Discussions

If you see headlights on but no tails usually means it is their daytime running lights, and there don’t have auto switch set properly or know that they actually have to turn lights on.

This morning there were several vehicles with no lights at all-really bad to drive in that fog with no headlights!

I was walking on the 34th St. walking path last night between 9:30 and 10:00.  
 
 
i saw one car driving with no lights at all (not sure what's up with that) and 2 with no tail lights, so just running daytime running lights. It seems people just don't pay enough attention to what they / their car is doing.

Recent article where Transport Canada is trying to implement measures to correct this. Some manufacturer''''s thought it would be neat if the dashboard lit up with the daytime running lights. That''s where people get the false sense that all of their vehicle lights are illuminated. I really don't know how some of these people see anything on the highway at night, and I have seen plenty of them.  
 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tail-lights-head-lamps-safety-phantom-vehicle-transport-canada-regulations-crash-1.4279458  
 
Edited by Wiseguy850, 2018-03-22 20:17:09

So glad to see your post. I phoned in to the Brandon Sun's Soundoff column re the same concern. I really think that many people don't realise that the running lights position doesn't necessarily mean tail lights are on - it varies from one manufacturer to another.

I don’t bother checking to see if my tail lights come on with my daytime running lights, if visibility is not perfect, I just turn on my lights manually. I have a new driver in my house (my daughter) and I drive that point with her as well. Be safe and be seen!

I like your thinking, and appreciate you explaining it to your new driver.  
Really to me it's just a routine, very seldom do I not turn my lights on, to be unseen in a rural hiway traffic accident usually leaves fatalities, and it does cause fatalities in the city but the bigger problem is what happens when you come up on a vehicle without rear lights.  
At times I sort of get fed up with technology wanting take away from the thinking process, just last night watched the uber car kill a pedestrian, the person behind the wheel had a shocked look, the pedestrian ended up dead. A.I. Is a great thing, but I hope we don't let it do all our thinking  
We read so many topics on driving, and I swear a lot of people turn the car on and the brain off.

Netwalker said " When you get in your car start it up and take 2 seconds to see if your rear tail lights are on. This can save your life and or the life of someone following you. This morning in all that fog I saw at least 50% of the cars on the road with front headlights on but no tail lights.This is against the law and also Stupid. WE CAN'T SEE YOU OUT THERE. Edited by admin, 2018-03-22 12:28:44. Reason: title"

Now I'm not against this whole needing your lights on in the fog but if just your driving lights are on obviously its light enough out that the car doesn't turn them on, now with that being said I'm still more scared of the guy coming at me rather than the one in front of me. I can always see a silhouette in front and leave lots of time to react. This is sounding more like people are scared of rear ending someone and if that's the case then you need to be more of a defensive driver and less offensive. I don't know what it was like in town but out in my part of the country I passed one vehicle with just their driving lights on and the last thing I thought of was to turn my head around to see if his tail lights were on, I was just happy I saw him coming at me and was able to move over on the road.  
You are right and people need to turn their lights on but you as a driver need to turn your driving skills on differently as well to anticipate the conditions as well.

the law says you have to turn your lights on when visibility is 60m or less (about 200')pf course there are many ways to help be safer on the road ways and driving with your head lights and tail lights on does help for sure but i do agree with Motomoto about turning your driving skills on as well.  
 
if you feel you cannot see people in less then perfect driving conditions then sometimes the best choice is to stay home, or at least DO NOT overdrive your vision

usually, flip on my 4 way flashers if I am in fog. They are brighter than running lights. and because they are flashing more likely to be noticed with 4 ways on.  
 
I suspect it is illegal to drive with them on but in fog all bets are off regarding visibility.  
 
I agree with other posters that you need to click on full head light and not rely on the light sensor for the car.  
 
well before sunset you should have full lights on if you are driving east or west as the sun interferes with the visibility of the car.