Dear Drivers of Ottawa.. Turn your lights ON...

"Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy" (zipppyart) 03/08/2016 at 21:15 • Filed to: rant, Ottawalopnik, Ottawa

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Ok.. Rant time!

Every day during my commute home, I have to flash my high beams at cars to signal people that their lights are off, (I’ve had a 99% success rate). It’s always the newer cars that have automatic lights that have this problem, but as an exception, I’ve seen some older cars as well, including some clapped out Corolla that was crabbing way more than it seemed okay!

I feel like I shouldn’t have to do this, It seems like it’s my duty as a courteous driver to look out for others, since others aren’t. I’m in a vehicle people are so judgmental about, (especially now with my mismatched front end and missing grille, hunting idle and misfire), and I’m being as courteous as possible.

Why do people turn their lights off when AUTO does it for them when it has to? Is this because of the “driving lights” and “parking lights” bullcrap?

I’ve had countless close calls because at least one driver snuck into my blindspot because they didn’t have their lights on.

Please.. If you’re driving, turn your damn lights on, and NOT YOUR HIGH BEAMS because those blind me too.

Okay.. rant over.

Have a Dream car of mine.

jkm7680 > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 21:21

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People are fucking stupid everywhere.

It’s always a Japanese car 99% of the time I see somebody driving with their lights off. I flash my brights and/or flip the person off depending on what they do.

-this space for rent- > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 21:21

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At night or always?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 21:23

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Around my place, people just leave their brights on all the time.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > -this space for rent- 03/08/2016 at 21:24

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evening, night, dawn... whatever. I even caught one of my new neighbours a block away from home. I can’t imagine they did a drive with no lights on in the dark.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 03/08/2016 at 21:26

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UUUGGGGHHHH

Sorry, this stuff just drives me up the wall.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 21:33

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-this space for rent- > jkm7680 03/08/2016 at 21:41

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Auto lights in my Toyota wait til darker than I’d like to turn on. Wife’s BMW turns them on much sooner.

If I leave my lights on all the time they shut off automagically anyway, so I can just drive with lights always on.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 03/08/2016 at 21:45

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Ahh.. one of the features I miss driving the Jetta. I can turn the lights off while driving. Pull the handbrake up a notch and switch the lights.

facw > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 21:46

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I drive with my low beams on all the time (on my car this is also what the DRL setting does). They turn on when I turn off the car.

It’s pretty embarrassing that this is an issue. Its pretty simple car makers: If the car is on, and it is either dark, or the wipers are on, the headlights should be on. It’s absurd that we can’t relaibly make that happen.

MountainRoadPhysicist > jkm7680 03/08/2016 at 21:47

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Actually, it is more likely a Ford when I come across them. Generally their lights are off or their parking lights are on.

jkm7680 > MountainRoadPhysicist 03/08/2016 at 21:49

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I see that pretty frequently also.

Can’t say its ever been a Ford though, hah.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > facw 03/08/2016 at 21:51

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it is mandated for Canadian domestic vehicles to have the headlights be running lights, but not taillights. This is the issue I have. I’m behind a car with taillights off, be it a black car at night, and it gets worse during rainfall, the spray makes a car with their lights off almost invisible.

facw > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 21:57

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Yeah, my car has the tail lights on in either setting (the only difference between DRL and ON is that high-beams are a toggle in ON, and a flash in DRL). I really don’t see why all cars don’t do tail lights on in DRL mode though, lights help visibility and tracking from all directions, not just the front, and you avoid that case where people don’t notice that they aren’t on.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > facw 03/08/2016 at 22:06

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Yeah, my car has the tail lights on in either setting (the only difference between DRL and ON is that high-beams are a toggle in ON

That is very similar to my car. I always leave my DRLs on unless the sun is shining brightly, then they’re essentially useless, so they are turned off then.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 22:11

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Happens here in Nova Scotia too....see my post from awhile ago!

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/has-anybody-el…

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 03/08/2016 at 22:29

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id imagine it happens everywhere. Its starting to annoy me.

Nauraushaun > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 22:33

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Are you saying headlights should always be on? Always!?

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Nauraushaun 03/08/2016 at 22:36

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in the evening, until the sun comes up, yes. Exception if the car is parked.

Shmevans > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/08/2016 at 22:42

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So many people think their daytime running lights are their headlights and that their headlights are their high beams. I have had to explain this to a few friends actually.

Me: “Put on your high beams for me.”

Friend: “There.” * turns on normal lights

Me: “Okay, now watch this.” * pulls stalk to turn on actual high beams

Friend: “Holy crap! How’d you do that?”

Me: “ That’s why people are always flashing their lights at you.” * dies a little inside

I think people should have their licences suspended if they are caught doing this more than once or twice. I’m sorry, but if you don’t fully know how to properly operate the 2 ton machine you’re in then you should be kept from operating it until you pass some sort of course. Why is this different from being certified to run any other type of machinery...

thebigbossyboss > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/09/2016 at 00:54

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Automatic lights are the problem to be honest. In my girlfriends focus I forget to turn the lights on because the dash lights up anyways....

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > thebigbossyboss 03/09/2016 at 01:06

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At least from what I’ve seen, backlit dashes nowadays are a good part of the problem, auto lights being a factor. There really isnt an obvious difference to a slight dimming of the dashboard.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 03/09/2016 at 06:45

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It’s also a pain because people refuse to turn their lights on in inclimate weather as well.....whether in rainstorms or snowstorms. Plus, the ‘auto’ setting on many newer cars only works for darkness, so it would be the drivers’ responsibility to turn them on then...

Rico > Nauraushaun 03/09/2016 at 12:05

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Honestly if they were on day and night that would be fine too. I’ve never seen a car with their lights on during the day time and got annoyed by it, it always helps.

Rico > Shmevans 03/09/2016 at 12:06

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This is increasingly becoming a problem with newer Dodges, Jeep GCs, Ford Explorers and some other cars that have bright DRLs but the owners can’t seem to figure out their headlights are off.

Nauraushaun > Rico 03/09/2016 at 21:37

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One bad side I’m aware of is that motorbikes have their lights on 24/7 so they can be seen. If cars do it as well, motorbikes won’t stand out as much.