Wednesday 9 October 2019

Guild of Experienced Motorists letter to the editor

I've just waved goodbye to Thömas, who is now wending his way down to the South Coast in his old MG, hoping for a return trip without break-downs. I sometimes like the idea of a vintage car to drive, but then I remember that I prefer a car which gets you to your destination with the minimum amount of stress and worry.

Dentists seem to like spending hours in filthy garages, grazing their knuckles and getting covered in oil. It must be a sort of therapy for them.

Having just re-visited Cro's post on the tiny portable electronic jump-starters, I have come to believe that the world of male drivers is divided into two camps: those who approve of day-running lights on modern vehicles and those who would use any excuse to justify their disapproval.

I wonder if the people (men) that condemn daytime running lights for reasons of fuel economy use the air-conditioning systems during the hot weather that is often experienced in places like Australia, where they were mandatory until someone pointed out that fuel consumption went up by a staggering -1% when side lights were switched on? I wonder if any of them accelerate hard as I do when I get bored with driving slowly?

No, the real reason why some people don't like daylight running lights is that they don't like being told what to do. Older models of Volvo gave you the choice of using them or not, but the later models do not have the tiny screw beneath the light switch which allows you to turn them off. I have a friend who bought a newer V70 and was furious when he found he couldn't turn the lights off, and he wasn't a night-time getaway driver.

Someone (a man) also said that daylight running lights dazzle oncoming drivers. Not true. They are low beam, not full beam.

Someone else (yes, a man) said that the day running lights often obscured the yellow indicator lights. Yes, this is sometimes true but it is to do with bad design. Modern cars with LED lights have suffered from bad design by bad designers bunching LED clusters in decorative patterns around the indicators - just because they can. It is worth noting that fuel consumption figures for cars fitted with LEDs is even lower than ones with tungsten, i.e. negligible.

Right. That's settled. You will be forced to make your car a little safer whether you like it or not.

22 comments:

  1. The most obsessive petrol-head I've ever known was a dentist (as was his wife). They even had their own mechanic to look after all their fancy cars.

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  2. Here, lights must be switched on from November to March, in my Volkswagen Polo they turn on themselves and turn off when the engine goes out.

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    1. Many new cars switch their lights on automatically when going under a bridge or somewhere gloomy.

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  3. In the 1960s I was in Sweden and for the first time I saw cars with lights during the day, it seemed very strange to me.

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    1. I think Sweden started it all - I think Volvo started it all. They were obsessed with safety, or so we thought at the time. Now it seems normal.

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  4. Right again as usual. Problems with daytime running lights, and with too bright LED headlights for that matter, are down to bad design.

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    1. LED headlights depend on lenses for focus. The bad design is inappropriately ground lenses which makes them too bright and at the wrong elevation.

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  5. I believe I read that dentist's have the highest suicide rate of all professionals. They get obsessed by small details perhaps?

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    1. My previous dentist shot himself in the head with a pistol. He survived.

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  6. That's a lot of words about car lights. You didn't comment on my Moldova pictures.

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    1. I didn't have anything to say about them.

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    2. Oh, those pictures. I have only just seen them. I have been a bit busy today.

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  7. I have daytime running lights .... I like them. I also have Union Jack lights and a mini hologram graphic projected onto the ground !!!!! I like those as well !!! XXXX

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    1. I saw those Union Flag LED displays on a new Mini. I disapprove not for political reasons, but entirely practical ones. You pay for that rubbish.

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    2. I know but I still like them .... I get taken for a ride all the time ! XXXX

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  8. I don't the the 'bright' headlight problem is LED's, Its those Xenon/hid ones....now THEY are bright! :)

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    1. *note to self....proof read...:)
      "I don't think the..."

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  9. Glad to see you are a member of GEM, Tom. I have been for many decades and must by now have more than covered my annual subscriptions by using their recovery services (mostly whilst towing caravans and riding motorcycles).

    Regarding daytime running lights - my bleat is about those who think that they serve for twilight or bad visibility. THE REAR LAMPS DO NOT ACTIVATE WITH THE DAYTIME HEAD LAMPS, So you are "blind" to the rear. Always activate dipped beam in those conditions.

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    1. Sorry, but the rear lights ARE activated on day running lights.

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