The lights on law. WIN, yea right

[FROSTY:Me]

Dunno if anybody knows or cares but I havent done a lot of road riding lately (read that as sweet ferk all)
Result being I'm not up to speed with car driving habits and the new Lights on law.
Well I'm now the VERY proud owner of a 91 vifferarrai (vfr750) which is a bloody joy to ride.
ITCHING to get on the road I suggested to Jorja a romantic night away about 2 hours ride from home.
So we headeddown to tauranga yesterday.
2 Things I noticed. The first one was once over the bombay hills car drivers were seriously going out of their way to pull over and let us pass. Not once did a driver do the "my balls are bigger n yours" bit or the --I own this road bit.
The second thing was a heck of a lot of cars had their sodden headlights on. seriously defeats the point of compulsary bike headlights on all the time.

ohh and I've forgotten how nice it is to travel with a lovely lady --more rides ahead methinks.

[quickbuck]

Good to hear you are getting out on the road again Frosty, and finding something to enjoy

As for the Traffic moving over, I have found a good trend of this around public holidays... Good to see. I think many car drivers are slowly learning.

Yes, there has been a trend for car drivers to drive with their lights on during the day too....
I do see your point, it means there is no contrast between a little vehicle, and a bigger one.

Thing is though, if ANY vehicle can be "Noticed" earlier, then this is a good thing.

I still don't rely on my headlight to make me more visible, nor my new dayglo jacket. I rely on my skills to predict and avoid danger....
All other things are tools that may or may not help....

BTW, been riding with headlight on since 1976, and sometimes it didn't help!

[FROSTY:Me]

actually there were truck loads of bikes out on the road. what made me "notice" all the cars with lights on was a guy on a black R1/r6 followed by a dark blue station wagon. The r1/r6 was actually bloody hard to see--it blended into the waqon vision wise

[firefighter]

Headlights on for cars on the open road should be law also.

Countless times you look to see if you can pass, and even a white car can be hard to spot in the distance on a dark straight, and I don't have bad vision. (yes that includes 4x4s!)

Good on them I drive the mrs's car on the open road with the lights on too. Saves a car pulling out to pass because they don't see me coming.

Whilst on the subject, just a question for those of you out there that do drive..........

Q. When should you drive with your parklights on?


A. The answer is in the question, all the way on or all the way off, fucken parklight drivers you are muttons. rant rant lol.

[quickbuck]

actually there were truck loads of bikes out on the road. what made me "notice" all the cars with lights on was a guy on a black R1/r6 followed by a dark blue station wagon. The r1/r6 was actually bloody hard to see--it blended into the waqon vision wise

Hard to see from front on, may be, BUT at least you could see SOMETHING coming.

[swbarnett]

Headlights on for cars on the open road should be law also.

Yet another government enforced answer to a non-problem. No thank you.

Whilst on the subject, just a question for those of you out there that do drive..........

Q. When should you drive with your parklights on?


A. The answer is in the question, all the way on or all the way off, fucken parklight drivers you are muttons. rant rant lol.

Have you ever cycled during twilight hours?

When twilight comes you can still see very well on an empty, unlit road. Until someone that's turned their headlights on too early comes along. The prescence of a bright light causes your eyes to readjust. All you can see is this one bright spot whereas previously you could see the whole road. Parking lights are bright enough to make the car more visible in twilight but dim enough so that your eyes don't readjust.

And for the record, I have never missed seeing an oncoming anyghing before an overtake. If I'm not certain (and I mean 100%) that the road is clear I don't pull out. Before you pull out ask yourself this simple question: "Is the road clear?" Not "Can I see anything approaching?". Seeing an empty road is not the same thing as not seeing an occupied road.

[caseye]

Nice isn't it FROSTY , when they do move over that little bit.
Headlights for bikes during the day? yes.oh and of course at night(silly me) some people would take this to mean no lights at night.
Cars? well if you can't see the damn thing coming towards you ,perhaps you should go get an eye exam.SW's point about running / park lights is a valid one.Volvo have had their park/running lights illuminated permanently for decades now.

[firefighter]

Have you ever cycled during twilight hours?

When twilight comes you can still see very well on an empty, unlit road. Until someone that's turned their headlights on too early comes along. The prescence of a bright light causes your eyes to readjust. All you can see is this one bright spot whereas previously you could see the whole road. Parking lights are bright enough to make the car more visible in twilight but dim enough so that your eyes don't readjust..

Oh, so during twilight, you should drive with your parklights on because cyclists do'nt possess the mental capacity to look away from car headlights? Never saw that in the road code or heard of that during any of my driver training.

And for the record, I have never missed seeing an oncoming anyghing before an overtake..

Ahhhh, yeah no shit. I'm talking about straights, where the road is dark, where vehicles blend into the road and can be hard to see.
It may look clear as the car is so hard to see, and people (usually inexperienced or elderly) may decide since it's clear they can pass. Surely you have seen this happen before....or seen for yourself what looks like a clear pass, looked harder and just noticed a vehicle there?

Before you pull out ask yourself this simple question: "Is the road clear?" Not "Can I see anything approaching?". Seeing an empty road is not the same thing as not seeing an occupied road.

Wow, thanks for clearing that up, normally i'd just pull out and hope for the best.

[firefighter]

Cars? well if you can't see the damn thing coming towards you ,perhaps you should go get an eye exam..

You've never noticed that dark vehicles blend in, in the distance on a dark road?

Maybe I do more riding/driving than the average joe.......although this point is brought up in most drivers courses i've done throughout my careers

[JMemonic]

It would seem that a few companies and rental agencies have compulsory headlights on when driving. It was noticeable though that after the law was implemented it seemed a lot of cars were driving with the headlights on.

[CookMySock]

car drivers were seriously going out of their way to pull over and let us pass. Not once did a driver do the "my balls are bigger n yours" bit or the --I own this road bit.

It's got a noisy zorst, hasn't it?

a heck of a lot of cars had their sodden headlights on. seriously defeats the point of compulsary bike headlights on all the time.

Yes things are changing on the roads. Get a HID light or some sooper-bright LED-assist lights. Then they'll see ya. But as you noticed, they saw ya coming for sure.

As a (strictly scientific of course) experiment, and only during a brightly sunlit day, ride with your headlights on fullbeam and note how many complaints you get. I think you'll be surprised.

ohh and I've forgotten how nice it is to travel with a lovely lady --more rides ahead methinks.

ah shit, so have I. How lovely it is to have a warm trusting crotch snuggled on behind, grinning about the magic of the ride. Reach back and pat on the thigh occasionally to say "hi, thinking of you" and then back the job at hand.


Steve

[FROSTY:Me]

actually despite being told I should get louder pipes nope its quiet as . But it does have running lights in the indicators might explain it a bit. OR I was projecting positive karma --ahh fuggit i dunno could just be i was havin so much fun noone wantede to spoil it

[CookMySock]

Music for doubling chix ;



Steve

[caseye]

Sure have, to this day I haven't missed one.Don't wear glasses on the road yet, but when it comes to reading I do now.
I ride to and from work in Dorkland everyday, cept on those days wehn it rains, then I drive.Cause I can.
I also ride most Thursday nights and almost every available weekend, my wife now rides to the city and back every weekday and gets out on weekends when she can.While cars having their lights on during the day may help it can also lose other cars in front of them.Yes I've seen that too.
While the common good is a worthwhile objective, is it worth making everyone do things that they don't need to do all the time because a very few are blind/Ignorant or simply couldn't care less.
The same question applies to Right hand Turn ARROWS.I make sure theres nothing coming wave the one finger salute and ride on, it's Bullshit designed to accomodate the above types who make it necessary for the rest of us to be treated like Idiots.

[quickbuck]

........ it's Bullshit designed to accomodate the above types who make it necessary for the rest of us to be treated like Idiots.

Can't agree with you more on that one.

The other problem those stupid arrows create is lines of traffic being funneled down side streets, so there is now no way you are going to get out of that park.
At least when there is no arrow, the vehicles are split up naturally by the through traffic....