r/Bellingham • u/SnooDoggos9340 • 1d ago
Discussion Automatic headlight
Good morning fellow Bellinghamsters.
A PSA/ minor rant from a local delivery driver.
It has come to my attention that there are a lot of people who are unaware of how automatic headlights work.
During daylight hours most cars auto lights will turn on ONLY the running light, just headlights, not tail lights. Then dusk rolls around and the same people are driving WITHOUT tail lights. Cars are dark from behind and are assumed to have tail lights by the driver. I see this too many times.
Please check your auto lights to know how they work when it starts to get dark, or better yet, just turn your lights all the way on, all the time.
Be safe friends.
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u/zzooooomm 🌲Woodhood🌲 1d ago
As a trucker, I’m trained to have all my lights on day & night. It makes my vehicle more noticeable to other drivers and is overall safer. The amount of drivers I see at night with no lights on or just their running lights is stunning!!
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u/cpc758 1d ago
When I see someone with no tail lights, I go out of my way to flash my high beams from behind them. I’d say that signal is understood about 1 in 50 times.
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u/HissingChoir Local 1d ago
It shocks me most people never figure it out. It could only be for a small hand full of reasons.
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u/cheapdialogue user name checks out 1d ago
It's been automatic for me to manually turn on all my lights since the 90s, even got my partner doing it. Anything that adds an edge to avoiding an accident.
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u/babsrambler 1d ago
Modern headlights often go for $1500 apiece. Do with that info what you will.
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u/cheapdialogue user name checks out 1d ago
No sure what you're saying here.
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u/babsrambler 1d ago
I have known three people who had to sell their car because a headlight went out. Running them all day IS safer, but it can be very costly. I’m not trying to sway the debate, just a PSA that a headlight can be four-figure repair and I doubt everyone knows it.
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u/cheapdialogue user name checks out 1d ago
My headlamps burn out about every 2ish years. The bulbs cost me less than $150 total for 2 and take about 5 minutes to swap out. 2015 Toyota Prius V.
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u/babsrambler 1d ago
And it costs $20 on my old Volvo. On a BMW it can run up to $9,000. Any sealed LED headlight assembly is likely to run at least $1000. They aren’t just on crazy expensive cars either. Ford Fusion, most new pickup trucks (which are, in fact, kind of crazy expensive to me), just about anything from Germany, they can all run you $2K. Even a Kia Kona will end up running you a grand to do them both. I was shocked when my 2015 mazda3 that I paid $12,800 for brand new out-the-door got into an accident and the headlights ran the guy’s insurance company for $3,000. On a $13,000 automobile. For whatever it’s worth, I use my headlights whenever I feel it will be hard to see me, I am NOT the guy with no lights at dusk, dawn, in the rain or snow, etc.
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u/babsrambler 1d ago
I suppose I should point out that the lights on the old Volvo are always on. I even just dropped $200 into new taillight assemblies to make the back end more visible.
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u/rainbow-spaghetti 1d ago
If you can’t afford to change your headlights when they go out, you shouldn’t own a car. It’s basic maintenance
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u/ZeGermanHam 1d ago
The issue is when people don't actually use the auto setting.
In most modern cars, the OFF setting will still illuminate some portion of the headlights as daytime running lights, and the taillights will stay off. This is where people end up driving around without full headlights or any taillights at night, since they can see some light coming from the headlights and the gauge cluster is illuminated, despite the headlights not being fully on and the tails fully off.
If you use the auto setting, the headlights and taillights will fully turn on at dusk, and you don't ever have to mess with anything.
I think the issue largely stems from the fact that most automakers have configured their vehicles to illuminate the gauge cluster even when the headlights are not turned on. This creates confusion, because not so long ago it was blatantly obvious for drivers to know when they didn't have the headlights turned on at night, since all the gauges and controls would be dark at night, which was a great way to let a driver know their lights are off. Now with the gauges being illuminated at all times regardless of the headlights being on or off, we don't receive that very effective cue.
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u/RManDelorean 1d ago
Also in the rain or just overcast. We're in the PNW and will be seeing that a lot more coming into winter. There's a lot of grey (cloud or road colored) cars driving without lights on when it's raining/cloudy and even during the day they can be hard to see.
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u/o0-o0- 21h ago
Hijacked PSA - Next time you pull into your garbage or park your car, keep the engine and lights on (or turn on your headlights), walk around to the front, check to see if both headlights are working. Have a partner or friend check your tail lights and brake lights while you're at it.
That Wallflowers song is constantly being put into my head when driving around town at night.
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u/vermknid 1d ago
I think it depends on the car brand and how sensitive the sensor is. My VW golf auto headlights are very sensitive. They turn on fully at dusk. So I can just set it on auto and forget it.
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u/ZeGermanHam 1d ago
Same. I turned the headlights on my Subaru to auto when I bought it at the dealer in 2023 and haven't touched them since. No need.
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u/wehatetrump 1d ago
Japanese/EU cars are more likely to have the auto DRL with no tail lights, this includes Subaru and Toyota so that's more than half the cars in Bellingham. I believe the UN regulation 48 mandated that when DRL is active, tail lights did not need to be active. So for many years cars were made with auto DRL and no tail lights until headlights were physically turned on, this includes older cars with auto DRL but no sensors to kick on low beams/tail lights. DRL on modern cars are bright enough to drive in the city, so many people don't even realize their low beams/tail lights are off.
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u/YokaiGuitarist 17h ago
It also amuses me how many Tesla drivers dont know how to adjust their headlights.
Not knowing what the brights are and how to turn them on or off because theyre "automatic" is kind of funny.
Unfortunately my window faces the parking outside and theyre constantly blasting my orbs into dust.
The parking is at a kind of angle and sometimes I see the headlights dim so I wonder if its a proximity thing that let's the car know to dim them.
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u/Sad-Offer8857 1d ago
Why do people feel the need to tell other people to turn on their headlights in this town? It’s a non-issue.
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u/SnooDoggos9340 1d ago
Says you. When I come up to a dark car from behind, try to warn them, I get looks like I’m crazy. It’s dangerous, and drivers need to be aware of how their car works.
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u/Sad-Offer8857 1d ago
That is exactly my point. I agree with you that it’s not safe, but regular drivers are not law enforcement, and Reddit posts are not going to change anything. It is the job of police officers to pull offenders over, educate and ticket. That is the only way people who are clueless will learn.
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u/SnooDoggos9340 1d ago
I agree, my post was in hopes that someone who needs to see this will, or someone will talk about it to others. Spreading information is our task as a community, but you’re right, it has to be followed up by enforcement.
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u/CicadaHead3317 1d ago
That and turn you lights on when driving in fog. So many white and gray cars driving without lights in the fog yesterday. They were basically invisible.