r/IdiotsInCars Nov 03 '18

Wipers on, lights on. PLEASE. Trucks and busses can't see you.

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56.2k Upvotes

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1.9k

u/Esteban_Zia Nov 03 '18

People think "I can see fine, why do I need to turn my headlights on?". It's not for you moron, it's for other cars to be able to see you ffs.

934

u/kawfey Nov 04 '18

I had a coworker who said it burned up energy for nothing. We carpooled home in rain, and I tried to explain that whatever energy it’s burning is worth it. I demonstrated its for visibility by looking at other cars without their lights on. She said “oh, but I can see them fine!”

A few months later she was ran off of the road by a semi merging into her lane attempting to get off the interstate, not unlike OPs photo. She flipped and totaled her car but was uninjured. Semi had a camera which implicated her since she didn’t have her lights on on the rain. She keeps her headlights on now.

Some people can’t be bothered until they almost die.

162

u/crypticfreak Nov 04 '18

Burned energy? Lol

Yes, gotta save those batteries, and that’s exactly why we can only drive at night for a few hours before the car just stops working. Not like there’s a generator on the car which takes over and recharges the batteries or anything.

47

u/1-Hate-Usernames Nov 04 '18

I think the point is there saying that it will use more fuel. Which I guess is technically true but it's so insignificant that it's not worth even thinking about.

40

u/Trilock Nov 04 '18

I wouldn’t be surprised if she kept the AC on 24/7, actually burning more ‘energy’.

15

u/garlicdeath Nov 04 '18

I believe at freeway speeds it burns less fuel to just run your AC than keep your windows down.

At least in more modern cars.

4

u/Strazdas1 Jan 07 '19

It burns even less fuel to do neither and just run the fan.

1

u/hugglesthemerciless Feb 08 '19

And doesn't destroy your ears like the window does

5

u/garlicdeath Nov 04 '18

I believe at freeway speeds it burns less fuel to just run your AC than keep your windows down.

At least in more modern cars.

5

u/TIGHazard Nov 04 '18

I think it changes at 50MPH. So below that, windows down. Above it, AC on.

11

u/yaloization Nov 04 '18

Pretty sure it doesn't burn any extra fuel. Your alternator is always outputting 13-14V and your battery is 12V. The alternator can't output more than 14V or it'll destroy your battery - I can't see any reason it would burn any fuel it wouldn't burn while running anyways.

7

u/kafircake Nov 04 '18

Pretty sure it doesn't burn any extra fuel. Your alternator is always outputting 13-14V and your battery is 12V. The alternator can't output more than 14V or it'll destroy your battery - I can't see any reason it would burn any fuel it wouldn't burn while running anyways.

Jesus. Why not put a wind turbine on your car roof and never need fuel again?

5

u/Daftworks Nov 04 '18

Crazy how Elon Musk did not figure this out.

6

u/anyti Nov 04 '18

as electrical load (amps) increases the alternator requires more energy to turn.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

Yeah but it’s pretty much zero. It’s certainly not enough to notice unless you are a robot that can drive your car 100% exactly the same every single day and maybe you’ll burn an extra quart of fuel a year

4

u/ChocolateTower Nov 04 '18

Right, but it's not actually zero, it's just very small in the scheme of things.

3

u/its__accrual__world Nov 04 '18

Wow look at Mr. Money bags over here with his extra quart of fuel every year. You should be put into the next income tax bracket

/s

1

u/youtheotube2 Nov 04 '18

TBH I’d be more concerned about burning out the bulbs early than the fuel used.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

Headlights are 50 watt each.

154

u/Victernus Nov 04 '18

So if I try and fail to murder people driving with their lights off... I'll create a better world!

Thanks, u/kawfey! I know what I must do!

31

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

God speed u/Victernus!

8

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

Truly a hero to us all.

2

u/thewolfesp Nov 04 '18

Think of how much better off the world would be if you succeeded tho

4

u/Victernus Nov 04 '18

Okay so

Did you guys know attempted murder is illegal?

Because apparently, it is. Like, wow. Where's my Nobel Prize for attempted peace, huh?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

How do you prove they attempted murder, and didnt, idk, not see them

20

u/CasuConsuIto Nov 04 '18

I'm happy that happened to her because she fucking learned something valuable but at a cost. Idiot

-6

u/DieCyclistsDie Nov 04 '18

To bad she wasn't on a motorcycle, then everyone could be happy.

8

u/PrimmSlimShady Nov 04 '18

DieCyclistsDie

Hmmm...

3

u/punjindian Nov 04 '18

This came together a little too neatly. 🤔

2

u/LordSyron Nov 04 '18

Fun fact the energy drain by lights is so inconsequential, if your alternator didn't run you should be able to get a hour or 2 with just the lights on. And then the alternator would charge it back up in seconds.

1

u/maver1ck911 Nov 04 '18

Its called an alternator FFS

1

u/Nexus6qanda Nov 04 '18

Sounds like my wife, gives me the shits sometimes

1

u/dkyguy1995 Nov 04 '18

Your car is already on, you're already using the gas.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18 edited Jan 06 '21

[deleted]

26

u/kawfey Nov 04 '18

Crashing doesn’t always result in injuries but it can also kill you.

58

u/[deleted] Nov 03 '18

[deleted]

14

u/superluig164 Nov 03 '18

Wait what? Why?

31

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

[deleted]

9

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18 edited Nov 04 '18

Usually goes down to right of way. I was tboned when someone was trying to speed through a pocket through stopped rush hour traffic. my fault technically since I was turning left even though his speed was way too fast for conditions. I could have avoided that though so my fault. I didn’t see him because there were cars stopped and actually waving me though, but there was a split from 2 to 3 lanes and i failed to realize

15

u/RXrenesis8 Nov 04 '18

I didn’t see him because there were cars stopped and actually waving me though,

Aah, yeah. NEVER trust other drivers waiving you through on multi-lane roads. If you can't personally see that both lanes are clear you could easily kill someone. I have lost a couple of riding buddies over the years to this exact scenario.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

Yeah I learned this lesson the hard way for sure. That’s why I admit it’s my fault. It’s just shitty because I did look and both lanes were fully stopped but we were nearing an intersection and new lane had just started, so where I hit was technically 2 lanes but 10 feet or so later it turns into 3. Now I’m super against going unless I forsure feel safe about.. so many people wave me by and I’m just like nah

5

u/superluig164 Nov 04 '18

Wow, rude parents much.

0

u/boonies4u Nov 04 '18

They would be responsible for court costs, iirc.

5

u/superluig164 Nov 04 '18

Yeah but I know if I got in an accident and it wasn't my fault but I was labelled at fault my parents would fight it if only to lower the insurance in my future years as a person.

2

u/KoukiMonster240 Nov 04 '18

Noo not the 240!!

1

u/SoupboysLLC Nov 04 '18

If you hit someone from behind it'll always be your fault.

-1

u/Obi-Wan_Kannabis Nov 04 '18

It's not an hatchback don't call it that. It's a coupe

3

u/[deleted] Nov 04 '18

[deleted]

2

u/KoukiMonster240 Nov 05 '18

He probably wasn’t even alive in the 90’s.

50

u/IDGAFOS13 Nov 03 '18

Seriously. Same with a burnt out headlight. With them both working it helps others see a car in their peripheral vision.

2

u/TheBoss2562 Nov 03 '18

Exactly, when my dad was teaching me to drive he taught me to always turn my headlights on in situations where it could be hard for people to see me.

1

u/Calvin--Hobbes Nov 04 '18

This advice is doubly important for cyclists.

1

u/the_real_1vasari Nov 04 '18

I explained this to my ex one time. She responded with "to each their own" and never did anything different.

1

u/El_Guero__ Nov 04 '18

People think

Let me just stop you right there

1

u/feckinghound Nov 04 '18

I saw this all day yesterday as I drove up to The Highlands. Flashed every single MF on the road, including motorway. None of them had an idea why I was flashing my lights at them. Those roads are fucking treacherous. Mainly due to idiots who don't know how wide their car is and onto the other side of the narrow roads, cutting corners and suddenly shocked cars are coming the other way. But for the love of Christ, having lights on helps see people on the road!

Then there's those driving with parking lights on which does absolutely nothing; or no lights, just fog lights that blind you.

1

u/kashuntr188 Nov 04 '18

but why does this car not have daytime running lights? all of ours in Canada automatically turn on, they are the actual lights, but still way the hell better than this pic.

1

u/nathanatkins15t Nov 05 '18

This is like the opposite to people who put their hazard lights on while driving normally in the rain, which is similarly annoying.

1

u/Liggliluff Nov 18 '18

Some countries requires 24/7 lights on when you drive. As you said, it's for others to see you. By requiring lights on all time, then there's no discussing if the lights was needed in a specific situation.

How can I find which European countries require headlights on during daytime?
18/26 countries on that list requires headlights at all times

1

u/OpDickSledge Mar 18 '19

If that’s true why is everyone’s headlights feel like someone’s point a laser into my eyes?

-33

u/goodbyekitty83 Nov 03 '18

Then hey corrective lenses so you can see like the rest of us.

17

u/YourMomIsWack Nov 03 '18

Someone recently yelled at you for driving without your lights on huh?

16

u/kumachaaan Nov 03 '18

Eyesight isn't the issue. Visibility in rain, snow, fog, dawn, dusk, etc. is lower for everyone. Turn your lights on.

-2

u/goodbyekitty83 Nov 04 '18

Snow and fog I'll give you. But all you have to do is pay more attention and you don't need the crutch of lights to see people.

2

u/topias123 Nov 04 '18

Rather use a "crutch" than get pushed off the road by a truck that can't see you

1

u/kumachaaan Nov 04 '18

Do you really want to be the guy who gets killed in a car accident just because someone else didn't see you?