HEADLIGHTS ON when its nasty out...

[3930dave]

I Highly agree!!

I have personally been blinded during the daylight by a motorcycle with its High beam on during the day! I was on My Triumph coming out of a tree covered road and he was just entering into the shaded area and blinded me momentarily enough to actually loose the road for an instant. Luckily I was able to get the bike back off the burm without loosing it and hitting anything but I Have NO RESPECT for anyone who runs with High beams on when traffic is approaching no matter the time of day or night! Some people have argued that it dosnt bother or blind anyone but I have to differ with that and say HERE I AM I AM SOMEONE AND IT HAS BLINDED ME AND ENDARNGERED ME SO DONT DO IT!!!!!!!

Don't hate the Player, hate the Game.

Unless you are blessed with 100% of the drivers being skilled, attentive, awake, sober, and non-texting where you are, then you understand the risks I'm talking about while street-riding.

My wife was stopped at a red light. A car stopped safely behind her, then drove into the back of her car.

A friend's wife was stopped at a red light. The nanosecond the light turned green, the guy in a truck 2 vehicles behind her matted the gas pedal - drove the vehicle in front of him into my friend's car hard enought to cause quite a bit of damage to the lead vehicle. Friend's wife needed physio. Could had been worse, if her car had been shoved into the intersection and hit by late cross-traffic.

A friend's buddy got picked off at high speed by a guy who blew through a Stop sign at a nearby crossroad. The BMW (car) driver that hit him told the traffic cop that he routinely blew through that stop sign, because he couldn't be bothered wasting his time stopping.

I could go on. It's pretty easy to get injured in a car or truck, in this neck of the woods.

Unlike train engineers, MC riders often get killed when somebody pulls out in front of them.

We all have to deal with known, and unknown hazards on the road. Light distraction is one of the Known ones. Many people are running problem lights at night - that is illegal here, but not really enforced well, unfortunately.

I usually have no interest in publicly telling people how to behave, but for your own sake, think about your riding style. The situation you described could have easily been an emergency vehicle approaching you with all-lights ON, with the same result. Legally driven, the same as daytime riding with high beams is here.

One option I'm considering for the bike (partly because of the discussion here) is white LED strobes, for daytime use. Need to check the HTA again, before going that route.

Rgds, D.

 

[Looking4new]

I am one of the people you mention running illegal lights. As soon as I see a vehicle approaching from the front or side I turn my spots off. At night, you pass me and I have my spots on, as soon as you get beside me, the spots are shut off. I have 4, 100 watt lights pointing to the front of the Jeep. With the big truck I only have two, but they are on top of the mirror brackets and cover both ditches.

 

[paulfun9]

I have read and re-read the vehicle code and it makes no exception for when the High beam should be turned off when approaching an oncoming car or coming into town or poupulated areas based on day or night use. Basically it reads the same for both as it does not separate the use from day to night.

An emergency vehicle would have also been using those lights in combination with a siren alerting me to approach with caution ! Thus my immediate reaction would have been to slow down below the speed limit rather than at it and be more prepared for an unexpected event! DO you have a blaring siren on your bike to alert others you are going to momentarily blind them? I doubt it!

I understand the problems we all face especially with bikes out on the roads with these nuts running around but adding to that by taking a chance that even once your high beam could affect an other riders or drivers vision just enough for them to loose the road and possibly crash isn't going to help any! What happens if the driver is in a pic up truck and as they loose sight decide to turn away from the known trees just a bit instead of trying to hold that imaginary line and risk it? They might well just pop out into your lane enough to cause you to wreck anyway defeating the hole reason for running it on high to begin with!
I promise you one thing if its me coming in the truck I wont swerve away and will only hope that I didn't misjudge the distance. Meaning if you get hit because you blinded me on a twisty road day or night I wont loose any sleep knowing you brought it upon yourself!

 

[drizler]

I just can't for the life of me wonder how in the world anyone gets blinded by a high beam motorcycle light sufficient to cause them the slightest danger during daylight hours. All I can say is if you see something like that don't stare at it which is most likely the cause of your issue. The main reason why anyone rides with high beams on in the first place is to wake up the otherwise , punk kid, old far, soccer mom with a minivan full of brats, pissed off menopausal woman or your everyday random drunk sitting there ahead of you. That's the statistical main cause of most regular bike accidents. A guy i used to know taught motorcycle safety. He had this article in a bike mag called "The Fatal Front". It went on to explain how the vast majority of all fatal (regular, not mach 2) accidents came out of a 30 degree cone centered on the front of the bike. That's where most of the folks I mentioned in the previous sentence will come from when they clobber you. Turning right on red, blowing a stop sign or yield, turning left ect....thats where the chief danger lies and all you can do about it is be as visible as possible as you to a major extent are at their mercy. It doesn't really matter who's fault it was if you're smashed like a pancake.
If you drive fast and weave in and out of traffic you need it all the more and in the end it probably won't save you anyways.
On the other hand low beam isn't all that visible in bright daylight . I' always ran my bike on high beam in the day time and for just that reason and I would today if I just hadn't given it up for a variety of reasons.

 

[3930dave]

Code here is different than yours. Lights are required at night (obviously), and any other time there is limited visibility (ex. fog). I don't run MC high beams against oncoming traffic under those conditions.

168. When on a highway at any time when lighted lamps are required to be displayed on vehicles, the driver of a motor vehicle equipped with multiple beam headlamps shall use the lower or passing beam when,

(a) approaching an oncoming vehicle within 150 metres; or

(b) following another vehicle within 60 metres, except when in the act of overtaking and passing. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 168.

Be well on the road Paul.

Rgds, D.

 

[paulfun9]

Drizzler At one time I would have argued in favor of the High beam until my experience, I would not have believed it myself. No I don't satre at lights from oncoming cars or bikes at day or night. I have been riding for a long time, started before I entered grade school and have been a licensed active street rider since I was 16 so I am not a novice at all. Actually quite the opposite, I could go on to boast about my credentials but they have no real bearing on this subject except for bragging rights.
The problem is running in the shadows for the most part and after the incident I actually did some tests with the High beam during the day. I was surprised to find that when running with it on I got flashed from many drivers and lots of dirty looks from others. I also found that even staying back from cars out front with it on caused them to drive in a somewhat defensive manner just as they would at night.

Just as it was suggested to me that maybe I am going to fast for the hazards out there maybe those who ride with the High beam on should slow down to a speed that is more comfortable for them and they wont need the High beam because they would be able to avoid all the bad things that happen on the road, or maybe give up their bike altogether and stay in their car or truck where they are safe!

 

[3930dave]

I am one of the people you mention running illegal lights. As soon as I see a vehicle approaching from the front or side I turn my spots off. At night, you pass me and I have my spots on, as soon as you get beside me, the spots are shut off. I have 4, 100 watt lights pointing to the front of the Jeep. With the big truck I only have two, but they are on top of the mirror brackets and cover both ditches.

I've spent time driving up north, and out east - seen deer and moose, knock wood, haven't hit any. Plenty of people hit deer near where I live in Central Ont.

I understand why you are running that way at night 'new. I don't consider what you are doing to be an issue, as you are using aux lighting in an intelligent way.

The worst problem around here usually is when somebody plays with the stock headlights - messes with with the reflector/aiming, or drops in a non-standard bulb.

I know some cars with factory HID systems have a level/horizon sensor - helps the HID beams follow the road, and prevents blinding oncoming traffic at night. If that sensor goes out, the factory lights should be defaulted to point down. After-market HID systems are often not that complicated - these ones can be some of the worst offenders if mis-aimed.

Rgds, D.

 

[Looking4new]

I have found over the years that with most new and a lot of used cars the headlights are not aimed properly right from the dealer. That just adds to the aggravation.

 

[DHD]

If I remember correctly.
Back in the late 60's and early 70's when I was in the Navy and stationed in Florida,
headlights were checked to insure they were aimed properly during the yearly automobile inspection.

 

[Looking4new]

In ontario there is no yearly inspection. A used vehicle needs a 'safety certificate' for the ownership/title to be transferred as 'fit' therefore able to be licensed. Other than that there is no other inspection needed. (This is for passenger cars and pickup trucks.) Big trucks and buses are a different thing.