LIGHTS ON: is it illegal in NZ?

[McJim]

Depending on the bike, high beam can still dazzle during the day, especially with firm suspension. It could cop you a fine from the police as well as the odd finger from annoyed motorists. Dipped is perfectly adequate. Ride to the conditions and always assume other road users have not seen you.

From what I've seen riding/driving around New Zealand at any time only about 30% of motorists bother to switch to dipped beam in the face of oncoming traffic. Why can't the police gather revenue by pinging all those fukkas for blinding me rather than something as benign as 11km over?

[ElCoyote]

I bet no police will pull me over and say "Hey! you have your headlight on! Thats $50 fine and 10 points for you young lad!"








Will they?

I was recently pulled up in my cage and told driving lights were illegal unless in fog or extreme conditions. Seems there is a blitz on, especially with big trucks and their Christmas tree lights. I was not happy and told him to do his worst which amounted to nought, but he showed me the instructions from his puppet Meister and it is a fact, but common sense beats laws any day.

[jtzzr]

Must be cool as i have lights on 24/7 (when in use) on both cage and bike and never been questioned...

Mate you must be tired riding 24/7 p/t , I ride all the time with my lights on (well on my bike anyway).

[unhingedlizard]

cant turn them off on my bike.

[nudemetalz]

My Guzzi has no off/on switch for the lights, they only turn off when starting the engine, so the Italians must have great faith in their electrics.......

[vifferman]

I was recently pulled up in my cage and told driving lights were illegal unless in fog or extreme conditions. Seems there is a blitz on, especially with big trucks and their Christmas tree lights.

I'm pleased to hear it.
Sorry - nothing personal - it's just a pet hate of mine, all the dorks that drive around with their driving lights on. It's a bit dazzling for other road users, and like the cop said, it's illegal. There seems to be no reason for doing it, other than either laziness ("Oh... I didn't realise they were on...") or to say, "Look at me! I have driving lights!" )

All three of our cars have low-set driving lights, and I found when testing them that they are pretty much useless except when driving at under say 70km/h on winding country roads. At 100km/h, the illumination is too close to the car to be of any help, and around town, they're not required, unless it's foggy.

Besides, all that light blasting out the front of your car must slow it down somewhat, surely?

[LilSel]

mine are on when the bike is on...

[Dave Lobster]

Mine are on all the time when commuting to work. Generally on full beam. On my 8km journey into the city, it drops the near death experiences from five (on dipped) to two on main. I can live with the odd peasant being dazzled. Not ONE has waggled a finger or flashed his lights at me in nearly twelve months.

I would hope a policeman has better things to do with his time that pull someone up for riding with main beam on. Every second car seems to have his fog lights on, or no lights at all - even in the pissing rain.

[sparky10]

if you read the VIRM and read the bottom of page 11 i states that a day time running light must not operate when head lights are in use so there for they are not day time running lights

This only relates to cars with factory fitted daytime running lights i.e. Volvos/Saabs etc, these dont use headlights but side lights for this purpose.
only relates to import/warrent checks.

I dont ride without dipped headlights on, nor should any sane rider as bikes are hard enough to see, some cage drivers cant even see other cars.

At work i drive trucks/utes and travel a lot of the time from job to job, as a rider i look out for bikers but even in sunny conditions i find it hard to see bikes behind me.

just the other day traveling along Portsmouth Drive(dual carrigway) i was watching a car comming from behind i expected him to pass just waiting for him to, then i had to look twice to make sure, but a bike was comming up behind him and he was about to pass us both. biker had to brake hard as car driver didnt see him, i could hardly see him, black bike n gear no lights 4pm sunny day.

Its your neck if other motorists dont see you, for the sake of flicking a switch.

[sparky10]

I was recently pulled up in my cage and told driving lights were illegal unless in fog or extreme conditions.

Yuo can use dipped headlights in a car during the day but not any factory or aftermarket FOG lights, as that what the switch tells you its for.

Bikers should only use dipped headlights NOT highbeam as this IS illegal

[fredie]

high beams 24-7 fuckem

[Monsterbishi]

Key thing to remember is that having your lights on all the time, DRL's(Daytime running lamps), etc - only work in your favour if the majority are using them.(You risk becoming the next statistic regarding target fixation)

[boonie]

Um, I think the point is a learner should stay away from roads with a higher than 70k limit?

Living on the north shore its hard to avoid roads that have limits higher than 70km/h if you want to hed south. Surely im safer going at 100 untill i can get off the motorway than i am going at 70 and waiting for some idiot in a cage to get impatient and try and run me off the harbour bridge?

[99TLS]

my lights are on as soon as the key is on, pity there trying to promote cars to keep lights on at all times makes us all less visible

[TOTO]

The road code specifically sais that it is very recommended to have the full beam n all the time. thats what I do. hi beam 24/7 unless I follow someone during the night on a long country road and they light up my way better than I would. then I switch to low beam not to make them speed so they can get away from my bright enough to blind people but not well possiytioned to light the road with no street lighting...wish I could have high and low beam at the same time.