A Reminder to Fellow Motorists

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
09/29/2015 at 18:52 • Filed to: None

When it’s raining, please set down your Starbucks and iPhone for a moment and reach over for this little knob (or stalk, or button) to the left of your steering wheel and turn your motherfucking headlights on .

Sincerely,

Yes I did just flash my brights at you... and you... and you. Take a hint.

Why these aren’t hardwired to turn on when your wipers are on on ALL cars yet, I don’t know. How about making that a mandated feature like backup cameras, government?

DISCUSSION (41)

DrJohannVegas > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 18:55

I refuse to take lighting instructions from a BMW.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > DrJohannVegas
09/29/2015 at 18:58

My car gives instructions? I didn’t even know it could speak!

DrJohannVegas > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 18:59

Well, the lights keep blinking...I know German electrics can be tricky to maintain.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 18:59

Saw too many of these on the way home from the eye doctors. Assholes.

Rico > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:01

My car does it automatically with the wipers.

If cops actually enforced the law instead of worrying about the person going 10 MPH over on a 55 MPH highway maybe people would learn. Many times a person has sped up on my right side and had no lights on, in a black car, in the rain, in the fucking dark.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:01

In Missouri it is a state law.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Rico
09/29/2015 at 19:03

I saw two cops on the way home without them on so their give-a-shit meter is about as low as it can go.

lone_liberal > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:03

They won’t listen. Where I live the fog can get really thick in the winter but do you think they would bother with headlights then? Hell no! However, if it is a crystal clear night you can bet that 85% of cars with fog lights will have them on.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot
09/29/2015 at 19:03

Now if only the cops actively followed and enforced it..

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > lone_liberal
09/29/2015 at 19:05

I have to admit I drive with my fog lights on as well as my headlights at night. Though only because the headlights have a terrible spread and I feel like a total douche every time I do.

dogisbadob > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:05

Instead of flashing high beams, what you should do is turn your lights off real quick then turn them back on.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:08

That will be the day. Though it is something you can be pulled over for. So they should.

Very few people on Lindbergh had their lights on. I see a drizzle and its lights on.

Nice car btw!

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:10

In Alabama, it’s a law. There are even signs that say “Lights on when raining”

lone_liberal > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:10

On most cars it’s not that big of a deal, but some have super bright fog lights, or poorly aimed ones, that can blind oncoming drivers.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot
09/29/2015 at 19:10

Hell, it’s about that time of day when you should have your lights on anyway.

Thank you!

scoob > dogisbadob
09/29/2015 at 19:10

I’ve done both of those to one person at a red light once. I think I did it for about 15 seconds until they finally realized what was up.

That’s a damn long time at 9 PM at an intersection where that car is the only other car in sight.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:11

I’ll be damned if 95% of the time it is either a silver, gray, light metallic blue car, or any color that you can’t see in the rain. It is almost never a red car.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
09/29/2015 at 19:11

Yeah, we have those big orange electric signs that say “Wipers on, lights on” or something like that. Clearly effective.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/29/2015 at 19:13

On top of that, it’s usually the car with their wipers going at full speed and are going 5 under in drizzle. Or totally opposite and they’re absolutely flying down the road.

facw > lone_liberal
09/29/2015 at 19:13

It can be bad in hilly areas. As cars crest the hills, they hit oncoming drivers with both the fogs and their normal lights, which can be a bit blinding.

Rico > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:14

Typical and disturbing

RoboRed "The road to hell is paved with overturned Vanduras" > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:14

This. So many times this. Jesus-tapdancing-Christ, THIS.

Sam > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:14

Just as an aside, this is from a Euro Mercedes, and I believe the switch on the left is auto-lights.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:16

Just about. Won’t be able to wear the sunglasses all the way home :(

Do you autocross? I think I've seen an E36 at the STLSCCA SOLO events. But I don't know my Bimmers so who knows.

facw > scoob
09/29/2015 at 19:16

I recently had the pleasure of flashing a Mercedes with no headlights at night at a light, having them ignore me, then seeing there was a police car behind them. Police car lit up and pulled them over as soon as the Mercedes went through the intersection.

lone_liberal > facw
09/29/2015 at 19:17

Good point, and I do live in a hilly area so that absolutely contributes to the issue.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot
09/29/2015 at 19:19

I haven’t AutoX’d it yet, though I’d like to. I don’t imagine a silver E36 sedan would be a rarity at performance driving event though.

davedave1111 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:24

That’s not a thing here, and national stereotypes say we’re experts in rain.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-advers…

 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 19:37

My headlights come on automatically a few seconds after I turn on the windshield wipers. Get on my level.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 20:02

I know of someone who over heard a conversation about this person they know through a mutual friend whose distant relative just bought X vehicle and it has lights that turn on for you. So therefore, I think ALL cars automatically have this, and always have, even my very old poverty-spec shit-box that I use to clog the left lane every day while I text and write emails while you try to get to work now has automatic, rain-sensing headlights.

It’s totes true. Since I heard about one car with them, they must all have that.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 20:18

A little nice tidbit: every single Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Matrix have automatic (also not able to turn it off) daylight running lamps/headlamps. I enjoy it so much. Before on the QX4, my headlights were turned on whenever I was driving, day or night. Fixed that problem.

WilliamsSW > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 22:50

But I can see just fine without them! Um, no - they're so other people can see you, dummy.

Nauraushaun > Rico
09/29/2015 at 23:31

So the rain wasn’t really the issue here. They were driving in the dark with no headlights.

Nauraushaun > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/29/2015 at 23:32

Why? Is this a visibility thing?

Rico > Nauraushaun
09/29/2015 at 23:44

Rain still plays a major factor in obstructing visibility. I’ve nearly merged into a silver car in a rain storm for the same reason during the day time. No lights on

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/30/2015 at 00:04

I often ‘flash’ my lights on and off, and by that I mean turn the lights off and back on again (handbrake pulled up a notch to turn DRLs off), often times I see the typical Ford, or BMW driving with only their DRLs (which are standard on Canadian cars), and me almost running into them as a result.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/30/2015 at 05:17

only knob on the left of my car’s wheel is the radio knobs

;)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/30/2015 at 10:43

Also read, US needs to do what Canada does and REQUIRE daytime running lights that are always on as long as the car is in gear.

Lights in daylight may not sound like something that should be required, but believe me, they make a difference. In rain that would be multiplied many times.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Rico
09/30/2015 at 10:52

My dad had a 1997 Jetta with MANY things broken. In winter, it was downright dangerous. If you didn’t have air circulation, you fogged up (duh). When you turned the fan on, you always had to have it on recirculate, because there was an exhaust leak somewhere around the cabin intake. In that state, you had to keep switching around from defrost to face to feet. Basically, as soon as you could see in front of you, you switched to face to clear the side windows. As soon as you got the front windows about 75% clear you had about 30 seconds to thaw your feet out before switching back to clearing the windshield. The rear passenger windows never cleared. Anyway, long story short I just about changed lanes into a grey car beside me. I checked my blind spot, but I couldn’t see grey paint through the fogged window. If I hadn’t had a passenger who could see better than me and happened to be looking, I’d have been screwed.

At least in the summer you could roll down the windows. Unless it was raining.

Talk about fair-weather cars.

Rico > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
09/30/2015 at 11:00

Grey blends in with everything, fog, rain, snow, fogged up windows etc. My car is grey but I have auto headlights and I still give a small toot from my horn when passing someone on the right.

functionoverfashion > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
09/30/2015 at 11:47

Related: why do all cars now not have headlights that turn OFF when you take the key out, or whatever newfangled keyfob thingy they’ve got? I mean, describe to me a scenario where you might want to have your headlights on, but cannot have the key in the ignition/ignition on. We’re not talking about an expensive, fancy feature here. A f***ing relay. That’s it.