Lights left on

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by Bashy

The issue i see with using just the sidelights as running lights, and I see this time and time again and that's folks forgetting to up it to low beam when it gets darker, the see the dash lit up (as it does with just the parking lights on) thus taking their eye off the ball, really grips my poop...

It doesn't matter whether its a bright sunny day or a dark evening, my dash is lit at all times. My car is a euro 4 though, euro 3 models may well be different. My car has no "running" lights (Presumably you mean the automatic daytime running lights), so when the headlight switch is to the "off" position, there's no lights (Previous owner disabled the DRL's). I'm aware in other Volvo's that this isn't an option, as putting the switch to "off" still means that the lights are on. So in my car; Headlight switch to off = no lights, switch to middle position = side lights (these have to be turned off manually when you turn the ignition off) & third position is dipped beam (lights turn off when ignition is off). Other Volvo's have lights on at all times, regardless of the position of the switch & all of them turn off automatically when the ignition is turned off/key removed (apart from side lights, they need to be turned off manually).

Originally Posted by Tatsfield

I've never understood the motivation to want to drive without dipped headlights when a driver recognises that he needs lights because it's getting dark but only switches on the side lights. I've heard such drivers say that they are saving fuel because the headlights consume more power than the side lights. I've come across drivers who were afraid of blinding oncoming drivers and I've heard the opinion that if you can see ahead without dipped lights you don't need them but without any reason for making that decision.

Actually it's a bit like Covid masks. We wear masks not to protect ourselves but to protect others from us in case we have the infection but don't know it. We need to switch on higher visibility lights at night not just because we need them to see but because they make us more visible to other drivers who may not be paying sufficient attention and need that extra aid to see us before there's insufficient time for them to react. Side lights just won't provide those fractions of a second saving in reaction time. If that costs us an egg cup of fuel and having to renew headlight bulbs a year or so early, isn't that a very small price to pay for improving safety for others on the road? Volvo think so and design the lights so that we are safer on the road.

If we think that there is a level of reduced visibility where sidelights are sufficient and that we can make the decision when that less than optimum visibility becomes bad enough to need to switch on dipped lights, we are kidding ourselves because any level of reduced visibility is enough to necessitate the maximum safe light warning to other road users.

I do switch the higher visibility lights on at night (dipped beam). I never said I drive around at night time with side lights on.