimes I feel like we're living in Highlander 2 with the god-awful discolored night sky thanks to these sodium streetlamps. When the alternator went out on my car taking my prom date home back in the day I did notice that the headlights dimmed then died (as did the car). Today, I wouldn't have been able to notice because it's so bright on the roads in this city now.

This happened to me not long ago. I took my Honda Passport into the Honda dealer for a recall. Later that night, I was driving through town and didn't notice my headlights were off. I always have the switch set to automatic. Well the service tech turned them off for the recall. It took me a while to notice since the daylight running lights are quite bright. I don't drink.
Mike

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Some dash/instrument illumination lights are on any time the ignition and/or DRLs (daytime running lights) are on, even if the headlights are off.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
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.

These guys nailed it

Major culprit right here. If the dashboard didn't light up until the headlights were on most people would realize much sooner. It's especially bad near an airport with so many people in rental cars.

I hear ya... I had a friend die because some idiot didn't have their lights on. She was an innocent passenger in another car...
While that was 40 years ago... everytime is see someone who is driving without lights I think of her...