Is It True That Some Headlights Can't Be Turned off?

nuttapillar on 18/10/2024 - 21:33
Last edited 18/10/2024 - 23:35 by 1 other user

I work as a ferry operator, sometimes at nighttime. In the queue are signs telling drivers to only use their parking lights. However many ignore this, and blind me with their overly bright headlights.

Sometimes they tell me that they are unable to turn off the headlights. I'm not sure if I believe them, and I'm leaning towards them not knowing how to use their car properly. Is it true? If so, it seems like a terrible design.

Why is the government allowing cars that prevent the drivers from following their own rules for the ferry?

Additionally, many of the parking lights are so bright and harsh that they seem just as bad as headlights. I think we need some more restrictions on the brightness.

Automotive Headlight

Comments

  • Brick Tamland on 18/10/2024 - 21:43
    +3

    You can turn off headlights but generally not driving lights.

    • nuttapillar on 18/10/2024 - 21:46
      +1

      Well apparently some driving lights are blinding to look at.

    • Euphemistic on 18/10/2024 - 22:04
      +10

      Daytime running lights cant be turned off. Driving lights can be turned off.

      • TiredKitty78 on 30/10/2024 - 23:20

        This seems like a massive oversight considering it's daytime, you MAY not want your lights on since you probably don't need them.

        What do daylights even do?

        • Euphemistic on 31/10/2024 - 07:06

          Not sure if serious.

          Daytime running lights are to make your vehicle easier to BE SEEN. They are becoming mandated to help reduce crashes. The driver does not need them to see, but to be seem.

    • Ade99 on 19/10/2024 - 07:36
      -2

      DLR lights no, driving lights yes. In fact driving lights can be illegal unless the weather conditions are "bad enough"

      • mapax on 19/10/2024 - 07:50
        +6

        driving lights can be illegal unless the weather conditions are "bad enough"

        You’re thinking of fog lights. Driving lights aren’t weather dependent, they have to be wired to switch off with the high beams and not used to dazzle other road users.

        • Euphemistic on 19/10/2024 - 11:33

          Theres a few ways of describing them. Many factory optioned cars have what they call 'driving lights'. Not typically called fog lights in my experience, at least in Aus. They are low set in the bumper and can be turned on in pokr conditions separate to the hedights. Effectively they are used as fog lights to light up under the fog.

          The other type is afternarket 'driving lights' like they usually put on 4wds. Light bars, spot lights etc. High beam only, designed to get extra light at distance for spotting roos off the side of the road etc.

  • MS Paint on 18/10/2024 - 21:46
    +9

    DRL's can be pretty bright and most can't be turned off.

  • sumyungguy on 18/10/2024 - 22:04

    I assume engines have to be kept running? Then it's either DRLs or low beams.

    • nuttapillar on 18/10/2024 - 22:17

      No, there's no instruction for them to keep engines running.

      • sumyungguy on 18/10/2024 - 22:19
        +3

        OK, then cars with headlights set to auto will use low beam (at night) on engine start. My observation is people with this setting never change it and likely don't know how to. Kind of like museums and art galleries where flash photography is not permitted… so many people just don't know how to do it. But I'd rather they had auto lights than be driving around in the dark without realising (which is a car design flaw).

        • 2024 on 19/10/2024 - 10:14

          Not a car design flaw, just drivers being oblivious.

          Normally come from drivers just not paying attention to their instrument cluster to indicate if lights are on or not.

          With lcd/led clusters or full screens that light up regardless, in built up areas with streetlights it's not always noticeable from inside that lights are not on. Problem being people don't care enough as long as they can see, not thinking if people can see them.

          • sumyungguy on 19/10/2024 - 11:05

            @2024: Can be improved through design. My car has a sensor which turns off the instrument backlighting at dusk to remind me to turn on the headlamps.

            • 2024 on 19/10/2024 - 13:04

              @sumyungguy: How is that an improvement? Might as well put a sticky note on the dash.

              What you're describing there is just the standard dimming, not to remind you to turn your lights on. That same sensor would turn the auto lights on if that was the setting you had it on.

              It does it because through the day it needs to be brighter so it can be seen when sunlight hits, and at night its to help drive as not to distract being bright inside, dark outside.

              • sumyungguy on 19/10/2024 - 22:13

                @2024: What I'm describing is the car I own; only has manual control for low beam and turns OFF the instrument backlighting at dusk as a reminder to switch from DRLs to low beam, which then re-illuminates the instruments. Another car I own also has manual lighting with instrument backlighting auto adjusting according to ambient lighting but always being on if the engine is running. But otherwise help me out with the wording so I can get those sticky notes into production.

        • Screamingeagle on 19/10/2024 - 22:00

          My car has auto headlights that I don't use. I find the sensor is not sensitive enough. I want the lights on before the car will turn them on automatically.

  • Euphemistic on 18/10/2024 - 22:05
    +7

    I suspect its 'i dont know how to" or "screw you" rather than the lights cant be turned off.

    My car had auto headlights. I'd have to think about how to turn them off because they just stay in the on position all the time.

  • RogerLoger on 18/10/2024 - 22:08

    Yellow lens sunglasses will help cut the glare.

  • racer1234 on 18/10/2024 - 22:11
    +1

    I came across an ex mines ute a while ago. It had been modified to always have headlights on when engine is running. Are they allowed to turn the engine off on the ferry?

    • nuttapillar on 18/10/2024 - 22:12

      Yes, they can turn the engine off. Some do, others don't bother. But they still need to turn it on and blind me when they drive onto the ferry and I'm supposed to be directing them. But instead I just have to rudely look away and hope they don't hit me.

      • sumyungguy on 18/10/2024 - 22:14
        +6

        Being a safety matter, your employer is compelled to engineer it out. I've driven onto trains & ferries all over the world. Drivers have to follow instructions.

  • nuttapillar on 18/10/2024 - 22:19
    -1

    I'm tempted to buy a really bright spotlight to flash at the cars who leave their high beams on, to hopefully make them realise.

    • nuttapillar on 21/10/2024 - 12:54
      +1

      The downvoters must be the ones who ignore the signs

    • nuttapillar on 21/10/2024 - 12:59

      Do you really expect me to land the ferry in the dark, with a pair of high beams blinding me?
      It's no different to flashing someone on the road who left their highbeams on. In fact it safer, cause they're just waiting in line, not even driving.

  • JimmyF on 18/10/2024 - 22:30
    +1

    Is it true?

    Day time running lights are law. That said, normally can be turned off as a once off (will come back on when the start is started).

    Most people have NFI how to do it through.

    • sumyungguy on 18/10/2024 - 22:40

      The only thing I could find on this suggests they're still not yet mandatory in Australia. EU mandated from 2011; Japan only required auto headlights and DRLs from 2021 which is why they're the main cohort of vehicles on our roads that don't have them. On my Fiat 500 I used to keep them off (dash menu option) to save on bulb changes but I've now realised they add welcome visibility in underground carparks.

  • Ryk on 18/10/2024 - 22:45
    +3

    Given that the DRL are set-up for daytime use, they're very bright at night. Bright enough that many drivers seem not to realise they dont have their headlights on at all.

  • bazingaa on 19/10/2024 - 00:04

    I have off, on, auto settings in headlights (2013 car). I only use on, off most of the time, I am afraid to use the auto setting, thinking that it will somehow turn on the lights after the engine is off and drain the battery lol.

  • GordonD on 19/10/2024 - 08:31
    +1

    My car is a real pain in the arse to turn the auto headlight setting on and off. It requires a number of steps to do in the right sequence that requires looking up how to do it in the owners manual. The only time I have ever had to do it is after a battery change, or when the dealer has been stuffing around.

    If someone on a ferry said to leave the engine on at night, but turn the lights off, I'd say I don't know how to save everyone the time and hassles. I don't want to have to pull over, find the manual, turn the auto function off, then when I drive off the ferry have to do the same again, in reverse, or risk the headlights not being on when required the next time I use the car.

    Auto headlights on is a safety feature that is too useful to not use. You know the headlights will be on when they are required, and go off when the car is turned off. But at least in my car they haven't made it easy to turn on and off.

    • MS Paint on 19/10/2024 - 09:08

      I'd really love to know the model of Renault with said crazy feature?

      Or are you talking about auto "high beam" dipping?

      • GordonD on 19/10/2024 - 09:50

        Put it this way … the instructions would originally have been written in French. And translated into English.

        You've got to stop the car, because the engine has to be off. But the ignition has to be on. And you have to get the manual out, and turn the interior light on so you can read it. Then you have to find the right section of the manual for the auto lights. And instead of just telling you what to do, it says it says do the same as you would to turn the side lights on, except do this as well, and do it twice in quick succession. So you then have to find the section on doing that to find out what it is. And you get a response which is one or two beeps depending on whether you are turning auto lights on or off, and that's not intuitive, so you don't know whether you've turned the function on or off.

        All to save having a switch position, or separate switch, that simply says "auto" on the versions of the car that had auto light functionality.

        Whoever designed the functionality and wrote the manual were idiots.

        And the stupidity with that single stupid does everything light control wand doesn't stop there, because for some inexplicable reason it locks out flashing your headlights if the auto functionality is enabled.

        • MS Paint on 19/10/2024 - 09:58

          Sounds to me like it's the price you pay for choosing a Laguna.

  • YourITLink on 19/10/2024 - 09:41

    I know in certain instances the ability to turn on and off headlights can be disabled on a vehicle. BP as standard practice on all company vehicles from sedans through to fuel tankers are configured from factory with a "engine on, lights on" - this has been a standard from them since they got all safety focused worldwide after the Texas refinery fire.

  • slowcoach on 19/10/2024 - 10:09
    +1

    In my Nissan Leaf (2019 build) the headlights are completely automatic. Can't do high beam unless they're switched to the on position though. Don't like not having full control of the vehicle for exactly this sort of reason.

  • gee-man on 19/10/2024 - 10:16
    +1

    Have you looked into polarised glasses? It would depened on the headlights a bit, but may help cut down the intensity of the glare.

    • nuttapillar on 21/10/2024 - 12:42

      Yeah I might have to start wearing sunnies at night. but it'll make everything else hard to see. I'll have to keep alternating

  • pegaxs on 19/10/2024 - 10:32
    +1

    Some cars don’t have this setting. My wife’s Corolla isn’t easy to turn them off and I doubt she would know how to. My BYD I can turn them off but if the car is on and it’s night time it will just constantly squark at me to turn them back on.

    The best way is to tell people to turn their cars off. On a ferry, why do they need their cars running? I’m guessing it isn’t a long trip so they don’t need the car’s AC running for 5 or 10 mins.

  • Noppy on 19/10/2024 - 10:58
    +1

    No ability to turn them off on my motorcycle. I think its a requirement for it to be on.

    • rodericb on 21/10/2024 - 08:01

      Daytime running lights became an Australian Standard in the early 90's (ADR19) and was repealed in 1997. Most manufacturers didn't bother putting light switches back.

  • WT on 19/10/2024 - 13:14
    +2

    They would be on "auto" there is an "0" which usually means off

    Just put up a sign, engines off while on the ferry please but some cars still have DRL on with just accessories on

  • samcro on 19/10/2024 - 16:13
    +1

    Probably automatic headlights. I have those, but never turn them off. I figure if it's dark enough for them to come on, I need them on. Turn off when engine does though.

  • JimJim on 19/10/2024 - 18:32
    +1

    There's quite a few threads on Reddit about car headlights for models made in the last 5-10 years. Basically a mix of very bright bulbs (to the point where regular lights look like high-beam), badly angled upward or straight ahead, automation and people not knowing how to do the different settings.

    • Euphemistic on 19/10/2024 - 21:21

      Plus the really sharp cutoff line on LED and Xenon lights makes it look like the driver is flashing high beam if you are near the cutoff line and there are bumps in the road. .

      • nuttapillar on 21/10/2024 - 12:37

        Yeah I've noticed that one a lot. Very annoying

        • Euphemistic on 21/10/2024 - 14:19

          I had a car flash its lights at me, then full hogh beam as it approached from down the hill a bit. I didnt have my lights on high beam - if i had them on the spotlighrs would have been pbvious to me.

  • dmbminaret on 22/10/2024 - 05:40

    Hilux workmate here, and same thing. Lights are on all the time. They may get another bulb come on as auto at darker from the dash sensor under the windscreen. I've tried changing it, even with Toyota techstream software but couldn't. To make matters worse, especially in your condition, even after the engine is off, the lights stay on until the door is opened or a timer is reached.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join